Pittsburgh’s well-traveled mural painter Kyle Holbrook found his latest gig, appropriately, by being out exploring.
He was riding his bike around Steubenville, Ohio, an Ohio River town about 68 river miles or 40 road miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh.
He was checking out “the City of Murals’ ” famous murals, some two dozen of which grace buildings from one end to the other. He happened to run into Mayor Jerry Barilla and Judy Bratten, who is director of Historic Fort Steuben and the Steubenville Visitor Center. Barilla also is president of the fort, which is on the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail, because Lewis came through here from Pittsburgh on his way to meet Clark so they could continue on their historic 1803-06 expedition through the West to the Pacific Ocean.
Barilla and Bratten were not only in search of a muralist but also wanted to commission a mural about the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Now Holbrook the bike explorer is working on a mural about Lewis and Clark that highlights two other people in their party, and he’s looking for some help from the public, no painting experience necessary.
The “Corps of Discovery” mural, to grace a 50-by-40-foot section of a building beside the Jefferson County Courthouse, aims to highlight the significant contributions to the success of the expedition from Sacajawea, a Native American woman, and York, an African American man.
“It’s essential to tell the whole story,” says Holbrook, who spent a lot of time researching the history, the details of which he hadn’t known. “The Lewis and Clark expedition was a pivotal moment in American history, showcasing early examples of democracy and collaboration among diverse individuals.”
He’s bringing some of that spirit into the painting of the piece. Every Friday starting with this one, July 5, he welcomes people from the community — families, kids, senior citizens, other explorers — to put down any apprehensions they have and pick up some paints to help him create it.
When it’s finished by around July 19, the artwork will link to the Historic Fort Steuben website by a QR code that will connect mural gazers to more information about the expedition and the oft-overlooked contributions and strong characters of Sacajawea and York, which is the kind of education that is Holbrook’s goal.
“By participating in this mural, community members can learn together and contribute to a piece of art that celebrates diversity and unity,” he adds in a news release. “It’s fitting that this event takes place the day after Independence Day, as we honor the spirit of exploration and democracy.”
The community paint days are open and free and run from 6 to 8 p.m. this Friday and the following two Fridays. For more information, call 724-531-2184 or email info@mlkmural.com.
Holbrook, with his Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, has painted murals in many places around the world, across the country and the county, including in Squirrel Hill, and does them for world events including the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris.
Voice texting from up on the hydraulic lift on which he was putting in his fifth day on the mural on Wednesday evening, he called his chance meeting with the Steubenville officials “one of those amazing energy” and “divine” events that he’s frequently experienced in the past.
For more on Historic Fort Steuben, visit www.oldfortsteuben.com, where you’ll find a link for donating to cover the costs of the mural.
Bob, a feature writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and serving as interim editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Contact him at bbatz@unionprogress.com.
