Dedication Ceremony held for mural painted by Missouri artist Ray Harvey

MAYSVILLE, Mo. (KQTV) -- A tribute to American service members now stands in Maysville, as a 100-foot-wide, 27-foot-tall mural honoring generations of military veterans nears completion.

The mural, dubbed "Seasons of Service" and painted by Missouri small-town muralist Ray Harvey, spans approximately 2,500 square feet and features figures from the waist up standing 14 feet tall, with the largest figure, an Army officer, reaching 27 feet.

It depicts a female sailor saluting, a Civil War soldier, a World War I flying ace, a Korean War soldier, a Vietnam-era soldier, and a modern-day Navy SEAL-type figure, all backed by the American flag.

A dedication ceremony was held on Friday at the mural site, where community members gathered to celebrate the completion of the project and thank the artist.

The project began when Barbara Owen of the DeKalb County Historical Society saw an article about Harvey in Rural Missouri magazine and thought, "Maysville needs that."

She brought the idea to the historical society, which applied for a grant that made the dream a reality.

"I thought it was perfect," Owen said of Harvey's initial design. "The first one I saw, I gave him a picture of stick figures. This is my idea, you know, through the wars, soldiers marching through the wars. And thankfully he didn't go with that."

Owen said the finished work "looks alive" and brings history to life. "I think of my dad in World War II, I think of my brother in Vietnam era, and just what they all gave."

The Maysville Endowment Fund awarded a $10,000 grant to the project, which organizers said gave them confidence the dream could come to fruition.

Harvey reflected on what the mural means to the community.

"What I try and do when I go into the small towns is to give them a voice," Harvey said. "It's hard to be loud in a noisy world, but every town is proud of what they stand for, proud of their history, proud of what they do, proud of their lifestyle. And they want everybody to know it."

Harvey, who has painted more than 600 murals across Missouri and was named the state's 2026 Artist of the Year, said the mural was designed to fit the proportions of the wall.

"It's one guy, a paintbrush, and some paint on the wall," he said. "This is the real thing." He noted the mural is designed to be viewed from a distance, what he calls a "highway painting," and that the figures are representational rather than photorealistic.

"They represent the spirit and the soldier behind it," he said.

Mayor Peggy Harwood praised the community's support.

"You guys make me so proud to be mayor of a city like this," she said. "This mural tells us what this town is all about. It's a wonderful celebration of our freedoms."

The mural is expected to last 15 to 20 years given the quality of paint used.

Harvey said it would be completed within about a day or two of the dedication, having taken roughly 13 to 15 painting days with some rain delays.

Owen hopes the mural sends a clear message to anyone driving through Maysville.

"I think that Maysville cares about their town," she said. "They're proud of their history and they care about their town."

Harvey said the best part is seeing the community embrace the work as its own.

"As soon as I sign a mural and I leave town, that mural, everyone in town becomes French because they start saying, look what we did, look what we have, and that's cool," he said. "I kind of sign the mural and I turn it over to the community that it's theirs. And they can enjoy it as long as it lasts."

You can find more of Ray Harvey's art here.