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It's been an interesting yet subtle conversion that's taken place on Main Street in Center Wheeling over the past two decades. What once was the city's primary commercial district has been transformed into a pleasant mix of local and regional businesses catering to a diverse clientele. And one of those businesses, Sarah's on Main at 2122 Main St., is quite literally painting its own new future on the structure's southern face.
Owner Sarah Lydick and local artist and designer Rachel Goodman are using funding through the Wheeling Arts & Cultural Commission's Mural Project to liven up the restaurant's exterior. Asparagus, carrots, rhubarb and more are sprouting along the exterior, and the colorful display -- still a work in progress -- is bringing a nice new vibe to Center Wheeling.
"The ultimate inspiration for the mural design came from the idea of Paris in the 1890s, where everything was excessive and beautiful," Goodman said. "Art nouveau was about celebrating beauty, which is what my initial concept was very much about."
Using that wall also adds another entry point for folks driving by, and also gives those sitting on Sarah's patio something to study. "I just love this patio space out here, and we are always trying to figure out ways to make it better," Lydick said. "I love that this is going to attract people from the road and bring their eyes back here."
That is an excellent idea. And as Goodman said, the new mural will be around for generations. "As I'm painting, I'm thinking about how this art is going to be here forever," she said. "It feels like I'm giving a gift to the city, but the city is also giving me the gift of a canvas."