Clean Water Mural Tour flows into Parkersburg Art Center
Trending
PARKERSBURG -- The West Virginia Rivers Coalition's Clean Water Mural Tour has arrived at the Parkersburg Art Center and is on view until March 16.
In partnership with Mid-Ohio Climate Action, WV Rivers announces a free community event on March 9.
The mural, which was created at the commemoration of the 2014 Elk River Chemical Leak and then housed in the West Virginia State Capitol Rotunda during the start of the Legislative Session, is a testament to community strength and a shared vision for clean water for all in the Mountain State.
Eric Engle, President of the Board for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and Parkersburg resident, expressed his enthusiasm for the mural's arrival.
"From the C8 water contamination crisis to the warehouse that burned for a week along the Little Kanawha in 2017, Parkersburg and the Mid-Ohio Valley know water woes all too well. I'm so excited to be part of an event like this that uses stunning visual art to express how much our community cares about clean, safe, healthy water," he said.
Engle, who assisted in moving the mural and is helping organize a community event on March 9 at the PAC, emphasized the significance of engaging community members on clean water issues facing Parkersburg, a community situated along the Ohio River, which has been overburdened with the cost of pollution for far too long.
WV Rivers Ohio River Coordinator Heather Sprouse echoed that sentiment, stating, "The mural is traveling to Parkersburg to start conversations about what communities envision in a clean water future for us all. There are serious threats to our local waters and commonsense solutions we can pursue with urgency."
Sprouse continued, "Our waters define our region and are key in strengthening our economy, retaining young people, protecting our way of life, and investing in future generations."
The mural can be viewed during regular operating hours, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or during two upcoming community events: Clean Water for All Mural Tour: Parkersburg, WV, from 3-5 p.m. March 9; and Art-O-Rama, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 16.
Art-O-Rama is a free community arts day at the Parkersburg Art Center, with music, art demonstrations, make-and-take crafts, nature study, science and creative fun for children and their families.
Jessie Siefert, Managing Director at the Parkersburg Art Center, stated, "This beautiful piece by our friend Nichole Westfall shows the beauty of our natural water environments and makes a positive statement about the possibilities for our future."
After Parkersburg, the Clean Water for All Mural Tour will move to the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling.