Volunteers sought for Five Star Trail mural update

A connection made at the Greensburg ArtsWalk and a stroll on the Five Star Trail gave Natalie Dobrick a great idea.

Could an artist she met at the event update a mural painted more than 20 years ago in a tunnel on the trail near Lynch Field in Greensburg?

She was thrilled when Pittsburgh artist Zachary Rutter agreed.

“This is a huge deal, and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” Dobrick said.

Volunteers are needed for work days on Friday and Saturday to prepare the old railroad tunnel for a fresh look. On Friday, volunteers will meet from 9 a.m. to noon to scrape portions of the tunnel in preparation for applying primer the next day from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The current mural, which features trees, fish and flowers, was painted by Girl Scouts more than 20 years ago, said Mark Jackson, Five Star Trail board member.

Dobrick and Rutter brought the idea to the trail’s board and ran with it.

“Natalie really was a catalyst for this,” Jackson said.

The new, colorful mural will be reflective of the trail’s history, events and natural surroundings. It is expected to be finished this summer. Rutter said he follows a five-step process in creating the public artwork.

“It’s my largest mural project to date,” he said.

Volunteers can help throughout the process as the mural begins to take shape

“If we get enough volunteers, it should be a very simple project to put together,” he said.

The nonprofit organization is paying for part of the mural and will foot the rest of the bill with grants, Jackson said. The Five Star Trail runs along a rail line from Lynch Field in Greensburg to Youngwood that is used for walking, running and bicycling. It was established in the mid-1990s, and the Five Star Trail Chapter works with the Regional Trail Corp.

“It’s a community effort, volunteer effort,” Jackson said. “Natalie and Zachary have been wonderful with this.”

Dobrick expects more volunteer work days after painting of the mural gets underway. To volunteer, contact Dobrick at 724-786-8423 or nataliedobrick@gmail.com.

Rutter will be posting progression photos on his website zacharyrutterart.com and on his social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram @zacrutterart.