Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh artist Kyle Holbrook announced plans this morning to continue work on the East Busway community mural project, and to expand it to other neighborhoods around the city.

Started last year, the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway Community Mural Project is the brainchild of Mr. Holbrook, who commissioned a team of 100 young artists to paint 26 murals in eight neighborhoods along the busway.

The mural project, which was paid for by local foundations including The Heinz Endowments, Grable Foundation, Pittsburgh Foundation, Laurel Foundation, August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Multicultural Arts Initiative and National City Bank, will be extended to other neighborhoods this year.

"We are planning on expanding into some neighborhoods on the North Side, West End, South Side and in communities along the Mon Valley," said Mr. Holbrook, 29, owner of KH Design.

The neighborhoods to be incorporated in this year's project, which will be known as the National City Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, will be announced on May 15, Mr. Holbrook said.

"We have been getting a lot of requests from communities all over the city because people have seen our work," he added.

With a budget of about $530,000, Mr. Holbrook, who lives in his studio in Homewood, partners with a group of 100 youths, 30 artists and site managers to bring the artists' concepts to reality.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.