Weedville Community Comes Together to Bring a New Mural to Life

If you’ve driven through Weedville along Route 255 over the past couple of months, you may have noticed a colorful mural coming to life on the side of the PA Made Shop building.

The Weedville Community Mural, an 8-foot by 28-foot painted panel mural, was completed this October after more than 30 community volunteers—from children as young as four to lifelong residents—came together to help bring the design to life.

The project was made possible through a Community Engagement Mini-Grant from the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, with support from the Trust for Civic Life, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

The grant program supports community-driven projects that encourage civic engagement while contributing to the broader effort to grow and sustainably develop outdoor recreation, nature tourism, and creative placemaking throughout the PA Wilds Conservation Landscape.

For the Weedville mural project, community involvement was at the heart of the process from the very beginning. In June, residents were invited to share ideas, imagery, and themes they felt represented Weedville, with a focus on local wildlife and landscapes, outdoor recreation, local history, and the values that make the community unique.

Artist and PA Made Shop owner Mickayla Poland served as the lead artist and instructor, turning those ideas into the final mural design and guiding volunteers throughout the painting process.

The final design features the words “Greetings from WEEDVILLE, Pennsylvania”, with each letter of “WEEDVILLE” featuring different subjects that resonate with both residents and visitors. Together, the imagery celebrates the people, history, wildlife, landmarks, and outdoor recreation of the area.

Painting began on September 1st and continued throughout September and October. More than 30 volunteers participated, with many returning for multiple painting sessions. Nearly all of the volunteers either currently live in the area or have lived there at some point in their lives.

One volunteer, who has lived in the area her entire life, came out to help paint on six different days.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I felt like I should come out and help. It’s been fun and actually relaxing,” she said.

The community response began long before the mural was finished. As the mural took shape, people traveling along Route 255 regularly stopped to take photographs, offer words of encouragement, and see how the project was progressing. One local couple made a point of stopping every few days to check on the mural and share how much they enjoyed watching it come together.

Those small moments became some of the most meaningful parts of the project for Mickayla.

“This mural really became more than just public art,” said Poland. “It felt like I was creating something really meaningful for the community. Both the volunteers and the people who stopped to watch were so excited about it, and I could see the pride on their faces. They often shared their own connections to the different subjects in the painting. There is something really special about creating something that brings the community together and that everyone can feel a sense of ownership and pride in.”

For Poland, the experience has reinforced the power of community and civic engagement, bringing people together.

“Working on this project and seeing the excitement from the community has really inspired me to continue doing projects like this,” Poland said. “I’m already thinking, ‘What do we do next?’”

The Weedville Community Mural is now a permanent part of the Route 255 landscape, offering both residents and visitors a colorful welcome into the community and another reason to slow down, stop, take a picture, and see what makes Weedville special.