The downtown plaza of Marysville, K.S., was beautified this morning when two murals were unveiled.

A few years ago, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were relocated from the town's downtown area. City planners didn't want to be left with an abandoned rail bed, so they decided to commission public artwork.

The moving art pieces, paid for by donations, were created by Lifetiles artist Rufus Seder. Each mural is composed of 90 individual glass-ribbed tiles.

"I used to make movies and i thought it'd be great to make murals that move without electricity and no moving pieces," said Seder, who attended the dedication ceremony today.

When the mural is viewed from a stationary position, it appears as a fixed image. but when the viewer moves alongside it, the image suddenly springs to life.

"It's the only public art of its kind in Kansas," said Marysville City Administrator Rick Shain.

Transportation was the theme of the murals. It made sense as Marysville was a local stop along the old Pony Express Trail back during the 1860s.

The Pony Express mural features reenactor Dan Koch on his ranch horse Prince as they blaze across a 4x 10 foot mural.

Koch it's an honor to have modeled for the town's public artwork.
"It's very cool that people can see me forever," he said.

Rufus Seder has designed dozens of Lifetiles works in museums and aquariums around the world from San Francisco to Kuwait City, but this is the first time he's made a mural for a public town area.