Last weekend, local artists took over a Parkersburg alley and claimed it as their own. Dozens of artists and community members rolled up their sleeves to sling paint and have a good time as part of Downtown PKB’s Arts and Culture Committee’s latest public art project, Artists Alley.

The nonprofit invited local artists to design a small mural that they would paint on the brick wall between Unity Café and the Campbell Plaza building in downtown Parkersburg. Selected artists were invited to join a community painting event on Saturday, June 22nd to bring their ideas to life.

22 artists had their designs selected and were invited to paint, said Jessie Siefert, Managing Director and Education Director for the Parkersburg Art Center. “Many brought their friends and family to assist with painting,” she said. “We also had a section that was open to the public and is a space where many kids were able to contribute to the project.”

Despite the heat, the afternoon maintained a fun and festive atmosphere, thanks to music provided by DJ Casey Powell and refreshments provided by Unity Café. Members of the community stopped by to watch the process unfold.

Artists Alley is a collaborative project led by the Downtown PKB Arts and Culture Committee and includes Downtown PKB, the Parkersburg Art Center, Sherwin Williams, the Boys & Girls Club, and Unity Café. The space for the outdoor Artists Alley extends halfway down the block between 7th and 6th streets, starting at the alley access point beside Unity Café. Earlier this month, Edison lights were installed and the alley walls were cleaned in preparation.

In addition to the 22 artists that painted the “doorway” murals, mural panels created by Discovery World, the Public Defenders office, Parkersburg Art Center, Boys & Girls Club, Wood County Society, and artist Ashley Cronin will be installed in the alleyway.

Siefert said the community response to the public call for artist was wonderful. “When we started doing some of these public art projects five or six years ago, we would put out a call for art and just receive a handful or responses,” she said. “This time, we were overwhelmed with the interest.”

So much so, that the committee announced they would be looking for a second location to continue the project. Those interested can follow Downtown PKB on Facebook for updates.

“A huge part of our mission is downtown revitalization and activating space is a key component of this work,” said Amanda Stevens, Executive Director of Downtown PKB. “We are always looking for ways to engage our community members with our downtown district.”

The project format – the “artistic doorways” – was something Seifert had seen in Princeton, WV spearheaded by Lori McKinney and the RiffRaff Arts Collective. “Local and regional artists and arts agencies have really started coming together and doing more collaborative projects in recent years,” she said. McKinney shared her recommendations for paint selections and process and the idea to involve the community through a public event was inspired by Parkersburg’s recent experiences working with artist Nichole Westfall and the Goodspace Murals team headed by Greta McClain. “The more we share, the more we can do!” said Siefert.

Siefert hopes the community will delight in discovering this new space in downtown Parkersburg. “I envision people driving up 7th Street and catching a glimpse of something interesting out of the corner of their eye and then stopping by to investigate on foot and finding our wonderfully colorful little secret garden of art.”

Artists will finish the doorway murals on Monday, July 1st. Afterward, the murals will be sealed with an anti-graffiti sealant provided by Sherwin-Williams Paints.

While the murals are a wonderful addition to the community, the act of making art as a collective is an important addition, too. Artists Alley is one of several recent public art installations that invited members of the community to join in the fun.

“The act of sharing something of yourself through art-making with others creates a connectedness among the participants,” said Siefert. “If we strive for an inclusive Parkersburg, bringing people together through activities like this is one way we can build that momentum.”

Be sure to leave yourself time to discover Artists Alley the next time you are exploring Downtown Parkersburg!

Photos by Michelle Waters