A new mural in Neosho honors public servants in the community. “From Service Comes Growth: Neosho the Beloved Community,” by artist Teri Diggs, was painted on panels in January and was recently installed at George Washington Carver Elementary School.
The mural was made possible through funding by the ServeMO 2026 MLK Day of Service Mini-Grant received by the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council. It’s a grant that funded volunteer projects honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The mural features different areas of public service and depicts how various people play a vital role in making Neosho thrive.
There’s a painting of George Washington Carver in a peanut patch; a flower box which has “Neosho Chamber of Commerce” painted on it; the Newton County courthouse; a painting of the Neosho Police Department’s outreach vehicle – a vintage VW Bug with an oversized police cap on top and Neosho Police on the side; a quote by Mariah Watkins, a former slave who served the Neosho area as a midwife in the late 1800s and early 1900s; native plants, pollinators and green space, depicting Neosho parks; a native dogwood representing the deep roots of service by civic and charity organizations in the city; and rainbow trout swimming down a stream, a nod to the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. There’s also a painting of Neosho’s Senior Hill, representing the service of the school district and its employees. Public servants in Neosho were able to add their own brushstrokes to the piece.
Neosho Arts Council President Sarah Serio said they decided to place the mural in a school “to inspire the next generation and show students the power and pride of public service.”
She said the organizers learned that Dr. King used Carver’s life and work to illustrate the creative power of people even under difficult circumstances so they knew that Carver Elementary School would be the perfect location.
