New mural educates & sparks new business

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    EDWARDSVILLE, PA (WNEP) — On the corner of Main Street and Zerby Avenue in Edwardsville, sits Little ‘Big’ Thinkers Learning Center.

Around the building you may see something new: a mural of creatures you may find in your backyard thanks to the Street Art Society of NEPA.

“The entire wall in this mural is all about Pennsylvania amphibians and each species is painted and labeled,” explained Lisa Murphy with the Street Art Society of NEPA.

The mural was labor intensive and took some construction work to make it happen along with the work of the artist, but the owners of the child learning center are thrilled with the outcome.

“Yes, like when I seen what they were doing, I was totally amazed. I was like, I can actually make a whole lesson plan probably for the year out of this for the kids. So, and it’s exciting to for them to be away for the pandemic and to come back and see this,” said owner and director Nyree Rivers.

“As the children line up in the morning, socially distanced to enter the building, they get to get really up close and personal with all the amphibians,” added Murphy.

Members of the Street Art Society say this mural not only helps them with their goals of adding color or educational tools to the streets, but also helps them revitalize and build a sense of community.

“I get so much attention. I have people I know a lot of people around me I have people calling me telling me how beautiful it is. I have people calling me they want to enroll their children I get more calls now than what I had before,” said Rivers.

“That’s exactly what our goal was for this entire project we wanted to use murals to help benefit the local community,” added Jenna Casaldi with the Street Art Society of NEPA.

“That makes me feel really good, that’s probably the biggest feeling of like satisfaction and happiness is to hear that the business is attracting more kids to come,” said Jamie Straw, the artist who painted the mural.

This is the final mural and the street art society’s environmental series that’s been underway for the last year and a half.

If you want to find out what’s next for the Street Art Society of NEPA or donate you can visit its website here.

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