Athens County Children Services plans to paint mural on northern abutment of US 33 overpass

On Wednesday, Athens County Children Services announced plans to paint a mural on the northern abutment of the US 33 overpass over East State Street, near the agency’s campus at 18 Stonybrook Drive, Athens.

The agency hired muralist Mandi Caskey ( Birdy Co. LLC ), of Columbus, to paint a mural celebrating children in Athens County on the northern abutment of the US 33 overpass over East State Street, in partnership with Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Athens.

This project will begin on May 7, National Mural Day, and should take about five weeks to complete. During this time, pedestrian and handicap accessible traffic will still be possible on that sidewalk and cones will be placed narrowing the car lane by two feet 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.

Caskey and her team will work with Athens County high schools to incorporate designs from their aspiring artists into the mural. Caskey has experience running interactive lessons with children and will give insight to those children on what it takes to create a large piece of art like this community mural.

“We are so thankful for all the support we receive from our Athens County community and wanted to give back in way that beautified one of the most visited areas in the county and honors the agency’s history, while also keeping the community’s focus on the need to protect children,” Athens County Children Services Director Otis Crockron said. “We worked with Mandi to develop a mural design that we believe will achieve both these goals and I’m excited to see children’s designs and idea incorporated into the final design.”

The agency received support from ODOT, the City of Athens and the Athens County commissioners, said Matt Starkey, ACCS’s public information officer and community events coordinator. “It is encouraging to see those in the community support such a project. Investment in the arts is often overlooked, but I believe it is necessary for a vibrant community and, so far, Athens County has been a beacon of investment in the arts.”

The agency pitched the idea to the commissioners in May 2023, according to previous reports .

At the time, the proposed mural was to incorporate the old children’s home on the abutment on the left as you leave Athens. The building stood at that site from 1881 until it was demolished in the 1960s to make room for the US 33 bypass.

At the time, Cockron said that he and City of Athens officials discussed painting the other abutment with something representing the city’s history.