— A book featuring Muskogee’s guitars aims to strum up enough funds to help beautify the downtown area.

All proceeds from the book “Muskogee Rhythms” by Dr. David Jones will go to the Muskogee Area Arts Council, which will use them to replace a mural featuring cows on Main Street on the west side of the street between Court Street and Broadway.

Jones said the building would not be painted again; a vinyl wall covering will be used instead. He said the vinyl has a life span of seven to 10 years.

“It doesn’t deface the building,” Jones said. “And hopefully, after businesses see this one, they’ll be interested in letting us do some more.”

Jones said the inspiration for the murals was downtown Guthrie.

“Guthrie’s downtown is totally painted with murals,” he said. “We hope it helps reinvigorate interest in downtown.”

Jones said the MAAC rode Muskogee’s trolley last September and located 31 different properties as potential mural sites. The murals will be produced by a local artist, Roger Davis, and printed by Extreme Graphix, he said.

“It’s an ambitious project; kind of never-ending,” Jones said. “Hopefully, we can get businesses to get more interest.”

ShIronbutterfly Ray, the president of the MAAC, said the process would be long but that the payoff would be worth it.

“If we have more and more murals like the one, it will make it more beautiful and improve the quality of life,” she said. “It makes you smile and feel good. We want to see a lot more of that here.”

The nearly 100-page hardcover coffee table book is a collection of images of the Muskogee Guitar Project.

It had quite an inconspicuous start. Jones, an amateur photographer, said the guitar displayed at Citizens Security Bank caught his eye. He photographed it, then took the photo to the bank to see whether the bank was interested in displaying it. Jones said a bank official, Max Boydstun, asked him, “Have you ever been published?”

So Jones approached the MAAC, which was interested, but after he photographed the guitars, he realized he didn’t have enough for a book. Jones said he caught a break when Wren Stratton, who was the mayor when the Muskogee Guitar Project was realized, still had the paperwork from the project. That paperwork, along with biographical information on the guitars’ artists, round out the book.

Jones credited Betsy Kennedy, a MAAC board member, as instrumental in the book’s final process.

“She was very instrumental in rewriting and came up with some great ideas,” he said. “We really complemented each other well, and she spurred it to get it completed.”

Jones said two photos in the book are his favorites — the Citizens Security Bank guitar that started the process and the “Great American Cowboy,” which graces the book’s cover.

Copies of the book cost $35 and are available at several local businesses. It also will be available when the MAAC has its Business After Hours event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at McEntee’s.

Ray said several artists would be available to sign the book, as will Jones. There also will be a drawing for a copy of the book.

Ray said the mural project ties in nicely with the guitars.

“It’s all a part of beautifying downtown,” she said. “When it comes to economic development, even if a business is interested in Muskogee and isn’t locating downtown, they still look at our downtown.

“We’re wanting to tie a lot of what we want to do with downtown Muskogee. If our downtown looks good, people who come to town will want to be here.”

Reach Mike Carrels at (918) 684-2922 or mcarrels@muskogeephoenix.com.

You should know



WHAT: “Muskogee Rhythms,” a book by Dr. David Jones, featuring Muskogee’s guitars.

COST: $35.

WHERE TO BUY IT: Muskogee Art Guild, Muskogee Public Library, Citizens Security Bank, Three Rivers Museum, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Dr. David Jones’ dental office, Muskogee Regional Medical Center gift shop, or online at www.maacok.com.

ETC.: The Muskogee Area Art Council is having Business After Hours at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at McEntee’s.



Contest

Submit a photo you’ve taken of the guitars around town for a chance to win an autographed copy of “Muskogee Rhythms.” The Muskogee Area Arts Council board will vote on their favorites. The contest runs through June 1. Submit photos via e-mail at 866drjsmiles@gmail.com.