Less than a week after Vicksburg’s main tourism arm announced it would secure funds for the 25th historic floodwall mural, prep work has begun on one to tie together the wall’s first painting with the historic works.

Prep work is also being done for six other murals.

The City of Vicksburg received a $2,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission in July to have Louisiana artist Robert Dafford and his team prepare a mural that will merge the realistic murals with a more abstract work done in 2001 by local artist Martha Ferris. That same year, the Riverfront Mural Committee was formed to raise funds to have a line of Dafford’s depictions of historic Vicksburg scenes.

The transitional mural will link some of the vibrant colors in Ferris’ painting with the more muted ones in the most recent Dafford mural, which is closest to the original.

The Willie Dixon mural features the legendary native, in addition to the Blue Room and local singing group the Red Tops.

Controversy came up in May 2006 after city officials suggested the Ferris mural, which is the size of four of Dafford’s, be repainted across the street at the Art Park at Catfish Row to make room for more of the historic depictions. But, it was decided that Ferris would work with Dafford to create a transitional panel and have 18, instead of 22, murals along the north floodwall where Ferris’ mural is.

So far, Dafford has completed 22 murals. Two more, one honoring Vicksburg founder Newit Vick and another recognizing the Vicksburg Theatre Guild’s longest running melodrama, “Gold in the Hills,” are next on the list. Work will begin on these after Thanksgiving, said Nellie Caldwell, chairman of the mural committee. Members of the board of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau decided Thursday they would match funds inherited from a dormant account to pay the $16,500 cost to have a mural depicting the Miss Mississippi Pageant completed as the 25th mural. It will be pained in the spring.

Other murals planned, but in need of sponsors, are the 1927 Flood, Planter’s Hall, Rosa A. Temple High School, Koestler’s Bakery and former Gov. Kirk Fordice. After those are complete, 10 more may be planned, prepped and painted.