I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m hometown proud. I know that most people wouldn’t think to visit Cincinnati, but I am constantly surprised at all the history and culture that I continue to learn about the Queen City of the West.
When I tell others about Cincinnati’s history, it’s easy to focus on the German immigration that resulted in burgeoning breweries and pork industry. Cincinnati is also a pivotal point in the Underground Railroad. Slaves who were able to cross the Ohio River found themselves in a free state, though bounty hunters abounded and most continued to make their way north.
I write about Cincinnati a lot because there’s a lot to see and do here. It’s becoming more and more of a tourist town with Segway tours, walking tours, and now Mural Tours in two downtown Cincinnati areas. I thought I’d seen most of the murals during my downtown wanderings until I was treated to a Mural Tour in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and discovered that there is still a lot to learn about Cincinnati.
ArtWorks has been busy making our city beautiful. Founded in 2007, they have commissioned the creation of 102 murals throughout 36 of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods. They consider the murals a love letter to the city. Is it any wonder we’re hometown proud?
I was surprised to learn that these murals were actually painted by 14 to 21-year-olds under the direction of a lead artist. Usually 10-15 teenagers work with a lead artist and apprentice on any given project. Most take 4-8 weeks to complete and over the years 2700 youth have been paid to help paint these murals under the direction of 700 different artists. I had no idea!
Some murals depict famous characters/people in Cincinnati.
Some murals are tricks of the eye. The Kroger Company, which is headquartered here in Cincinnati, sponsored the mural below. It is painted on a building right next to theirs and the shadows on the mural mimic the shading that occurs there most of the day. Looks almost 3-dimensional, doesn’t it?
The above mural of Cincinnatus is actually one that ArtWorks restored. They made Cincinnatus look more like the real man and not so much like Michelangelo’s David. They also revamped the windows to match current styles. Originally, the painted windows displayed curtains, but now that mini-blinds are the typical choice, they painted the fake windows with blinds, too. (The windows on the left are real.)
This mural reflects the diversity of our city and the abundance of activity happening downtown. You’ll notice that each person is looking in a different direction because things are happening all around us.
I’m tempted to show you all the murals we admired on our walk, but then you wouldn’t need to see them in person. I’ll end with this mural that most people either love or hate. It’s called “Energy & Grace” and was created by Kim Krause. I’m not a fan of it, but it certainly brightens up this parking lot.
Which of these murals do you like best?