Call to Artists — Westerville Wetlands. One of Twelve Murals Planned for Semi-Quincentennial.
The Westerville History Museum and the City of Westerville invite artists to submit proposals for a mural exploring the city’s glacial origins and overlooked wetland ecosystems. This mural is part of the America 250 Westerville History Mural Project, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
This mural will be one of nine works chosen from artist submissions that bring Westerville’s layered history to life.
The Wetlands mural will highlight how ancient glacial movement shaped the terrain beneath Westerville, leaving behind depressions, ponds, and soil conditions that created wetland habitats. Though settlers and developers later drained and reshaped the land, wetland features still survive and are now protected in local parks like Boyer Nature Preserve, Heritage Park, and Highlands Park.
Artists are encouraged to include imagery inspired by:
The 1,000-foot-thick glacial ice sheet that once covered the region, carving out the land and forming glacial kettles.
Boyer Nature Preserve, home to a 3-acre pond formed by a melting ice fragment left behind by glaciers.
Heritage Park, once a clay extraction site, now a forested wetland filled with amphibians, birds, and aquatic life.
Highlands Park, a wetland gradually restored after decades of drainage, now known for its marshes, biodiversity, and community events like “Frog Fridays.”
Wildlife including painted turtles, blue-winged teal, northern water snakes, and five species of amphibians.
The concept of watersheds, showing how runoff and stormwater connect all three parks to the Alum Creek system.
Reference materials include photos of wetlands and wildlife from each of the three sites: Boyer, Heritage, and Highlands.
Artists can access all information, including reference materials, photos, and submission guidelines, through the RFP at https://www.visitwesterville.org/250-2/
Submissions are open through December 1, 2025. Selected artists will receive a $1,000 commission, with murals to be unveiled in 2026 as part of Westerville’s America 250 celebration.
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