UPDATE: Finishing touches applied to Bike Boulevard mural

COLUMBIA — Artists put the finishing touches on the first Bike Boulevard mural Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Ash and St. Joseph streets.

Sandra Eccles and her crew of volunteers turned out at around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. While Eccles worked on detailing the flowers and vegetables in the design, other helpers outlined images in black to make them stand out. Still others traced and painted circles on the border of the mural.

Smudges and light spots were repainted. A few flaws were embraced, like the paw prints from a loose dog that ran through the mural Saturday as well as the trailing boot marks of its pursuer.

New faces that showed up to help didn't miss a beat, painting alongside returning volunteers as music played from a pickup truck parked beside the mural. 

Nick Reed, 23, of St. Louis and Daniel Leeman, a 23-year-old graduate student at MU, said they passed by Saturday and contributed Sunday by sweeping and applying a second coat to the black background.

“I think it would be great for other communities to do this,” Reed said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to come back and see it years from now.”

Eccles is still looking for volunteers for next week’s mural, to be located at the intersection of Windsor and Melbourne streets. She said she will start preparing the space on Tuesday and will begin painting Saturday. That mural should take less time because there is less fine detail, she said.

Anyone who would like to help is welcome, regardless of age. No experience is required. The painting will start around 9 a.m.