Hannah Buskirk of Logan recently completed a mural on the wall of Next Step Legal in downtown Williamson. Buskirk said she hopes the bright colors, historic references and symbolic images inspire others to create similar projects throughout Williamson.
What began as the mention of available grants from the state’s Arts Council during a Creative Callout last fall has now transformed into Williamson’s newest street art installation.
During that meeting, Jim Pajarillo was talking to the group about a few grants which had been made available through the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Hannah Buskirk attended that meeting and decided to apply for one of the grants.
Buskirk, who lives in Logan and operates Mothposs Studio, was awarded one of the grants. Heather Wolford connected her with Next Step Legal in downtown Williamson. The law firm allowed her to use the side of its building facing the Second Avenue Bridge as her canvas.
A few months later a vibrant art project was completed using lots of color and powerful images.
“I decided to do this mural in Williamson after Jim Parjarillo gave me information about the art grant and helped m e secure the wall as my canvas,” Buskirk said. “I prefer to do murals in smaller towns that don’t have a lot of murals yet. Everyone deserves to have colorful street art in their town. My future plans include creating murals for many more small towns across West Virginia.”
Buskirk explained the many images included on the mural. She said the boy with the rainbow represents the colors of creativity and imagination. The giant hand drawing the banner with a pencil is to create art with the written word. The mural includes historic references such as the coal train and coal miner shining a light in the darkness. The hand lifting the boy flying a kite is a reminder that sometimes everyone needs help reaching the highest of heights. The hiker and deer rider are enjoying the beauty of nature.
“My intentions in creating this mural were to connect and inspire the community, while brightening the town with life and color, and highlighting Williamson’s rich history,” Buskirk said. “The piece is meant to inspire people to pursue their creative passions and provide residents and tourists of Williamson with a sense of connection and belonging.”
Pajarillo said he was overwhelmed with the quality of work and the depth of imagery Buskirk was able to put into the mural.
“Kids are drawn to the colors and the characters she used lend to a childlike wonder,” he said. “It is like seeing the world through those eyes. I am proud that she chose Williamson for this project.
“I hope this encourages other people to establish other works of art in downtown Williamson which expresses their individual styles and tastes,” he continued. “We have many empty canvases that need to be filled.”
The mural is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission of the Arts.
