Beneath a vivid mural of a woman strumming a banjo as water flows from her figure through green mountains and starry skies, community members gathered Saturday in downtown Inez to celebrate the new public artwork honoring Martin County’s fight for clean, reliable drinking water.

Appalachian Pioneer Program founder Austin Shuck commissioned the mural and led the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the Appalachian Artist Festival.

The painting on the side of the Cain Hotel Building on Main Street serves as a permanent reminder of the region’s resilience, advocacy and ongoing work to secure a basic human right.