The Columbiana Community Foundation is funding two new murals in the Columbiana Plaza, the idea for which came from the students in the Columbiana High School Entrepreneur Class taught by Tricia Missos. From left, front row, Columbiana Community Foundation Secretary Deann Davis, Delaney Dixon, Madison Burbick, Calleigh Kufleitner; back row, Skip Liston, Lance Willard, Garon Pedicini, Robert Struharik, Cameron Clancy, Seth Struharik, Missos and Rick Noel. (Submitted photo)

COLUMBIANA — A project to have two new murals featured in the Columbiana Plaza has been fully funded by the Columbiana Community Foundation.

The idea for the murals came from the students in the Columbiana High School Entrepreneur Class taught by Tricia Missos.

The class has been a source of inspiration for various other projects across the city and the students’ ingenuity was just recently recognized at the state level and in other communities.

City Manager Lance Willard said the class put on a presentation for State of Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Stephanie Siddons April 14 at the Columbiana High School.

A few days later the class also performed another presentation in Carnegie, Pa.

“We really appreciate everything they have done,” Willard said.

As for the mural projects, he said city officials simply told the students they wanted something done in the parking lot of the Columbiana Plaza and the students came up with idea for the artwork.

“They really wanted to have some place to bring their friends and families to and we think it is going to be a tourist attraction,” Willard said.

The students received input from Denny Holloway of Holloway Insurance to come up with the idea for a mural that will feature Columbiana County.

“It will be like a historic stamp,” Willard explained of that particular piece.

As for the other mural, Willard said it will have the likeness of a “retro postcard” and will be larger in size, at roughly 90-feet by 20-feet.

The mural will say “Greetings from Columbiana, the Nicest Place in Columbiana.”

The total cost for the mural projects is $8,700 and the Community Foundation presented a check to the class during a city council meeting earlier this month.

Willard said the Columbiana Area Tourism Board helped write the letter of support for the grant request.

“We really thank them,” Willard said of the foundation, which has provided an overwhelming amount of funding to various other projects across the city in the last year.

Deann Davis of the Community Foundation, who presented the check to the students, said that one of the goals of the foundation is to support worthwhile projects in Columbiana.

“We thought that this was definitely a worthwhile project,” she said.

In addition to having the project fully funded Willard also noted that the class provides input and completes projects at no cost to the city, serving in more of a consultant role.

“They have fantastic plans for how we can try to bring that plaza more out to Main Street. These students do a tremendous job. We can’t be any more proud of these young people,” Mayor Rick Noel said.

The mayor also thanked the community foundation for taking something that was a “dream” and turning it into a reality.