A WELCOME SIGHT: Mural at Vicksburg waterfront nearing completion

Published 2:23 pm Friday, January 13, 2023

: Work is underway on the city waterfront mural. The Downtown Vicksburg Main Street Program, the city of Vicksburg and the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau are funding the project. (Photo by Terri Cowart Frazier | The Vicksburg Post)

In November, preparations began for a project that will welcome all those arriving by boat.

For several years, Kim Hopkins, who serves as the executive director of the Downtown Vicksburg Main Street Program, said the idea to have a mural painted at the city waterfront has been in the making, and now with the combined effort of the city of Vicksburg, Main Street and the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, it is becoming a reality.

Craig Thomas of Craig Thomas Art began working on a hand-painted mural inside the flood wall at the city waterfront at the end of December, Hopkins said.

“I’m very excited,” Hopkins said, in reference to Thomas beginning work on the mural. “This is something I have been wanting for a while and it is something that makes my heart happy every time I go down there.”

In coming up with the mural design, Hopkins said, she and VCVB Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland initially sent Thomas images for inspiration. From there, ideas were exchanged with Hopkins, Strickland and Thomas until a final image was designed.

“We sent him (Thomas) several pictures and he sent us back drawings, and then Laura Beth and I sat down one day and tweaked it and he just kept working with us until we got the work we wanted,” Hopkins said.

The total cost of the mural is $42,000, with Vicksburg Main Street and the VCVB each paying $7,000 for the startup. The remaining $28,000 will be funded by a grant from the city of Vicksburg.

Hopkins could not give a date the mural would be completed since the weather is a factor.

“It has to be a certain temperature for him (Thomas) to be painting,” Hopkins said. On humid days, the wall will “sweat,” she said.

“He (Thomas) could draw (when the weather is humid and the wall sweats), but he cannot paint,” she said.

Hopkins said Thomas has been easy to work with and is pleased with his work.

“He has been doing a great job,” she said.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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