A long-awaited mural celebrating life in the Waterland community will be dedicated on June 7, during opening-day festivities at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market.

The public is invited to the noon event, which is free, for their first view of the 40-foot by 8-foot "Spirit of Des Moines" at South 227th Street and Dock Avenue.

The second annual Waterland Children's Arts Festival also will take place on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farmers market.

Although attendance at the children's festival is free, hands-on arts and crafts activities for ages 5-12 require a $5 participation fee. There also will be children's entertainment.

The successful opening of the farmers market in 2006 and the revival of the Des Moines Arts Commission inspired the idea of a waterfront mural that celebrates the spirit of this Puget Sound community, city staffers said.

Mayor Bob Sheckler observed at the time that the wall at South Marina Park would be a good location for a beautiful piece of art, which would brighten the marina.

Des Moines artists Anita Corby and Katherine Caughey, who also serve on the arts commission, volunteered to donate their time and craftsmanship to paint the mural.

City council member and local historian Carmen Scott contributed images from her personal archives, depicted on the left side of the mural, which show the Mosquito Fleet that shuttled visitors across the sound in the early 1900s.

Present-day Des Moines is portrayed in scenes on the right side of the mural, which is valued at $40,000.

The two artists differ greatly in temperament and style - Caughey is a wildlife painter while Corby is an impressionist. Both are nationally recognized award-winning artists.

Corby (www.anitacorbyart.com) studied art at the Lettehaus in her birthplace of Berlin, Germany. In 1970 she made the United States her home and worked as a commercial artist in Philadelphia.

Her paintings are created in her studio in Des Moines, where she also teaches. She describes her style as "evolving."

Caughey (www.kcgallery.net), a self-taught artist, has works in collections throughout the country and abroad. She paints, sculpts, teaches and supports many charities with her work.

The animals in her work are the mouthpieces delivering messages on self-awareness, peace among humans, and freedom, she added.