Corn Palace murals

Every fall the murals are changed out on the front and south side of the Corn Palace here in Mitchell.  The 14 or so colors of specialty corn are grown by a local farmer specifically for this purpose, and the past few years the murals themselves are designed by art students at the college.  Decades ago the famous SD artist Oscar Howe designed the murals each year.  His original drawings are exhibited inside near that front balcony.  The theme for this next year will be the 250th birthday of the USA.  2025 was Wonders of the World, which is still showing over the entrance.  

There are 2 big murals on the front facing the street.  I couldn't resist stopping Friday morning to get a photo of the first one that is finished. 

We The People - this mural is beautiful.  Each mural is framed almost like quilt sashing, using grains and grasses.  Thus the reason many local folks call this the World's Biggest Bird Feeder. 

On the other side of the entrance is the Liberty Bell and the flag.  You can see the guys on the scaffold filling in the flag stripes.  Around this corner are 6 smaller murals extending the length of the building.  One has the outlines done already and will depict Rosie the Riveter. 

Picture a huge paint by number, and that is exactly how these murals are done.  The design is traced onto huge sheets with each section numbered and marked for the color needed.  The corn cobs are cut in half lengthwise.  The outline is done with black corn half cobs cut to needed lengths.  Then they fill it in with the colored corn.