The 119-square-foot artwork adorns the exterior wall of the American Legion building that faces the Veterans Square Pocket Park on Main Street.

Artist Jim Finlan of Escanaba was commissioned for the piece by the Norway Downtown Development Authority in conjunction with Post 145.

“We hope the mural will shine a light on the American Legion and our service members. It also brings a spark to the Veterans Park and downtown,” Norway City Manager Dan Stoltman said. “We hope people will come to see the mural and take some time to relax in the park and enjoy the serenity of our downtown.”

The mural encompasses five branches of the military — Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard.

Hunter and Finlan work on the clearcoat of the 119-square-foot mural.

“I took images that best represent each branch,” Finlan said. “Each of them can also represent the beginning or the end of a mission.”

An American flag waves through an Upper Peninsula symbol as the centerpiece. It is surrounded by illustrations of military soldiers, aircraft and ships.

“The bright yellow … over the U.P. can symbolize either the light of God or the rising or setting of the sun,” said Finlan, adding a star highlights the city of Norway.

“I wanted to focus on honoring our veterans, along with a special recognition of where we live,” he added. “It turned out better than I expected.”

Finlan noted the original plan was to create a piece that replicated each war; however, they realized it would get very complicated.

He painted a “mock-up design” on a 2-by-4-foot panel for the Legion for final approval.

“They had some design changes — that’s why you do it on a small version first, and when it’s approved you can move on,” Finlan said. “It’s almost like a contract.”

Finlan was assisted by 2025 Norway High School graduate Jayda Hunter, who will be attending Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Mich., in the fall.

The mural took about two weeks to complete. They finished the artwork Friday and over the weekend placed a clearcoat to protect it from weather.

Finlan noted there were challenges painting on the uneven conditions of the brick surface. “I’m used to this kind of stuff — when you do outside walls there are little crevices and other things to deal with,” he said. “It gives it character.”

Finlan, who has been creating both inside and outdoor murals for the past 20 years, has several pieces throughout Escanaba as well as other cities.

“It was great working with Jim,” Hunter said. “He has taught me a lot of stuff, as I had never done a mural before.”

“She came through with flying colors,” Finlan said. “I told her, ‘Let’s start simple and see how you handle it’ — and she went to town.”

Hunter, who has lived in Norway since age 9, is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community with her art.

Finlan noted he appreciated Hunter’s help and will recruit her for any other upcoming mural work within the area.

“It all worked out really well, I’m thankful for all the support from the DDA and the city of Norway,” he added.

Stoltman noted the DDA doesn’t have any concrete plans for additional murals; however, it is something they are discussing.

“I think murals can bring new life and excitement to an area, and I, for one, would love to see more in Norway,” Stoltman said. “I also want to thank Jim Finlan for a great job on the mural, as well as our former DDA Event Coordinator Gina Zanon for organizing the project.”

Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.