CHESTER, W.Va. — The public is invited to celebrate the official dedication of the Rock Springs Community Muralon Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. beneath the Jennings Randolph Bridge on State Route 2 in Chester, West Virginia.
The mural honors the rich history of Rock Springs Park while celebrating the people whose memories made the park one of the Ohio Valley’s most treasured destinations for generations. Created through the participation of nearly 1,000 community members, the mural stands as a permanent reminder that history is not only remembered through photographs and stories, but through the people who continue to preserve it.
The project is the result of a nearly six-month partnership between internationally recognized American muralist Kyle Holbrook, Executive Artist of the Moving Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, and Montani Outreach Movement (M.O.M.), a Hancock County nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through volunteerism, collaboration, historic preservation, and civic engagement.
The mural was made possible through generous support from the Hancock County Savings Bank Community Foundation, Six Enterprises, the Lions Club, Wendy’s, the City of Chester, local businesses, volunteers, and countless community partners whose shared commitment brought this vision to life.
The partnership began when Nancy Wright of the Hancock County Arts Council introduced Holbrook to Cara McMahan of Montani Outreach Movement. What began as a conversation about honoring Rock Springs Park quickly evolved into months of historical research, community meetings, design development, fundraising, permitting, and collaboration.
Working alongside Holbrook throughout the project were the founders of Montani Outreach Movement, Cara McMahan, Lacey Cline, Megan Eckleberry, Brittany Budney, and Payden Wells, whose dedication and leadership transformed an idea into one of the largest collaborative public art projects ever completed in the Upper Ohio Valley.
Originally operating from 1897 through 1970, Rock Springs Park welcomed generations of visitors from West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Families gathered there for amusement rides, dances, concerts, swimming, picnics, celebrations, and countless summer traditions. Although the park has been gone for decades, its legacy continues to unite generations throughout the region.
“This mural is about much more than remembering an amusement park,” Holbrook said. “It celebrates the people who made Rock Springs Park special. Every family gathering, every first date, every church picnic, every childhood memory helped shape this community. Preserving those stories is one of the greatest purposes public art can serve.”
Unlike traditional murals, the Rock Springs Community Mural was created using Holbrook’s internationally recognized community mural process, a model he has developed over more than two decades and documented in his book, I Literally Wrote the Book on Community Murals. Schools, municipalities, and arts organizations throughout the United States and around the world have adopted this collaborative approach because it places the community at the center of the creative process.
Residents first shared stories, photographs, and memories that helped shape the mural’s design. Before the finished artwork was painted, hundreds of participants filled the wall with handwritten messages, signatures, drawings, and words of encouragement that now remain permanently preserved beneath the mural.
Students and staff from A.T. Allison Elementary School, local families, churches, civic organizations, businesses, volunteers, and residents of all ages participated in the underpainting process, ensuring the mural truly belongs to the community.
“My favorite part of every project happens before the mural is finished,” Holbrook said. “Watching neighbors paint together, share stories, laugh together, and realize they are creating something that will outlive all of us is what community art is all about. The mural becomes a symbol of what people can accomplish when they work together.”
Holbrook’s signature underpainting technique has become one of the defining elements of his work throughout 51 countries and 49 U.S. states. Every mural permanently preserves the voices of the people who helped create it.
“As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, projects like this remind us that our nation’s story is also told through local history,” Holbrook said. “Communities are built around places that bring people together. Rock Springs Park was one of those places. This mural ensures its legacy will continue inspiring future generations.”
Holbrook expressed his appreciation to the leadership of Montani Outreach Movement for their vision, dedication, and months of hard work, along with Nancy Wright and the Hancock County Arts Council for helping establish the partnership that made the project possible.
Additional thanks are extended to the Hancock County Savings Bank Community Foundation, Six Enterprises, the Lions Club, Wendy’s, every sponsor, volunteer, educator, student, business, church, organization, and resident who contributed their time, memories, and support.
Following the dedication ceremony, the public is invited to participate in the “See Yourself in Rock Springs” Photo Contest. Visitors are encouraged to stand at the designated photo location, take a picture with the mural, and post it on Facebook while tagging Montani Outreach Movement. Participants will be entered for a chance to win Rock Springs-themed prizes, including a Rock Springs ornament, Chestnut Hill Rock Springs candles, and a Rock Springs Collection T-shirt. The contest is designed to celebrate community pride while encouraging visitors to share the story of Rock Springs Park with friends and family.
Born in Pittsburgh and based in Miami and New York City, Kyle Holbrook has completed more than 900 community murals in 51 countriesand 49 U.S. states. His work has been featured in partnership with the Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, the G20 Summit, Major League Baseball All-Star festivities, and hundreds of schools and communities worldwide. Through the Moving Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, founded in 2002, Holbrook has dedicated his career to using public art to strengthen communities, preserve local history, and inspire future generations.
