EDITORS NOTE: Muralist Frank Weathers Long died this past January in Diamondhead, Miss. at the age of 92. Long was one of hundreds of artists working for the Works Progress Administration when he did the Berea Mural in the post office. More about Long can be found in the News around Campus section of this magazine.

The vivid colors and details of the mural are the first things to attract attention.

Then, a story visually begins to unfold.

A figure that is apparently a minister is in the foreground. At the far right, a man sings and plays a dulcimer. Nearby, a young boy enjoys some peppermint stick candy, a dog sniffs at a covered picnic basket, two men engage in some horsetrading, refreshments are purchased at a rectangular stand and people of all sizes, ages and descriptions are active throughout the painting.

A county fair? That's close, but it's more than that. The mural in the Berea Post Office depicts a colorful era in the area's history - Berea College commencement.

The contribution of artist Frank Weathers details commencement the way it was in the late 1800s and after the turn of the century. Commencement at that time was much more than an educational function. For thousands of people in and around the Berea community, it was a major social and cultural event.

Located on the upper east wall of the post office, the mural is approximately 6x12-feet in size and was completed in 1938. It's one of approximately 110 murals that was painted during the Depression era in U.S. post offices around the United States.

For Kentuckians and Berea people, several of the figures in the mural have special meaning. The dulcimer performer was modeled after folk musician John Jacob Niles. And a man wearing a blue shirt stationed behind the refreshment counter was based upon Pruitte Smith, a long-time College employe.

The locale of the mural scene is on or about the present College quadrangle. The Tabernacle, shown in the upper right in the painting, forms a northern border for the artwork and was located near the College's current theatre facility, the Jelkyl Drama Building. Lincoln Hall, not shown, but which is the southern barrier of the quadrangle, was used during the period of the painting to house the Homespun Fair exhibitions.

- by Frank Weathers Long