CENTRE — Cherokee County Historical Museum Director David Crum has a unique idea that he hopes will increase tourism in the Weiss Lake area. 

Crum has commissioned mural artist Joseph Giri to paint a bigger-than-life mural of a riverboat on the rear of the museum building on Main Street. 

“The purpose of the mural is to create a ‘wow’ response when visitors and tourists view the artwork,” said Crum. “This will encourage tourists to photograph the mural. We hope those pictures will find their way onto the Internet and result in some international marketing for the county.” 

The purposed mural will reflect a part of Cherokee County’s history, the steamboat. The artist's initial rendering features the nose of a steamer crashing through the block wall of the back of the building, complete with shading and diminishing perspective to give the finished product a three-dimensional look. 

Crum said the mural should take approximately 30 days to complete.

In the early 1900s, riverboats regularly passed by Cedar Bluff and Leesburg as they transported cotton and other consumables up and down the Coosa River between Gadsden and Rome, Ga. The last steamboat run along the Coosa through Cherokee County took place around 1932.

Giri, a Cherokee County native, is known for his murals across the country, from Atlanta to Los Angeles. There is also one in downtown Piedmont. His portfolio is available online at www.josephgiri.com.  

Giri has said he will use local artists to assist with completion of the project. 

The estimated cost of the mural is $15,000, which will have to be raised through private funding before work can begin. Donations can be sent to the Chamber of Commerce Mural Fund. For more information about how to donate, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 256-927-8455.