A penny for your thoughts...

Local artist Randy Miller uses a weather-resistant adhesive to attach coins to the Penny Wall currently taking shape on the outer wall of Kurly's sports bar and grill. Photo by Brian S. Orban

A community effort to transform the city's downtown area into a tourist destination started taking shape last month -- one penny at a time.

Local artist Randy Miller expects to transform the plain, cinder block wall of Kurly's sports bar and grill into a mural composed of spare pocket change.

In August 2010, Miller started collecting the gallons of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters needed to create the Mountain Home-specific artwork. When complete, it's expected to cover the upper half of the roughly 46-by-16 foot alleyway wall.

During the morning of Sept. 13, he got to work gluing coins to an outer frame composed of weather-resistant material. Pennies made up a majority of the frame's composition while other coins were used to spell out "Mountain Home."

Miller plans to use the same foam-like material to build up the main mural in coming months. Cut to different lengths and depths, the three-dimensional technique will create a sense of depth when the artwork is complete.

Meanwhile, a remaining stretch of wall below the mural serves as a type of wishing well where people can post their own coins in various patterns and displays, he said.

Miller hopes the unique idea will draw tourists and local residents to the downtown area and see what else this section of Mountain Home has to offer.

"If this helps Mountain Home, then I'm all for that," the local artist said.

The all-volunteer project remained on hold for a few months as he stored up enough of the specialized glue needed to keep the coins permanently attached. Miller credited the local Dig-It group for donating those supplies.

To date, the local artist has 15 gallons of assorted coins to launch this project and had already gone through one gallon.

"I'm just not sure how long those others will last before I run out," he said.

People may continue to donate their spare change by dropping off their coins in designated collection buckets located at various business across Mountain Home.

Miller admits that he has no idea how many coins he'll need to finish this project.

"It might make a good math project for our local students," he said.

The artist hopes to finish the project by winter. In addition, he put out a call for others in the community interested in helping build this attraction.