Dan Feldner/MDN - - Artist Chris Wakefield stands next to the first mural he painted next to Woody’s Service Station in Harvey with the help of Dora Heil. This mural was done last year. Wakefield painted three other, larger murals around Harvey during the summer this year.

HARVEY -- When he moved to North Dakota from Alaska with his wife and four daughters, artist Chris Wakefield saw a lot of boring, gray walls in Harvey and knew he had to do something about it. Wakefield said moving to Harvey was originally supposed to be a starting point so he could travel and do more art shows in the continental United States. The family loved it so much, however, they decided to live in their house in town full-time, which is a converted church. The one thing Wakefield noticed about living in the state was less emphasis on the arts by North Dakotans than in the previous places he had lived. He said the people who do support the arts do a really great job, but a small population generally means less supporters. Wakefield knew if he wanted to help change things, he would have to take the bull by the horns. “So I thought,’Well how can I change that? How can I be a part of this city, be a part of this area?’” he said. “I’m very attracted to graffiti ar.