ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Elmira Shines are 14 panels of murals getting ready by the City of Elmira and The Community Arts of Elmira. The murals will be presented with a ribbon cutting after artists add their final touches on a project that has been in the works for a while. 

"We are on Railroad Avenue today," Begins Chemung Co. Legislature Brent Stermer, Dist.11.  "I'm really excited. Friday rain or shine the 25th at 11:00 AM we're having a ribbon cutting for Elmira Shines."

Lindy Packard finished her mural in the Fall of 2022. Packard was inspired to paint a 20th-century postcard symbolic of the City of Elmira.


"My mural is the first one, and it was based off of a 1940s postcard, which I've always loved, and it was fun to recreate and add new elements to it, some more modern elements to it," said artist Lindy Packard.

Packard told WENY News she first saw the postcard in a local shop. Coincidentally she would later find it on eBay before her friend gifted the Elmira Postcard as a baggage tag. This way, no matter where in the world Packard was, everyone would know she was from Elmira, New York. 

Artists use many mechanisms, brushes, and tools to make their murals profound and come to life. Depending on the height of the artist's canvas boom lift, ladders, or scaffolding. Sometimes everything is reachable on the ground. 

Dion Brown based his almost completed mural around the little girl, Elmira Teal, who inspired the Southern Tier cities name. Brown said he hopes to bring life to people who he cannot find a picture of. 

"The theme for mine was the story of Elmira, which I thought was very interesting. I did some research one day, and I came across a story of how Elmira got its name. I thought it was really interesting that none of these people were actually depicted online. There were no pictures of these people," Brown explained.

Mural Fest was hosted by The Community Arts of Elmira on June 3, 2023. Elmira Shines is a collaboration with Chemung Co,. Legiustraltor Brett Stermer and the Southern Tier city of Elmira. Elmira Shines will have its ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Friday, August 25th. 

The murals are located at Railroad Avenue and West Third Street, Elmira.