New mural at Eureka dining hall celebrates food, service and community

At St. Vincent de Paul’s Third Street dining hall in Eureka, a new mural did more than brighten a wall. It drew neighbors, volunteers and nonprofit staff into a public moment that put one of downtown’s most important hunger-relief sites back in view.

The work, titled Share the Bounty, was unveiled at the dining facility by local artists Blake Reagan and Christopher Dmise, with grant support from the Eureka Cultural Arts District. The mural shows whimsical woodland creatures gathered around a table, and the food on display mirrors what the kitchen actually serves, including spare ribs and macaroni and cheese. Reagan said the idea was to capture animals eating together and sharing food, while also pointing to generosity and the reality of hunger in the community.

That setting gives the mural extra weight. St. Vincent’s Dining Facility has operated in downtown Eureka since 1981 and, according to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Redwoods Council, has served more than 4 million meals to people in northern Humboldt County. The facility serves a daily hot lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 35 W. 3rd St., making it a daily lifeline as well as a visible fixture in Old Town Eureka.

The unveiling came during Unity Day, Uplift Eureka’s community resource fair, which organizers say is meant for the whole community, not just unhoused residents. Siena Parish, Uplift Eureka’s outreach coordinator, described the event as a place where people can connect with nonprofits, volunteers and one another. That mattered at St. Vincent’s, where a 2025 report noted the dining facility had faced volunteer shortages after longtime helpers retired, bringing new youth and school participation into the fold.

The mural also reached back into Eureka’s recent arts history. Reagan was among the artists featured in the 2024 Eureka Street Art Festival, and his site-responsive style, which blends nature, color and community themes, fits the mural’s woodland imagery. Hannah Ozanian, Uplift Eureka’s social services coordinator, said one of the blue bowls painted into the piece pays tribute to the late ceramicist Mark Campbell and his Empty Bowls fundraiser, which once supported St. Vincent de Paul and the Jefferson Community Center.

Share the Bounty was part of the You Found It! Festival, a citywide spring arts program running from April 26 through June 20, and organizers describe the festival as a treasure hunt of events. At St. Vincent’s, the mural turned that broader arts push into something more immediate: a statement about hunger relief, nonprofit visibility and the civic value of making public service places feel cared for.