Rotary Mural Project

Breathes New Life into Uptown

Creative spirit can be seen around every corner in Uptown Westerville. Public artworks are springing to life on weathered brick walls, punctuating parks and turning alleyways into captivating visual landmarks. These pieces of art weave tales of Uptown’s identity, capturing the essence of its past, present and dreams for the future.

Westerville Noon Rotary and the owners of Amish Originals furniture store are embarking on the newest mural project in the Uptown district; one that will breathe new life into an aging artwork on the Main Street face of Amish Originals. In its current state, the mural depicts the life of the bygone days of Westerville and is beginning to show its age. Noon Rotary President Katrina Plourde saw an opportunity for an update to the existing mural and jumped at the chance.

“The current mural feels like it is too much in the past. We are interested in seeing something fresh that represents the Westerville of today,” said Plourde.

Mike Deringer, owner of Amish Originals, is equally excited to see the project taking shape. The current mural was painted around 25 years ago and he is looking forward to updating the building.

“Uptown Westerville today is not the same as the one depicted in the mural. Some of those businesses aren’t here anymore,” said Deringer.

"We were very open to this project because we had been thinking about doing something with this space for a while. I am excited to see the fresh coat of paint.”

Finding a theme for a mural project is often the most difficult part of a project, but Plourde knew exactly where she wanted to go–a theme of peace and unity.

“Rotary is a peacebuilding organization. It is a cornerstone of our mission,” said Plourde. “There is so much conflict in our world today. It is not even something you can put your hands around. Putting things into the world, like this mural, that pushes back against that discord is important.”

Plourde assembled a committee of eight different local organizations to serve on the selection panel for the new mural project. Collaborating with the community to support and promote a positive message was a defining part of the project for Plourde. She was also thrilled to see the number of artists whose submissions specifically mentioned positive interactions and deep connections with Rotary International.

The mural is expected to be completed sometime this spring. Keep an eye on Main Street as the project unfolds, serving as an invitation for conversation and unity throughout the community.