The Painted Rock

[Edward Lea.]

Below is a good link to the painted rock in Iowa. Every year, for the last five years, a talented artist, Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II, has done a Memorial Day tribute to our servicemen and servicewomen, both past and present, with a stirring tableau painted on a large granite boulder which stands next to Highway 25. The huge granite boulder came out of the nearby Schillberg Rock Quarry and it weighs approx. 56 ton (50.8Mg) and is 12 ft (3.7m) high.



For years this boulder was known as "the graffiti rock" and was decorated for high school rivalries, love interests, etc. Since the Memorial Day paintings began, the "rock" has remained with the annual tribute intact.



I know this rock has been listed here before but the link below has links to all the previous years pictures.




http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/bob/On-A-Rock/On-A-Rock.htm

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Maybe I'm wrong but I'm a little sorry that something that was started because it was so heartfelt is now so commercial. I e-mailed his sister/agent some time ago when I ran into the web page asking who all that money was going to. The response I got was it was going to "paint and supplies". The artist is a young man and I don't want him to go broke painting this rock but if he only sold one of everything he had for sale on his web site, he could buy enough paint and supplies to paint a small town. Graffiti artists do it every day. I would much rather he or his sister/agent ask for donations, which I would gladly send, then to do this.

IMHO



Uncle Billy

 

[fatrap]

Drive by the rock all the time on the way to 3 Mile Lake.

fatrap

 

[Edward Lea.]

wow Bill I never looked at his web site. Around here everyone just checks out the rock. I don't think I ever met anyone that had bought anything off it. We just think the rock's cool.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

I'm sure people have bought stuff off it or they wouldn't have the vast amount of different items for sale and he wouldn't need an agent. I think the rock's cool too Ed and as a combat veteran I appreciate this young man doing it. The story on his web page says he saw the movie "Saving Private Ryan" and was so moved he did the first painting. It's just not so altruistic anymore.



Uncle Billy