Splash
of Color,
D ash
of Hope
Community mural adds
beauty to a busy area.
BY PAUL GLASSER
T
his spring, students from Penn Hills will put the finishing
touches on a mural near Butler Gas on Verona Road.
The project began in July and more than 260 students helped
create a colorful mural that measures about 9 feet tall and 40 feet
long. Amanda Power, a Linton Middle School art teacher, says
volunteers will add a three-dimensional tiny house to cover up a
nearby electrical box. Volunteers will also paint on “living” moss.
Power would even like to add glow-in-the-dark elements to bring
the mural to life at night.
“It is a living, growing and uplifting community mural that will
keep evolving,” she explains.
Bring Out the Best Project, a local nonprofit, sponsored the
mural project and planning began more than two years ago.
Power became involved after taking part in another Penn Hills
project in which the organization participated. She is now the
group’s art director.
Brainstorming a design for the mural was the first step, but
Power and others had to recruit volunteers, prepare the wall, raise
money and collect supplies. She had never supervised a large
outdoor project like this before, and learned a lot about patience
and teamwork.
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“Rome was not built in a day,” Power quips. “It was not built by
one person, but an army. This was truly a team effort.”
Power decided to use an art style called zentangle, which
involves simple abstract patterns. She recruited more than 200
students to create zentangle designs that were incorporated into
the mural.
“At first, I think my colleagues and friends thought I was crazy,”
Power recalls. “After explaining the zentangle art style, it seemed to
finally catch on.”
She has taught the zentangle style in her art classes and says it’s a
great way to help students concentrate and decrease stress.
Butler Gas eagerly agreed to let the volunteers paint the wall and
enthusiastically supported the project, says Abydee Butler Moore,
co-owner of the business.
“As a family-owned and operated company, we care about our
community,” she notes. “A lot of hard work, vision and talent went
into making the final product a success.”
Since Butler Gas sells welding supplies and industrial gas
products, the design includes hot air balloons.
Shawn O’Mahony, founder of Bring Out the Best Project, says