Overlea is being beautified.

The first of a series of three planned murals has officially begun.

Funded by Rosedale Federal Bank, a once blank, concrete wall at the intersection of Belair Road and Willow Avenue, between Kaye’s Pharmacy and St. Michael’s church, is being painted in vibrant colors of purple, blue, yellow and green. 

“We had a total of 11 volunteers helping the muralist today—amazing with the heat,” said Doris Poling, the vice president of the Overlea Community Association. “We made great progress.”

Poling has been working towards a mural in Overlea since November 2011, and she is finally seeing the fruits of her labor.

Except, unlike other recent murals painted on neighboring Baltimore streets (click here to see a video of last year’s mural project just a community away), this one has no fruit.

Baltimore muralist Whitney Frazier designed and is directing the mural, which will showcase butterfly wings and the slogan, “Wild About Overlea.” The Natural History Society, across the street, contributed to the design and will be hosting the unveiling celebration which is set, tentatively, for September 15.

Volunteers turned out to power-wash the wall last week, which had suffered from spots of illegible black graffiti. “Dan the Hubcap Man,” owner of Hubcap City, generously allowed the volunteers to use his water hook-up.

Next, the wall was painted with primer by volunteers from the Home Depot on Cleanleigh Drive. Store manager Tom Layden donated the primer and ten gallons of exterior colored paint, as well as the supplies.

Finally, yesterday, the mural painting officially began. Despite the heat, the volunteers covered the entire background in multi-colored paint.

Painting days are scheduled for the rest of this week, next week, and the following week if needed. Larry Simmons, special assistant to county executive Kevin Kamenetz, will visit the wall on July 18, and Senator Kathy Klausmeier will be helping to paint on July 26.