A decades-old mural discovered behind the Kenai Municipal Airport’s siding will be remembered through a pictorial display in the renovated terminal.
The mural, discovered last month after construction crews removed the airport’s metal siding, was painted by an advanced art class taught by Renae Larson at Kenai Central High School in the spring of 1977.
The mural depicts peninsula icons, like a Russian Orthodox Church, a dog musher and a fishing net.
Airport manager, Mary Bondurant, said a photographer is taking photographs of the mural, which will be displayed in the new terminal along with a plaque listing the names of students in the art class.
The artwork had been covered by metal panels after the airport expanded in the 1980s. Built in 1966, the airport has been remodeled three times — in 1983, in 1988 when the restaurant and lounge were added, and in 2004, when sidewalks, entryways and parking lots were updated.
The current remodel, which began in October, will redesign areas throughout the airport, including the interior, roof, entryway and exterior, in an effort to enhance passenger experience.
A small plaque about the mural will also be placed next to the paintings on the building’s facade before new siding is set to go up.
After construction workers removed siding from the facade of the Kenai Municipal Airport, a mural with iconic Kenai images like fishing nets, the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox chapel and a dog musher, was revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska.(Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
After construction workers removed siding from the facade of the Kenai Municipal Airport, a mural with iconic Kenai images like fishing nets, the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox chapel and a dog musher, was revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska.(Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
