Wheeling Heritage to enlist community help in choosing mural

Wheeling Heritage is asking artists to share their vision of Wheeling, West Virginia, for a mural to be installed in the city’s Kossuth Park, a downtown greenspace at the junction of W.Va. 2 and I-70.

Alex Weld, project and outreach manager for the Wheeling National Heritage Area, said the organization will enlist the community to vote on the final design, once a committee has selected four projects.

“Instead of our organization making the decision for what should be on this mural,” Weld said. “We wanted the community to make that choice. This project gives them the ability to have a say on how people are welcomed to their community.”

Local, regional and national artists can apply. The mural should evoke a sense of community and celebrate Wheeling.

The mural will be 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall, and the scale of the piece should be designed for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, Weld said.

The selection of the project will be a two-step process. First, a committee from Wheeling Heritage and will select up to four projects. Then, the four will be featured on Wheeling Heritage’s website, where the community will vote for its favorite.

Members of the community to also have the chance to participate in its creation, Weld said. The project will have a community involvement aspect, such as a paint by numbers section or a designated section to be painted by the community, as decided upon by the artist.

The cost of the project is not to exceed $4,500 for an artist or team of collaborative artists. This budget includes the artist’s fee, supplies, travel-related expenses, all preparation and installation costs, and the cost of a required protective coating.

Applications, which can be downloaded at Wheeling Heritage, are due Dec. 14.

To learn more about the project or to apply, visit WheelingHeritage.org or call 304-232-3087.