Artist figuring out ways to preserve historic mural

An artist in Pueblo wants to keep the memory of a famous mural alive.

Cynthia Ramu is spearheading the effort to sustain the memory of the Arkansas River Levee Mural before it is destroyed for repairs.

She said a photographer was hired to take pictures of the nearly three mile piece of art and she has asked for help from the Pueblo City-County Library District to create a book of the mural.

Ramu is also trying to figure out ways to save the art on the concrete before it gets torn down for construction.

She said when repairs are complete; the new levee will be a blank canvass.

“I’m really lucky to have an advisory team of members in the community to explore new and creative ways to really paint on the wall. We want to create some mural festivals and create some events where people come down to the river into the levee,” she said.

The Pueblo Conservancy District has to fix the Arkansas River Levee in order to meet FEMA’s standards.

If the cracks and other damages on the levee are not repaired, homes and businesses around the levee will be required to buy flood insurance.

The district expects work to be done within the next four years.