By 1808Delaware
This year, Westerville is joining communities across the country in marking America250, the 250th anniversary of the United States. Locally, the commemoration will take shape not only through events and programs, but through public art placed across the city.
At the center of the effort is the America250 Westerville Mural Project, a citywide initiative that will bring 12 large-scale vinyl murals to locations throughout Westerville. The project is designed as both a tribute and an invitation: a way to honor the people, places, and stories that have shaped Westerville, while encouraging residents and visitors to see familiar spaces in a new way.
Stories On The Walls
The murals are scheduled to be installed throughout the city in May and June, creating a self-guided public art experience across Westerville. Each mural will reflect a community-driven theme, with artwork created by Ohio artists. Together, the installations will highlight both well-known moments in Westerville’s history and stories that may be less familiar, giving the project a broad civic and historical reach.
Rather than placing history behind glass or limiting it to a single exhibit space, the mural project brings those stories into public view. Everyday walls and exterior surfaces will become places of reflection, discovery, and conversation.
An Invitation To Explore
Free and open to all, the mural project will offer an accessible and engaging way to experience Westerville through art, history, and place-based storytelling, and woven throughout neighborhoods, districts, and gathering spaces, the murals will encourage visitors to slow down, look closer, and connect with the stories behind the city. For some, the appeal may be public art. For others, it may be local history, a neighborhood walk, or the chance to discover something unexpected.
Together, the murals are intended to create a meaningful experience that reflects Westerville’s past, present, and future.
A Trail Through Westerville’s Past
The America250 Westerville Mural Trail will add an interactive layer to the project. From June 26 through December 31, 2026, visitors will be able to scan QR codes at each mural location to check in and learn more about the history and inspiration behind the artwork. The trail format is intended to encourage exploration, connecting individual mural sites into a broader journey through the city. An interactive mural map will also provide details about each installation, including its location, theme, historical background, and artist information.
Made In Westerville
A defining element of the America250 Westerville Mural Project is not only the stories being told, but how the murals are brought to life.
All 12 murals are being produced locally at the Maker Space inside The Point at Otterbein University, an innovation hub where creativity, technology, and community intersect. Spanning more than 5,000 square feet, the Maker Space is equipped with tools for design, prototyping, and short-run manufacturing, including vinyl printing technology, laser engravers, CNC routers, and 3D printers.
That local production process is a natural extension of the project itself. Just as the murals reflect the stories, people, and places that have shaped Westerville, their creation is rooted in the community. They are designed, printed, and brought to life right in the city.
At The Point, students, staff, and community members work in an environment built for innovation and hands-on learning. In that sense, the mural project connects past and present while also pointing toward future generations. By producing each mural locally, the America250 initiative does more than tell Westerville’s story. It embodies it.
More Than Murals
Programming planned includes community events, educational programs, exhibits, and performances. A dedicated America250 Westerville blog will offer deeper looks at the stories and experiences behind the project, while official updates and media coverage will track major milestones as the year unfolds.
Together, those elements are intended to make the commemoration more than a single date on the calendar. In Westerville, America250 will become a yearlong opportunity to look closely at local history, civic identity, and the people whose lives have helped shape the community.
A Community-Led Partnership
The America250 Westerville initiative is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the City of Westerville, Visit Westerville, the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, Otterbein University, the Westerville Public Library and Westerville History Museum, and the Westerville Historical Society. Together, these organizations are working to honor the community’s diverse stories, elevate under-told histories, and create meaningful experiences for both residents and visitors as Westerville commemorates America’s 250th anniversary.
The project is funded in part by the America250 Ohio Commission, the Ohio Arts Council, and The Westerville Fund.
