The rainy season posed a challenge for muralist Alex Vahan and his crew.

On Tuesday afternoon Vahan and many of the other artists were working toward the home stretch to complete the dozen panels of the 1,300 square foot “Welcome To Sunrise” mural at 4350 Spring Tree Drive in Sunrise.

Then it started pouring.

Spray paint dries fairly quickly, but Vahan said he was freaking out about the possibility of the paint dripping down the mural.

That would mean major repairs, not just the touch ups he knew he would have to make.

The mural is one of ten going up around the county sponsored by Broward 100 Visual Eyes, part of a yearlong celebration commemorating Broward County’s Centennial. The painting is a collaborative work of 12 South Florida artists depicting the past, present and future of the city on a formerly blank wall that hides a water treatment plant across from the local Sunrise high school.

Part of the process of the mural has been community interaction.

To that end, art students at Piper High School have been helping with the mural.

Local people have been hanging out with the artists. Passing motorists on Spring Tree Drive have been honking their support.

While the skies opened up and Vahan felt some panic about the affects of it on the mural he was further surprised.

A man driving his car in the rain pulled over to the side the road near Vahan and other artists who stood under a tent.

“The man told me: ‘I’m from Boston and I’ve lived in Sunrise for a long time and I just want to say ‘Thank you!’,” Vahan said. “The response has been humbling and surprising. I felt involved in the community. We’re really having a connection here.”

Vahan thinks the public art project sends a message to residents that they matter. Residents, he said, feel the mural is adding something cool to their city.