Photographer Nathan Brown took a few shots of them painting and had to get out from under the steamy canopy as the heat was intense.
The muralists have received many encouraging words during this trip to our river town. Amidst questions by one of the City Commissioners, as to whether or not the city should be paying the original artists to repaint their own work or give local artists the opportunity to repaint these Dafford copyrighted images.
What most people don't realize is that Herb Roe has painted portions or all of every existing image on Paducah's Dafford Floodwall Murals. Roe's signature appears right next to the Dafford copyright on 20 of the 54 panels. This makes him the original artist. As a Dafford muralist, Roe does restoration in several of the towns across the country. He is one of only a few that Dafford trusts to restore his world famous style.
Roe paints mostly his own creations during the year, but he agrees to return to Paducah to restore this work because, as with any artist, he wants to insure it maintains its original style and integrity. In recent years, Dafford is spending more time in Paducah to do restoration but Roe is here for all of the repaints. Dafford knows and trusts Roe to paint what is true to the original design and style. He and Dafford have painted together for over 20 years.
Earlier in the week Dafford met with Paul Aho, Dean of the Paducah School of Art and Design. When men of this caliber of talent and experience come together, no telling what might develop. There are hopes on the horizon for a collaboration.
The artists are staying in a loft apartment in Lowertown, eating in local restaurants, shopping at our groceries and local stores, supporting our economy the whole time they are here. They are contributing to our community in many ways and enjoying much that our river town has to offer.
