GREENVILLE – The Greenville Mural Committee hosted a watch party to celebrate the installation of the city’s newest downtown mural.
Located on the south exterior wall of Loudy’s Office Machines, the 16-by-14-foot mural features a quilt design inspired by the prize-winning quilt square created by the Fort GreeneVille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). That square was chosen to represent the state of Ohio in DAR’s National 250th Quilt.
To create the mural, the Greenville Mural Committee invited local citizens to submit design ideas reflecting historic or patriotic themes tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
“Another nice mural going up honoring America’s 250th Celebration here in Darke County,” said Greenville Mayor Jeff Whitaker. “Loudy’s Office Machines was generous enough to allow us to put this up right at Annie Oakley Park. Everybody will see it from just about any angle at the big intersection of Martin, Washington, and Broadway. It’s a nice mural and should be up during the entire 250th Anniversary Celebration for the United States of America.”
Artists used a variety of media — including colored pencil, paint, watercolor, markers, and digital art — to create their submissions. Entries were received from Chloe Callahan, Karen Chronister, Jane Deeter, Pegi Deeter, Barb Deis, Kelsey Ervin, Kyle Kagey, Virginia Kagey, Linda Onkst, Jen Overholser, Brande Rice, Cecelia Rice, Stephanie Schieltz-Lowder, Alexandria Seas, Jean Selanders, Jane Tester, and Ethan Tutwiler.
“The Greenville Mural Committee wanted to do this, inspired by our country’s 250th,” said Committee President Eileen Litchfield. “The local Fort GreeneVille Daughters of the American Revolution created a quilt square that was selected to represent Ohio in the National Quilt, and that inspired us to design a quilt-like mural.”
According to Litchfield, 20 artists submitted 33 designs, each reflecting historic, patriotic, or 250th-themed imagery.
The submitted squares were scanned, digitized, and combined into a cohesive design by Greenville Mural Committee board members Stephanie Schieltz-Lowder and Timothy Wells. The final design was printed on vinyl and installed by Wintrow Signs, which donated its labor.
Project sponsors include the Darke County Foundation’s Ami McClurkin Community Fund, Ohio Arts Council, Wintrow Signs, Darke County Endowment for the Arts, Fort GreeneVille DAR, Harry D. Stephens Memorial, Inc., Rotary of Greenville, Loudy’s Office Machines, Tim Wells Art Consulting, and Austin Spencer/Roof Maxx.
