Artist from Export proposes mural to cover Route 22 underpass graffiti

As pedestrians and cyclists on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail pass near the Cozy Inn Cutoff, they head underneath William Penn Highway, where the underpass is covered with all manner of graffiti.

If Export native Christina Donahoe has her way, however, later this year, it will be covered with the largest mural she’s created to date.

Originally suggested by a friend of Donahoe’s mother who volunteers with the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, the project is not only new for the artist but also new to the agency that needs to approve it.

“I gave an online presentation to a lot of different people, including from PennDOT,” Donahoe said. “It was sort of a 30-minute pitch on why I thought it could be done.”

PennDOT officials told Donahoe it was the first time someone had suggested this type of project.

“They basically had to create an approval process to get things going,” she said.

Westmoreland Heritage Trail President Stan Rudge said trail officials had been approached a few years ago by a group of art students from Franklin Regional Senior High school who had proposed a similar idea. Rudge said he reached out to local legislators to try and bring it to PennDOT but wasn’t able to make much progress.

“It would certainly be nice to clean it up,” Rudge said. “I’ve gone down there and painted over a few of the obscene words over the years.”

The winter season will give Donahoe time to work on an overall design, which will need to be approved by PennDOT before she can proceed.

Donahoe said she plans to fund the project herself as a gift to her hometown but also has been approached by local businesses asking if they can participate.

“In exchange for that, I’d like to hand-paint some logos and get those names on there, as well,” she said.

The space is maintained by a group of volunteers who Donahoe said are waging a constant battle against fresh graffiti.

“It’s a huge chore for them to take paint down through the trails and cover it up,” she said.

If the mural is finished, Donahoe said she plans to cover it with a clear, anti-graffiti coating that keeps fresh paint from bonding to the surface to prevent future vandalism.

And, if all goes well, she’d like to expand it to other areas.

“My goal is to gather a group of artists,” she said. “Having graduated from Seton Hill, I’d love to work with artists from their arts program, as well as from programs at other schools.

“I think it would be an amazing way to beautify the space and add to other artists’ portfolios at the same time,” she said.

Rudge said that sounds like a good idea.

“It would be nice to maybe try and also involve some of the kids from Franklin Regional who were interested,” he said.

This past summer, Donahoe painted a mural on an outbuilding at Export Floral, another spot just off the trail.

For more on Donahoe’s work, or for a business looking to reach out about the underpass mural, see her Facebook page or visit ChristinaCustomArt.com.