Mural's completion to be celebrated on Friday

Athens County Children Services invites the public to a celebration of its mural on the underpass of US 33 over East State Street.

An unveiling and ribbon-cutting will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the agency’s front lawn which is accessible from the parking lot or sidewalk on East State Street.

Athens County Children Services commissioned Mandi “Miss Birdy” Casky, of Columbus, to paint the mural.

The mural includes several depictions of the agency’s programs — the PB&J Project, KidsFest and Santa Tree Project. The building in the middle is the old children’s home that was located at the space before US 33 was constructed.

The pinwheels that the agency plants every April are also included. Each one was designed by a student at one of the county’s five high schools.

The project is being completed in partnership with Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Athens.

This project began on May 7, National Mural Day, and was expected to take about five weeks to complete. Pedestrian and handicap accessible traffic is possible on that sidewalk and cones will be placed narrowing the car lane for the duration of the project to protect pedestrian safety. Anti-graffiti coating will also be applied to the mural face upon completion to aid in its longevity.

At one point during the painting process, Casky encountered a random person with a beard. He popped his head out of a car window and let out a string of enthusiastic compliments about the mural that would make Michelangelo blush. Casky said she just smiled went back to work.

This happy mural will make drivers on East State Street want to catch the red light.