When the Knox City Council members met at the end of May, they received the first glimpse of the proposed mural that will be painted on the wall behind Serenity Gardens downtown.
Initially, three local artists were going to collaborate on a design, however, two of the individuals decided not to pursue the project. Instead, Oregon-Davis Art Teacher Joe Eskridge will be working on the mural himself.
In a statement provided to the Mayor’s Office, Eskridge explained that his vision for the downtown mural is to capture present-day Knox with a large central image. The focal point of the mural will be a child playing in the splash pad at Wythogan Park.
Eskridge said the reason he chose to go with that idea is because it will not only be a welcoming image that communicates small town, Midwestern fun, but it will also be able to showcase the fact that Knox is a fun, safe place to raise a family, all within one painting.
He also plans to combine a contemporary feel with a historical aspect by utilizing street art text that will morph into a border made up of past and present establishments within the city.
The sketch is still a work in progress. Eskridge plans to work through the month of June to finalize his design and has indicated that he may start putting something up on the wall as soon as July.
