At least 50 people from Albert Lea, around the state and from as far away as La Crosse, Wis., came together Sunday for the unveiling of the Beatrice Bessesen mural by one local artist in downtown Albert Lea.

The mural — which has been installed on the south end of the Historic Bessesen Building, known to many as the home of the Albert Lea Art Center — features Bessesen, Albert Lea’s historic opera singer, surrounded by a border of vines, leaves and flowers, singing from the window to passers-by.

Local artist Susanne Crane said it took her about three months off and on to complete the mural, which was made possible through a Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council grant and local co-sponsors Ehrhardt Properties and Home Depot of Albert Lea.

Crane, who has created murals and other public art for the Rochester Civic Theatre and the city of Minneapolis, purchased the Bessesen Building from the Art Center three years ago.

She said she was inspired to paint the mural of Bessesen when she heard the romantic story behind the construction of the building. Bessesen’s husband built the opera house for his wife in 1916. She noted she hopes the mural will help people realize what is possible in Albert Lea.

While the mural was a triumph for Crane and other artists present at the unveiling, it was also a reminder of a renewed potential and interest in the historic downtown.

Crane, who moved to Albert Lea in 2006, has worked diligently to bring attention to the downtown and to promote its revitalization. She has also been involved with bringing Artspace Projects Inc. to the city.

She said she was pleased with the turnout and the energy that was present during the unveiling.

Community Development Director Bob Graham said during a time of celebrated vitality with the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, Albert Lea should celebrate people like Crane who have vitality and who can bring that vitality to the city.

Graham talked about how over the years people have been conditioned to think that mediocrity is good; however, people should raise the bar and search after the highest common denominator.

This is especially true in Albert Lea’s National Historic District.

“We have a National Historic District, which is exciting, but we need to be careful we don’t have a national historic monument,” Graham said.

It’s in that spirit that the city took on the Freeborn National Bank Building and Jacobson Building, he noted.

People need to recognize the investment that has been made in the downtown in the Freeborn National Bank Building, the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center and the Freeborn County Government Center, to name a few, and take that momentum forward.

“If you count the bricks on the building, that’s how many people it’s going to take to bring it back,” said artist Dee Teller, of Faribault, referring to the Bessesen Building and the rest of the historic downtown.

Along with this same theme of revitalization this weekend, Graham noted, was a youth event called the “Disciple Disco Dance Party” at the bank building for youth ages 12 to 20 years old.

This drug and alcohol-free youth event, designed to bring young people together for a fun-filled night of food, dancing and rock ’n’ roll, was a great opportunity to bring people to Albert Lea’s downtown.