Verona Mural, Verona, Pennsylvania - Murals on Waymarking.com

Verona is a small community on the banks of the Allegheny River. It has an aging population, declining tax base, and a few businesses along the river.

This mural is on the wall of an auto parts store.

[From an article printed in the Post-Gazette of Pittsburgh]:
Mural displays Verona's pride
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
By Teresita K. Kolenchak
There's never been much to look at while waiting for the traffic light to turn green at the corner of Allegheny River Boulevard and Center Avenue in Verona.
But, what was once just a bare blue wall will soon be a tribute to the borough's heritage and history, thanks to the mural project undertaken by two local artists and the Verona Chamber of Commerce.
By the end of the month, the completed mural on the side of the Napa Auto Parts building will feature the town's new, unofficial slogan "Proud of Our Heritage," and key historical elements, including the locomotive, a roundhouse where trains went for repair and a Doughboy. Work on it started Oct. 4.
The project began when the chamber decided to redo its entrance signs for the business district. Members wanted something reflective of Verona's past and came up with the unofficial slogan with that in mind, said chamber member Dave Ricupero.
Artist Rich Boniker suggested they do something a little different from the signs he created years ago when the slogan, "Verona, the spot that's more than a dot" was coined.
He spoke with his frequent collaborator, Peter Theofilis, about doing a mural on a building. They had previously worked together on the murals for Jackson's Hardware in Penn Hills, Ralph's Army Surplus in Monroeville and Braverman's Arms in Wilkinsburg.
Theofilis had always thought the shape of the Napa building lent itself to a locomotive design. In fact, the train motif the mural is based on comes from sketches Theofilis had designed six years ago.
Once the chamber approved the mural idea and theme, John Sieckowski, the owner of Napa Auto Parts, had to be brought in on the plan. Because the building was painted Napa blue, he had to get permission from the company to change it.
Ricupero said that, although the mural is valued at $6,000, the two men are doing it for half of that amount "because they are local guys who want to give something back to the community."
Boniker, 49, is an Oakmont resident and owner of Cyclops Studios. Theofilis, 44, has Verona roots and now lives in Penn Hills. His business, Design Kids Painting, specializes in murals for children's rooms.
The two are using the 1971 Verona Centennial Book as their historical reference. One hundred years ago, Verona had 10,000 residents and everything was related to the railroad, Theofilis said. There were four railroad stations in Verona, which also included Oakmont at the time.
In fact, Verona is not named after that little town in Italy; it's a combination of the names of two railroad stops -- Verner and Iona.
In creating a mural, the men usually sketch the picture on acetate and then project it on the wall, using magic markers to outline it. That was not possible on this project because it would have meant placing an overhead projector in the middle of Center Avenue. Instead, they've projected the image on large pieces of paper, using a pounce wheel to perforate the paper in the shape of the drawing, transferring the drawing with charcoal onto the wall and using markers to outline it.
Theofilis said this method has allowed them to paint much more quickly than if the drawing had been done freehand.
The men have been getting positive feedback as they work, with people taking pictures and motorists honking their horns or giving a thumbs up of approval. They especially like to hear from the old-timers who tell them whether their vision is close to the way things used to be.
Boniker said he and Theofilis were thinking big when they embarked on the mural project, adding that it was just a sign that got out of hand. He said it's been a lot of work and a labor of love that welcomes people to the borough and gives them a little history at the same time.
They hope "it will be kind of a landmark," he added.
First published on October 20, 2004 at 12:00 am
Teresita K. Kolenchak is a freelance writer.

City: Verona Location Name: auto parts store Artist: Rich Boniker, Pete Theofilis Date: 09/01/1994 Media: acrylic on concrete bricks Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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