Shepherd University professor Sonya Evanisko, front left, adds details to a mural on the side of Betty’s Restaurant in downtown Shepherdstown, which was begun by Evanisko’s mural class in the spring 2024 semester. David Pennock

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Work on a new mural in Shepherdstown is beginning this month, with the base for the mural being prepared by a contractor, through funding from the Corporation of Shepherdstown.

The mural will be painted on the front of Alma Bea restaurant, located at 202 East Washington Street, which is one of the first things seen by drivers as they enter the town.

This fall, Shepherd University Professor of Art Sonya Evanisko will be teaching a class on mural creation, which will then work under her guidance to complete the mural by the end of October.

“We’ve completed a number of murals over the past several years,” Evanisko said, in reference to herself and her students. “The mural on the underpass was completed in 2017. We did several murals at the university’s Tabler Farm a year ago. Most recently, we completed a Potomac River mural at the ROCS convenience store, on Martinsburg Pike, and downtown Shepherdstown has its first large-scale ‘Celebrate Shepherdstown’ mural, that is still in the final completion stages.”

The Celebrate Shepherdstown mural project is located on the side of the building that houses Betty’s Restaurant, located at 112 East German Street.

A mural was painted by Sonya Evanisko’s mural class last school year on the wall of ROCS Local Market in Shepherdstown. Tabitha Johnston

“I am an advocate for public art. I think it has many benefits,” Evanisko said. “It adds uniqueness and character to our town. And, it’s great for the community, as it attracts visitors.”

Several local residents have pitched in this summer to help complete the Celebrate Shepherdstown mural, including town council member and professional artist Shannon Thomas, who pointed out at July’s monthly council meeting that an artsy town like Shepherdstown should have public art displayed everywhere.

“What an amazing welcome [this mural would be], to a town that embraces art!” Thomas said. “When I told my daughter what an artsy town this is, she called me out on it! She said, ‘Where’s the visual art?’ And it’s true. We have the theater festival and the film festivals and the music — we have a lot of Arts — but there’s not a lot of public art out there. It adds a lot of value to the town.”

The mural’s design, which has been approved by the town council and the building’s owner, was developed over the past eight months through a collaboration between Evanisko, Shepherd University painting program alumna Charlotte Puttock and Shepherd University graphic design program alumna Heather Crosby. Research was conducted to ensure the design appropriately reflected the history of the location.

“We want to clean up the unsightly gravel lot that is filled with propane tanks and trash bins. It’s not very green. But, by the time the design is completed, that will all change!” Evanisko said. “During my research, I came across a quote by Danske Dandridge, who is a historic poet and historian and gardener [from Shepherdstown]. When she was speaking about the activity in Shepherdstown right after the Revolutionary War, she wrote that, ‘The town is like a hive of industrious bees.’ And when I read that quote, I couldn’t help but think that it was not only accurate back then, but also today! We have people who volunteer, doers, creative people, innovators, business people — we make things happen.”

A mural was painted on a few buildings at Tabler Farm by Shepherd University professor Sonya Evanisko’s mural class last school year. Tabitha Johnston

And so, the mural design will feature a hive and bees, along with native plants and wildlife. The building’s sliding front door, when closed at night, will reveal a hidden part of the mural, featuring local, nocturnal wildlife. Additional inspiration for the design was taken from the nearby Shepherdstown welcome sign in front of O’Hurley’s General Store.

The Corporation of Shepherdstown agreed to fund the purchase of large planters for the project, provided that a contract be signed by the building’s owner, confirming her previous verbal agreement with Evanisko to allow the mural to remain on the building for a decade. The planters, in combination with a garden by the entrance ramp, will be filled with native plants and cared for by volunteers from Shepherdstown Bee City USA.

Alma Bea’s chicken, which is currently on the front of the building, will be repainted on the side of the building parallel to Washington Street.