A colorful backdrop for the Broad Street Bash and other events held at Governor’s Square will soon begin to take shape on the outside wall of a building owned by Chee Chee Rose. The three-part large wall borders the small downtown Governor’s Square  park at Broad Street and Central Avenue, heart of the revitalized downtown Middletown.

  

The second mural will be painted on the back wall of the Shartle Building which houses the Middletown Historical Society. The mural will face the Verity Parkway side of the building which is next door to the Middletown Arts Center. 

 

Well-known artist Sam Ashworth has designed both murals as a gift to the City.  He has served on the Mural Committee since its beginning and when asked to add his art work to the outdoor art project, he accepted the challenge but would take no payment.

 

The Middletown Mural Committee, in conjunction with the Art Central Foundation, works with the Downtown Middletown Inc. Design Committee and Middletown Historic Commission to provide public art in the downtown area. All these major public art works have been carefully chosen to maintain the standards and  flavor of the downtown architecture.

 

Now that the property owners have approved the designs, the next step will be asking the approval of the Historic Commission. If Historic Commission approval is given, local artists will then paint the designs on the buildings.

 

When these two art works are finished, Middletown will have a total of 11 murals adorning downtown Middletown walls.

 

Any property owner wishing to add a mural to a Middletown property can find advice and assistance through collaboration with The Art Central Foundation (Sue Schaefer Wittman at Artique 513-267-4016).  This group has the knowledge to share guidelines, help facilitate the projects, technical information such as paint types and wall preparation, approval process, access to artists capable of doing the large scale murals and other elements.