THE KANSAS MURALS JOURNAL
Concordia’s Whole Wall Mural: a history lesson in 6,400 bricks
Look closely at Concordia’s sculpted brick mural, where Cloud County history, tiny creatures, and the wall’s material reward a slower visit.
What happens when the bricks are the picture? At Concordia’s Whole Wall Mural, the surface does more than hold an image. It gives the artwork physical depth, making this an especially useful stop for anyone curious about the different forms Kansas murals can take.
Start with the size, then forget it for a moment
The directory records a wall 140 feet long and up to 20 feet high, made with 6,400 bricks supplied by Cloud Ceramics. It credits Catharine Magel as artist and Mara Smith as lead sculptor. The work occupies the east wall of the Cloud County Museum Annex.
Those measurements explain its scale. They do not tell you where to look. After taking in the whole wall, choose one small area and give it the same attention you would give a framed picture.
Turn the visit into a detail hunt
The listing names fish, butterflies, honey bees, a meadowlark, and a mouse among the details hidden in the composition. Pick two to search for rather than trying to finish a checklist immediately. Looking slowly is the point.
For a photograph, compare a wide view with a close view taken from a respectful distance. Notice how the relief and shadows affect the details you can see. There is no need to touch the surface to understand that it differs from a flat painted wall.
Read the wall as local history
The subject is Cloud County, including rural life and development. A useful question is how a large historical story fits alongside such small creatures. Does a tiny detail pull you back into the bigger scene? That movement between scales makes this Concordia mural worth more than a quick snapshot.
Explore the mural and its setting
Open the Whole Wall Mural mural listing for its photograph and recorded details. Use the Kansas mural map to choose your next stop.
Explore the featured Kansas communities
Browse more mural listings in the places featured in this story.
Other communities to explore nearby
These suggestions use recorded mural coordinates and are within about 30 miles in a straight line of at least one featured work. Driving routes and access vary.
- Agenda murals — about 15 miles from the featured work in Concordia
- Courtland murals — about 19 miles from the featured work in Concordia
- Simpson murals — about 19 miles from the featured work in Concordia
Sources and image information
Image: the existing mural directory photograph. This story draws on the linked records; the looking exercises are editorial suggestions, not an account of an on-site visit.