Work Begins on 3,200-square-foot Market Street Mural

ONEONTA—A 3,200-square-foot mural celebrating Oneonta’s natural, cultural, and architectural heritage is beginning to take shape on Market Street. The city plans to celebrate the mural’s completion during the City of the Hills Festival with a special event from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, September 19 at the mural site.

According to a press release, professional muralist Yulia Avgustinovich has begun work on the retaining wall behind the city’s new transit hub parking lot. Expected to take about three weeks to complete, the mural will feature imagery inspired by Oneonta’s native plants and birds, railroad history, architecture, and cultural heritage.

“Yulia created an incredibly thoughtful, well-researched, and eye-catching design,” said Emily Falco, chair of the Public Arts Commission. “We loved how she incorporated the colors of the city’s logo and showcased elements reflecting Oneonta’s beautiful surroundings and rich history.”

The mural, titled “The Four Seasons of Oneonta,” moves from spring through winter, using the four colors of the City of Oneonta logo as the foundational palette for each season. A variety of local wildlife and agricultural landscapes are depicted within each section. The painting includes a design inspired by Haudenosaunee beadwork, and pictures the Swart-Wilcox House, Wilber Mansion, and the historic D&H Passenger Station.

The Delaware & Hudson Railroad serves as a thread connecting the four seasons, beginning with railroad tracks in spring and continuing through a steam locomotive in summer, the passenger station in fall, and the coal tower and a distant train in winter.

The mural also highlights the natural environment of the Susquehanna Valley through species including the eastern bluebird, scarlet tanager, yellow warbler, belted kingfisher and dark-eyed junco, along with apple blossoms, native flowers, fields, and other imagery reflecting the region’s agricultural heritage.

Avgustinovich was selected from 28 applicants by the City of Oneonta Public Arts Commission. The project is the commission’s latest large-scale public artwork since it was established six years ago. The commission also supported a mural by Oneonta artist James McIlroy on the former Ford Building.

The commission invited five finalists to develop proposals for the wall, paying each $200.00 for their design. Avgustinovich will receive $20,000.00 for the completed mural, including all project expenses.

“Oneonta is known as a vibrant arts city, and we are thrilled to add Yulia’s artwork to Market Street and highlight the improvements along that corridor,” said Greg Mattice, Oneonta city administrator. “The Public Arts Commission was established to attract public art projects. The city fully supports the arts as part of a healthy economy. Inviting artists to showcase a range of styles is part of celebrating the vibrancy here.”

Avgustinovich is a professional muralist with more than 20 years of experience and formal training in classical painting, public art, and monumental art. She earned her degree from the Art Academy of St. Petersburg. Born in Belarus and now based in the Washington, D.C., region, she creates intricate, nature-inspired murals that reflect the history, culture, and character of the communities where she works.

Her public and commercial murals can be seen across the country, including in downtown Boise, Idaho; Aurora and Ridgway, Colorado; Batesville, Indiana; and Washington, D.C.

The city plans to celebrate the mural’s completion during the City of the Hills Festival with a special event from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, at the mural site.

During the mural’s completion, the parking spaces along the northern retaining wall at the Market Street Parking Lot will be blocked off. The rest of the parking lot will remain open, and the center row of parking spaces will be temporarily designated for all-day (24-hour max) parking.

The City of Oneonta Public Arts Commission includes Chair Emily Falco, Richard Barlow, Katherine Bashaw, Abby Bishop, Katy DeJong, Cassandra Miller, Andrew Vitolo and Common Council Member Shannon McHugh (Third Ward). The commission meets publicly at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at City Hall.