The Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council has awarded local artist Susanne Crane a grant to create a mural depicting Albert Lea’s historic opera star, Beatrice Bessesen. The mural, which will show Bessesen singing from a window to passers-by, will hang in the historic district of downtown Albert Lea.

Crane, who has created murals and other public art for the Rochester Civic Theatre and the city of Minneapolis, plans to expand the scope of this project by offering an artist at work event, which will be free and open to the public this week at Ehrhardt Properties South Office Plaza Building, 918 S. Broadway Ave.

Along with the support of The Minnesota Arts Board, local co-sponsors of the event are Ehrhardt Properties and Home Depot of Albert Lea.

Members of the public can watch the creation of the mural from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday.

“This open house event will provide an excellent destination for walkers and bikers, school groups and senior citizens,” Crane said. “I invite everybody to stop by and take a look.”

Crane, a painter, teacher and historic preservationist, purchased the historic Bessesen Building from the Art Center three years ago. She has worked extensively in Minneapolis, La Crosse and Austin. Her other projects scheduled for this year include a September exhibition at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

“I feel this mural depicts an important part of Albert Lea history,” she said. “I got the idea to paint it five years ago, when I heard the romantic story behind the construction of the building. Dr. Bessesen built the opera house for his wife in 1916, and the Minneapolis Tribune hailed Albert Lea as the ‘Art Mecca on the Prairie.’ I hope my mural will help people realize what is possible here.”