Athens resident Barb Kostohryz pushed for the city’s approval to create and display banners containing local children’s artwork during Athens City Council’s Monday night meeting.
Athens residents could see colorful banners and the work of aspiring artists decorating Uptown as early as this summer.
Athens resident Barb Kostohryz pushed for the city’s approval to create and display banners containing local children’s artwork during Athens City Council’s Monday night meeting.
Kostohryz said she was struck by the idea during a visit to Manitou Springs, Colorado where she saw similar banners hanging throughout a main street.
While she already works with a group promoting children’s art and health by printing two to three billboards a year through Live Healthy Appalachia, Kostohryz wants to bring artwork with the themes including “Live Healthy Love Athens” and, “Live Well Live Happy” Uptown.
“It would be the essence of Athens,” she said.
Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said the project could very well be included into the blueprint for the Essence of Athens project, which is designed to beautify Athens.
“This would be part of the concept of public art,” Butler said.
Kostohryz said the banners would help drive traffic to uptown businesses by attracting parents and relatives to see their children’s artwork.
“If you put (children’s) artwork Uptown, it really tells them you care about them,” she said.
Citing the skyrocketing numbers of children that are obese in America, Kostohryz said the good-living themed art would help promote a healthy and active lifestyle in Athens.
“As a community, we can say, ‘Hey, we care about the health of our citizens,’ ” she said.
Each banner would hold a two-by-four foot rendition of a child’s drawing, as well as his or her first name and age. Artwork would be chosen by a group of local artists through contest submissions.
“Artwork would have to be bright and bold and tell a story,” Kostohyrz said.
She hopes to hang 32 banners throughout Uptown — 14 at main intersections and 18 in various side streets.
“This is just awesome,” Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large, said, “I have often walked up and down court and looked at where we could hang banners.”
Kostohyrz maintained the artwork would come at little to no cost for the city, and that the cost of the banners would come out of her own pocket.
“We will fund it through our family fund,” she said.
The only cost to the city would be actually hanging the banners, Kostohyrz said.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said that could amount to more than she expected.
“Installment will be expensive,” he said. “It might be an all-day project.”
Wiehl said it comes down to how many times the banners have to be changed out a year, adding if it was only once a year or once every two years, the cost may not be too bad.
“The intention is not to change them out,” Wiehl said.
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