OGDENSBURG – What to do with a blank 70-foot wall that is almost three stories tall? That was the dilemma with which the United Helpers’ Mosaic crew was faced at their 101 Ford St. location. As the Mosaic team furthered plans for a bright and vibrant resident gymnasium, the drab wall just didn’t cut it.

That’s where the Ryan Bouchey, Mosaic employee and artist, came in.

“We knew we wanted color, something motivational,” Mosaic administrator Michele M. Montroy said. “Ryan presented us with a great mock-up of an idea to turn the wall into a mural and we thought it was a great idea.”

Mr. Bouchey spent nearly a month on the mural, which features several different types of sporting events and athletes. Bright colors adorn the once-plain wall and the first names of several of the people served by Mosaic are included the mural.

“I really wanted to bring the room to life,” Bouchey said. “It was pretty amazing to see the characters on paper and then transferred to the wall.”

The mural was created using spray paint and a 30-foot ladder. Basketball, baseball and other sports are featured in the mural. The basketball player depicted is more than 14 feet tall.

“It was a pretty good work out, going up and down the ladder,” Bouchey said. “I would climb up, work on a section of the mural, climb back down, take several steps back to get a good look at what I was doing and then climb back up.”

The Mosaic Complex houses day habilitation, staff development and quality assurance programs. The 25,000 square-foot building has been nearly completely renovated since its purchase in 2013. The most recent renovations involved 15,000 square feet, and included a resident gymnasium, medical records space, meeting room, staff gym and additional office space.

“It’s truly amazing, what we’ve been able to accomplish,” Montroy said.

Mosaic is part of the United Helpers family of services. They provide homes and services for people with developmental disabilities and for people living with chronic mental illness.