AU professor, student produce art work to fundraise for Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District

ASHLAND, Ohio – Cynthia Petry, an assistant professor of art at Ashland University, and Grace Crall, a senior art education major at AU, are participants in this year’s Rain Beat on Main Street fundraising event. They each designed and painted 55-gallon, urn-style rain barrels that will be displayed at a series of local events, then auctioned off to support the Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District.

Petry’s and Crall’s original rain barrels, as well as more than a dozen others, can be viewed at Loudonville Central Park June 16-23, at Freer Field during Ashland’s Balloonfest 2025 from June 23-30 and at Ashland’s Corner Park July 1-9.

This marks the sixth year of Rain Beat on Main Street, which offers a unique combination of art and education. Each rain barrel is sponsored by a community business or group, then a local artist transforms it into a unique piece of art and practical container for collecting rainwater. During the past five years, 97 barrels have been sponsored, painted and auctioned off with the proceeds going to stormwater education programs.

“Since 2020, the Rain Beat on Main Street event has been such a fun experience, and we were so excited to have so much interest and involvement from local community members and businesses,” said Jane Houin, director of Ashland SWCD. “This year, we’re hoping to continue to grown the event and continue to generate excitement about stormwater education as we celebrate the program’s sixth year.”

The online auction, which is available at this link, runs from Monday, June 16, through Wednesday, July 9. More information is available at ashlandswcd.com or by calling Ashland SWCD at 419-281-7645.