An artist’s dream

An artist's dream Rick Johns spent the last two months painting a mural he designed on the north side of the Janie's Sweet Temptations building in downtown Vermillion. Rick Johns spent the last two months painting a mural he designed on the north side of the Janie's Sweet Temptations building in downtown Vermillion. The project, which began in May, is just the beginning of a dream Johns has had about the downtown area. In addition to the mural, which follows a garden theme, a sidewalk park is planned on the site. Johns' mural has yet to be named, but it will be dedicated sometime this month with a public reception. The work was completed with the help of a grant from the South Dakota Arts Council and contributions from area businesses. Johns, a local artist and remodeling contractor, hopes viewers of his mural will emotionally experience the vastness of the area in which they live. "We are city people surrounded by an expanse," he said. "With the mural, I want to generate that sense of openness and the beauty within it." This is the second mural in Vermillion's downtown area. Missouri Weave was painted in 1978 at Center and Main streets. Designed by Dick Termes, a professional artist living in Spearfish, the mural was restored in 1998.