Marietta Main Street's Annual Celebration

Once a year, we take time to uplift and celebrate area leaders, volunteers, business owners, and property owners who have positively contributed to downtown Marietta. We invite folks from across the Marietta community to nominate individuals, groups, and/or businesses who they feel are worthy of this year's award categories.

The top three nominees in most categories will be celebrated and the award winners will be recognized during our Annual Celebration, our spin on an annual meeting, being held Thursday, October 24th starting at 5:30pm at the Adelphia Music Hall in downtown Marietta, Ohio.

MAIN STREET AWARD CATEGORIES

• Building Improvement Award To be awarded to a building/business owner with the most improved façade or strongest building development project in 2023-2024.

• Outstanding Collaboration Award To be awarded to the event/project that showcased a strong collaboration of local organizations to make a positive impact on downtown Marietta, Ohio in 2023-2024.

• Overachiever of the Year Award To be awarded to an individual who has gone above and beyond in championing the Main Street mission in both revitalizing downtown and of preserving and enhancing our downtown for all to enjoy in 2023-2024.

• Community Builder Award To be awarded to an individual who has facilitated the development of our downtown community and unified people for the betterment of Marietta, Ohio.

• Volunteer of the Year Award - Individual To be awarded to an individual who has volunteered their time and talents to support downtown Marietta and/or nonprofit organizations that call downtown Marietta their home.

• Volunteer of the Year Award - Group To be awarded to a group who has volunteered their time and talents to support downtown Marietta and/or nonprofit organizations that call downtown Marietta their home.

• Main Street Award Categories - Just for “Downtowner” Nominations

• Best Neighbor Award To be awarded to a downtown neighbor (business owner, property owner, employee, etc.) who is always willing to offer a helping hand to fellow "downtowners"

First Friday Art Walks: July and August

During July and August First Friday the community will be invited to Butler Street between Front and Second Street to visit up to 20 local artist and maker tents.

Ahead of each First Friday event, a list of artists and makers will be shared with the public within the First Friday promotional materials. Stay tuned for a list of artists and makers the week leading up to each First Friday downtown throughout the summer!

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ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR MAKER?

WE’D LOVE FOR YOU TO SET UP DURING OUR SUMMER FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS!

Only 20 artists and/or makers are able to participate per each First Friday event.

Guidelines for Participation

• Artists Village is from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on each First Friday and is located on the 200 block of Butler Street. Road closure signs will create a barricade for the street closure during each event.

• Set up for each event is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

• Artists and/or makers are required to provide a tent and all of their own materials, including tables, merchandise, etc. Chairs, tables, and tents will not be provided.

• Participation is first come, first served. Only 20 spaces are available per First Friday.

• Artists and/or makers may occupy a 10’ x 10’ space.

• The artist and/or maker fee is $40 per First Friday event.

Marietta Main Street Public Art Committee Installs Mural on Electrical Box

There’s a new public art installation adding color and vibrancy to the

corner of 5 th and Washington Streets in Marietta, thanks to the Marietta Main Street Public Art

Committee. Designed by local artist Alaina Pellett, the vinyl mural wraps the 6’ tall electrical box with

intricate storybook scenes that were hand-illustrated in colored pencil.

“My design was inspired by the location,” said Pellett. “It’s located near the public library and

Washington Elementary School and as a kid I spent a lot of time in the library. I made my design based

off stories I read as a kid that I felt a lot of people could relate to. I also drew inspiration from I Spy

books and put easter eggs in each illustration!”

The idea for the project originated two years ago when Margaret Lazer, a member of the Public Art

Committee, noticed the city had installed a large utility box at the intersection. “We thought it would be

a fun public art project and a great location right next to the school, playground, and library,” said Bobby

Rosenstock, committee chair.

Rosenstock said the committee wanted to work with an emerging artist for this project. “We

approached recent Marietta High School graduate, Alaina Pellett. The committee came up with the story

book theme and Alaina did a fantastic job creating the illustrations,” he said. “I pass this box daily

walking my daughter to school and have already seen kids searching for all of the hidden book

references in the artwork.”

Pellett said she loves how each panel of the electrical box has a different theme. “One side relates to

water, one with cities or towns, one with air, and the last one is a forest,” she said. “Within each scene,

there are different items or structures from the stories I chose.”

The mural was installed as a vinyl wrap by Jordana Bungard of West Side Sign Co. The final panel was

installed on Monday.

Pellett is happy to see her work on display in the community. “I’m excited about my work being on

display, but it’s also very surreal for me! When I was younger, I was always inspired by the public art I

saw popping up around me. Even thought I hadn’t met the artists behind the work, I was immediately

inspired by them and thought it would be cool to have my work displayed someday, too.”

A junior attending Ohio University, Pellett describes her style as bright, colorful, and full of detail with

thicker outlines. “A lot of my art consists of putting things together in a surrealistic way.” Pellett is

studying Studio Art with a concentration in Art Therapy and a minor in Psychology.

The mural installation was funded in part by the Marietta Community Foundation, with funds from the

Stanton W. Brock Art Discovery Fund, the Rutter Family Charitable Fund, the Joy Ray Fund, the Doing

Good Today, Tomorrow, Together Fund, the William A. & Prudence A. Fields Charitable Fund, and the

Binkley Charitable Fund.

“The objective of our public art projects is to enrich and invigorate our public spaces, fostering a

stronger sense of place and community identity,” said Jen Tinkler, Executive Director of Marietta Main

Street. “The project’s proximity to the school and library offers families an engaging opportunity to

interact with both art and children’s literature.”

Learn more about the Marietta Main Street Public Art Committee and ways to support public art

installations in Marietta by visiting www.mariettamainstreet.org/public-art.