Unity Mural Coming Soon to Downtown Parkersburg
In April the Parkersburg Art Center and Downtown PKB organized a mural/selfie station design contest for Unity Cafe. Entries came in over a two-month period and the winning design was selected by a committee that included the owner and employees of Unity Cafe and building owner, Morgan Stubbe.
Little did Morgan know that the artist whose design was selected had been a regular at Unity Cafe before moving to Germany. “He was a wonderful regular. When he came in, he always loved Paris crepes and coffee with some coconut milk,” says Stubbe about contest winner Ashton Buzzard. “We’re so happy that it turned out to be Ash.”
Ashton’s design features the word “Unity” in big bold letters behind a stack of coffee cups decorated with international flags. There is a pot pouring coffee into the stack of cups. Once the art is installed, a person will be able to pose and pretend to be holding the pot of coffee, making the design not just bright and fun but also interactive. “I am so happy to be able to give back to the community,” says Ashton. “I loved the welcoming atmosphere at Unity, so this is so exciting. Though living in Germany now, PKB is still my home and I love seeing the transformation of downtown Parkersburg. This is my gift back to not only the community but to them at the cafe.”
Being in Germany means that Ashton had to find someone else to take his design and paint it on the building. Enter PHS art teacher, Miranda (Randi) Wilson! “It’s so awesome that someone in Germany could come up with a design and trust me here in Parkersburg to sort of be his hands,” says Wilson.
As soon as the wood on the Julian side of Unity Cafe is replaced and primed, Randi will begin working. The mural is scheduled to be completed in just a few weeks! This will make the seventh selfie station mural in downtown Parkersburg. These are in addition to the mural on the floodwall and the upcoming Goodspace Mural project that will splash color across the side of the Art Center and the Actors Guild buildings this fall. “I am just so excited by the increased interest in public art and the renewed energy in downtown Parkersburg. Projects like these are not only beautiful but they are beneficial to the community in other ways. Public art can increase foot traffic and tourism, increase appreciation for the arts and artists, and make these spaces places where you want to be,” says Jessie Siefert, Managing Director/Education Director at the Parkersburg Art Center and chair of Downtown PKB’s Arts & Culture Committee.
For more information on the locations of all our Selfie Stations, visit our website at downtownpkb.com/projects.