New mural going up behind Elkader Opera House

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

A new mural is coming to Elkader, as part of continued efforts by the Art in the Alley initiative to beautify the community and create tourist talking points and visitor sites to snap a few pictures. 

This new mural, started in 2021, is going up on the back of the Elkader Opera House and is being painted by longtime Opera House Players (OHP) member Cary Kann. He  volunteered for the job after initial discussions, but readily admitted the process has been a collaboration among others involved with the Opera House, including Kay Moser, who called Kann’s artistic talent “amazing.” 

Through that team effort, Kann crafted a blueprint for a mural design that is best described as a “trip through the history of the opera house,” and perhaps even a walk through the myths they teach. It’s a rich history that dates back over 55 years—something Moser said is “unusual for community theater groups to sustain that long.” 

The trip through history includes not just the shows that have been staged in the storied building, but also what happens behind the scenes, such as the lighting, costumers, backstage crew people and their work. This holds a special place for Kann, who has spent plenty of time over the years building and crafting set pieces. 

Kann is a veteran of the Opera House Players, dating back to 1996, but his love of art, drawing and painting goes back even further—all the way to his early years. As a child, Kann was introduced to art and heavily influenced by his mother, often times working on projects alongside her. It was she who provided the materials that allowed creativity to flourish in Kann. That creativity has followed him over the decades and ultimately led him to this spot. 

With this mural, the idea of history is paramount, and it will serve as a showcase of and explore that history with iconic scenes from several plays along with surrounding images of set creations, most notably a tree stump that has been used in numerous plays, as well as a sewing machine and a tree branch from The Secret Garden. 

As for what iconic scenes should be included, that was also a group effort that relied on a rating system based on what members of the Opera House Players felt were noteworthy or memorable. Among the most popular picks were Peter Pan, Shrek, Oz and Singin’ in the Rain. 

All were chosen for the iconography and because they are immediately recognizable, with images like the yellow brick road, Captain Hook, Shrek and Donkey, and while not listed above, even Snoopy’s doghouse makes an appearance. 

The recognizability of the images allows people to instantly know what the opera house has done, while prompting personal memories of each show, whether people attended or not. 

It creates a personal link that is important for Kann, who was partly motivated by his own personal connection with the opera house. It’s the use of nostalgia as a method of connecting people, and according to Kann, of showing them what it “means to be human.” 

He was also motivated because he simply wanted to be involved. It’s a way to give back to the community. Of course, he also enjoys creating and painting, and there is a satisfaction achieved when one brings a design to life that will be shared with others. 

Through this mural, Kann can educate people about what the Elkader Opera House has achieved in its lifetime, but not to be lost in all this remains the history, or in Kann’s case, a legacy. 

For Kann, the mural is a chance not just to entertain people through images, but more importantly, to “leave something behind.” To leave a piece of his life’s work on full display, especially if it helps the opera house and promotes the arts along the way. Perhaps it will inspire others, the way Kann’s mother inspired him. 

The timeline for the mural is not set in stone, and over the course of the last year has undergone several delays, mostly weather related and from Kann trying to find the time to dedicate to the project. Due to these hindrances, and Kann’s own admission that maybe he is “just slow,” only about 20 percent of the mural is complete. However, Kann is recently retired, so time is less of an issue, but the hot summer days remain one. On the bright side, Kann hopes to have it completed by the end of the year. With its location on the back wall, there is room for expansion. 

“We have often said this mural could be ongoing as new shows are performed, and additional characters can be inserted into the design,” Moser added.