Maria Larson’s ‘Sandpoint Now and Then’ mural depicts local identity
November 4, 2025
By Alyssa DuVall Reader Contributor
As color painted boldly across the gray of the taupe brick and cinder block exterior of Sandpoint Super Drug, cars passed by with windows rolled down and smiling passengers shouting, “Thank you!” and, “It’s beautiful!” and, “We love you!”
Local artist Maria Larson and her husband, Lars, were busy covering the 45-foot wall with the “Sandpoint Now and Then” mural — a vivid, custom painting commissioned by Sandpoint Super Drug celebrating the town we love.
Maria’s paintings always illustrate the natural wonders that surround us here in the Inland Northwest. Animals, mountains, trees and open skies can sometimes feel commonplace, but Maria’s work reminds us that they are anything but.
Artist Maria Larson, left, and husband Lars put the finishing touches on “the Sandpoint Now and Then” mural outside Sandpoint Super Drug.
Photo by Ben Olson
The Sandpoint mural creates a visual reminder of how many things make this town so special. With a front-row seat to Lake Pend Oreille and wild four-legged, winged and finned creatures meandering the edges, locals and visitors alike are transported into a time that bridges both the nostalgia of decades past and the bright joy that is our future.
Olden days of Panhandle Milling and the Power House are linked to current local treasures like Sandpoint Super Drug, the Festival at Sandpoint, Kodiak, Panida Theater and The Bank (the perfect juxtaposition of an establishment with many different iterations over the decades).
The mural — like the town it represents — remembers the Sandpoint of grandparents and parents, and reminds the community of its identity.
Most of Larson’s work is large-scale gallery paintings distinguished by bold colors that depict a love for North Idaho’s nature and wildlife, interspersed with the recreational watercraft used to explore its beautiful landscapes.
Find the largest collection of her pieces at Northwest Handmade and a new and modern body of work coming soon which will be available at marialarsonart.com.
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Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
