OxfordPress.com

To celebrate their bicentennial, the city of Oxford and Miami University will be getting a new artwork installment.

Talawanda High School art

students as well as the Art Department at Miami University have teamed up to help celebrate the bicentennial.

Monica Ways, Director of Community Engagement and Service, is helping to make this mural happen.

"It's not going to be your basic paint a mural on the side of a building, " Ways said.

The committee has begun the process of what to create by setting up times when people from the Oxford community can come in and tell their stories about living in Oxford and Miami University.

"These stories are going to form the final product," Ways said.

After their first meeting on Nov. 8 at the Knolls of Oxford, Ways said they have received some great stories.

"We are hearing stories from folks who came to Miami on the GI Bill, and how cots were lining the basketball arena and they had to stop the season," Ways said.

Ultimately these stories will be compiled to create the final mural according to Ways.

While the project is still in its beginning stages, there are a few ideas floating around. To create a unique installation, the art departments from Talawanda High School and Miami University have envisioned using fabric to weave these stories together.

Out of the stories Ways hopes that these people will bring the fabric or material that reminds them of the memory to be woven together for the final product.

"It should be really cool and very unique," Ways said.

The stories will be used along with the woven art to complement the fabrics used in the installation.

As for where the project will be placed, Ways said that there has been some viable options offered to them but they have yet to make a decision on where the artwork will go.

The formal unveiling for the piece will be at the bicentennial celebrations next year.

Ways has one request of the community during the next few months to help with the project.

"I would strongly encourage those who have stories they would like to share to come to one of the storytelling sessions," she said.

The remaining storytelling times and locations are yet to be determined.

According to Holli Morrish from Talawanda School District, they are still trying to set up meetings in other locations.