This mock-up was presented at a fundraising dinner for the mural. (Photo courtesy of the Cayce Beautification Foundation)

Cayce’s riverwalk is getting a new mural at the Blossom Street underpass that the artist hopes will tap into the area’s natural beauty and history.

Joel Cathran, who has another mural on State Street in Cayce, was chosen for the job. The West Columbian knows what he wants to do and already has designed the outline of what he hopes to create.

”I basically just took, like, a bunch of symbols that reminded me of family and, like, where I grew up, which is around the Cayce area,” Cathran said. “And so those symbols just … represent kind of like growing up here. So there’s all sorts of things that are involved in that, from plants and animals to the history of Cayce.”

The Cayce Beautification Foundation revealed the mural’s design Wednesday during an outdoor, farm-to-table dinner. The dinner was a fundraiser, held near the historic brick kilns not far from the Congaree River.

Foundation president Colleen Bradley said the mural should be finished by the beginning of next year.

“That wall has so much potential and that is such, like, a prominent area of the riverwalk for Cayce residents,” Bradley said. “So I just can’t think of a better way for us to kind of gain some exposure and grow our nonprofit aim than to kind of have this huge mural.”

The 100-person, $100-per-person dinner helped raise money for the mural, which is expected to cost $10,000. Sponsors paid for the dinner.

“I think it’s going to be such a great addition to the city of Cayce and the riverwalk in general,” Bradley said.

Cayce Mayor Elise Partin helped start the foundation in 2009.

“We’ve got a citizen committee to spearhead creating projects around the city to just add more beauty,” said Partin, who attended the dinner. “Murals are just such a fun way to add a pop of color or a sense of place.”

Marleigh King lives in the Cayce area and is at the riverwalk regularly, whether for a walk or a ride on her bike.

“As someone who’s heavily into art, I personally love the idea of a mural underneath the bridge,” King said. “I think it will breathe more life into the area.”

The mural is expected to go under the Blossom Street bridge by the beginning of next year. (Photo by Addison Hinkle)