TAMAQUA, Pa. -- People of all ages were working their paint brushes Sunday on 10 different canvases at Depot Park in Tamaqua.
"This one is going to be smack dab in the center of town, so everybody driving through town is going to see it," said Lorraine Felker, Walk In Art Center.
Eventually, all of the canvases will be combined into a colorful 10 by 25 foot mural.
The collaborative project was spearheaded by the Tamaqua Community Arts Center and the Walk In Art Center.
It was designed by students in the Tamaqua Area School District and is meant to promote happiness and good vibes in this Schuylkill County Community.
"It was very important to us that people in the community have the ability really express what makes them happy. When you have a visual reminder, it's easy to pull yourself out of a sad place, or a place where you're not appreciative of what's around you in the community you live," said Leona Rega, Community Arts Center Coordinator.
"We've got a lovely scene with clouds and fields and a train coming through, but hidden inside that scene are over 300 items that make the community of Tamaqua happy," said Felker. "The teacher and students surveyed the community and said 'what makes you happy?'"
At some point in July, the mural will be installed on the wall where South Railroad and Broad Streets connect. That's right in the heart of Tamaqua.
There will be a special coat put on the mural so that it lasts for 20 to 30 years.
"It's really exciting to be able to do something like this. Maybe one day, bring my children up to it one day and say 'hey I was a part of this.' I feel like Tamaqua has really grown in that aspect that we're all coming together as a community more often and this is really great," said Aimee Hull, Tamaqua.
The same agencies plan to install similar murals in Pottsville and Minersville this summer as well.