drawn to the Corn Palace, when it received Homeland Security funding. This drew criticism of the Department of Homeland Security and its grant program. In 2007, the Corn Palace subsequently received $25,000 in DHS funding for a camera system useful for purposes including Barack Obama's visit in 2008, and as reported by the Mitchell Daily Republic, to protect a "new Fiberglass statue of the Corn Palace mascot Cornelius" in 2009. This statue sits across Main Street, west of the Corn Palace. The Palace's domes were renovated in 2015 after shaking in strong winds. The new turrets are made of architectural metals. Mural construction The exterior corn murals are replaced and redesigned each year with a new theme, with designs created by local artists. From 1948 to 1971, the artist Oscar Howe designed the panels. Calvin Schultz designed the murals from 1977 to 2002. From 2003 to 2017, the murals have been designed by Cherie Ramsdell. No new mural was created in 2006 due to an extreme drought. Beginning in 2018, designs have been created by Dakota Wesleyan University students. As of 2018, it costs an estimated $175,000 each time the Palace is redecorated. Twelve naturally occurring shades of corn are grown by local farmers to create the artwork. Artists' drawings are transferred to black tar paper labeled with codes corresponding to colors, providing a "corn-by-numbers" pattern showing where each colored cob should be nailed. Corn cobs are split in two lengthwise and nailed to the exterior of the building, using approximately 1.5 million nails and 325,000 ears of corn. Designs Bibliography Mitchell Chamber of Commerce. A Year by Year History Of ... The World's Only Corn Palace. 5th ed. Mitchell, SD: Educator Supply Company, 1957. References External links Corn Palace Convention & Visitors Bureau Corn Palace Festival Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Corn Palace Fan Site Corn Palace Fan Site Maize Mitchell, South Dakota Landmarks in South Dakota Tourism in South Dakota Roadside attractions in South Dakota Novelty buildings in South Dakota Music venues completed in 1892 Infrastructure completed in 1892 Music venues completed in 1921 Infrastructure completed in 1921 Moorish Revival architecture in South Dakota Buildings and structures in Davison County, South Dakota Tourist attractions in Davison County, South Dakota 1892 establishments in South Dakota Sports venues completed in 1892 Basketball venues in South Dakota College basketball venues in the United States South Dakota culture