Community can help with wall mural

A public participation event is scheduled for Saturday at the courthouse square in Coudersport to support the Community Mural Project.

From 10 am to 3 pm, volunteers are encouraged to turn out and help to paint some of the tiles that will be used. High school student Stephen Ouellette is organizing the event. Anyone who can move a paint brush will be able paint a picture describing what Coudersport means to him or her.

The mural will be applied to the Third Street side of the Penn-York Building (home of the Potter County Education Council), facing the Coudersport Post Office.

Its lower portion will be made up of tiles that people can paint to reflect what Coudersport means to them, and the upper portion will be a painting, explained project head Sarah Batson, art teacher at the Coudersport High School.

The image or words on the tiles should reflect something significant about the history of the area or something special about the community today. There is no charge for painting a tile and all materials will be provided.

Saturday's community event will include children's activities, such as face painting and craft projects, live music and steak bake.

Soon, volunteers will be encouraged to support the project by donating buckets, brushes, tarps and other supplies, including refreshments for the workers.

The mural itself will be composed of scenes that relate the history of Coudersport, with individual themes including nature, Native Americans, early settlers and farming.

Anyone interested in helping with the project may contact Batson through the high school office, 274-8500.

Some funding has already been awarded from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts and a grant through the Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Corridor program, which was awarded thanks to the work of the Potter County Fine Arts Council.