Artist Regina Reeder stands with her daughter, Freya Reeder, in front of the mural she created to celebrate Mount Union’s history and community.
By RYLIN NEWMAN | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — Artist Regina Reeder turned a blank wall on West Shirley Street into a symbol of Trojan pride by leading Mount Union residents in creating a mural that highlights the history of the borough. The mural depicts the Thousand Steps, the East Broad Top Railroad, the Trojan mascot, the Harbison-Walker brickyard, and the Juniata River.
Reeder has an artistic background, which she was able to draw from for this project. When Reeder was younger, she started her artistic career by painting characters. She initially pursued postsecondary education in music before discovering her passion for art. She decided to pursue that passion and started painting walls inside shops and houses. “I started my childhood painting characters; I went to music school and was a photographer. In the last six years, I have started painting walls and designs for shops,” Reeder said.
Regarding the mural, Reeder explained, “I have never done anything as big as this mural.” The process of creating the mural was extensive. She began by finding an area that would be suitable for a mural. Then, she had to obtain permission to paint the mural in that location. “It was difficult. I did not know who to ask,” Reeder recalled.
Planning for the mural began June 15 after she received permission to use the wall. To create the design for the mural, Reeder and her husband, Patrick Reeder, began researching the town’s history and landmarks with the help of artificial intelligence. Reeder said it was very important to her that the mural be historically accurate.
The physical work on the mural started with cleaning the wall and fixing any imperfections. Priming the wall was the next step. “We got 10 gallons of primer from Ace Fix-It Hardware,” Reeder noted. Once the priming was finished, she used an Oculus virtual reality headset to outline the main elements of the mural. Painting was next in the process. “The first paint was applied on July 1,” Reeder said.
When it came to finding help, Reeder stated, “People just helped without even needing to be asked.” Around 100 people assisted through donations and painting. Reeder recognized those who participated and said, “People such as Susan Beaston, Brittany Bradshaw, Kari Roslund, Josh Williams, and Vonnie Orlowski were constantly helping.”
Donations were also an important part of the mural project. Reeder explained, “I found out what supplies I needed during the process, and the community helped by donating money, food, and drinks.” The people of Mount Union also helped in other ways, such as encouraging Reeder and recognizing her work. “I got lots of positive community feedback. Lots of people stopped by and thanked me,” she said.
Reeder completed the mural last week after applying an anti-graffiti and ultraviolet-resistant clear coat to protect it. With the mural finished, Reeder plans to continue her art journey with other projects. She has already started painting an American flag for someone in town and hopes to create more artwork for the community in the future.
For Reeder, the mural represents more than Mount Union’s history. The project also brought residents closer together by giving them an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful. “I love that everyone can leave a small piece of themselves on this mural,” she said.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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