Murals

Journal story.....

Mural being showcased downtown — again


MIDDLETOWN —
A downtown mural that has been packed away for years is being brought back to life and getting a facelift.

Two workers are reassembling the 74 foot by 18 foot mural this week that has been stored in the former Bank One building downtown. The mural, which depicts a downtown scene from April 4, 1914 — 100 years ago — was last seen on the side of the city garage before it was torn down, and now it’s being put up again, this time on the side of the Middletown Area YMCA that faces Cincinnati State Middletown.

YES, WE MUST DO THINGS LIKE THIS TO HIGHLIGHT CINCY STATE, THE GOLDEN GEM OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. (ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT BEAU VERRE (OR THE PAC) WAS THE EPICENTER AT ONE TIME)

“It was the right time,” said Judy Bober, a member of the city’s mural committee, when asked why the mural resurfaced again downtown.

ABSOLUTELY.

The mural shows a scene from the A.B. Shetter Carnival looking north from the intersection of Broad Street and Central Avenue. It was the first of three murals painted downtown by Eric Henn, an artist from Franklin.

Leland Tope and Alex Day from G.L. Dart are assembling the 38 panels of the mural. The city of Middletown is paying the company $5,660 to install the mural with new support systems, said Marty Kohler, the city’s planning director.

WHAT FUND IS THE $5660 COMING FROM?

Henn will receive $1,400 from the mural committee to repair the bottom portion of the mural that was damaged when a truck accidentally backed into it when it was on the garage and paint a clear coat over the mural, Bober said.

THE $1400 CAME FROM THE INSURANCE CLAIM MONEY SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK, RIGHT?

Henn’s other two murals are on the back of the former First National Bank building and on the side of the TVMiddletown building at the corner of Verity Parkway and Central Avenue.

Ann Mort, another member of the mural committee, said Henn will repair a portion of the mural that is peeling on the back of the bank. She said the group is negotiating with Henn to paint at least one more mural downtown.

THE COST OF THE NEW MURALS WILL BE PAID FOR FROM.......? DOES THE CITY HAVE A FUND TO SUPPLEMENT THIS MURAL COMMITTEE?

I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD A "MURAL COMMITTEE", BUT IT IS REFRESHING TO KNOW THAT SOME FAMILIAR NAMES ARE A PART OF IT.

I'm pretty sure this mural is just the thing we need to really get things rolling. I've got a really good feeling about this. 

These are newer murals found in the Sorg Opera House, vintage May 3, 1921, shortly after the Grapes of Wrath was written. The mural committee plans to put these out next week as it also reflects a trend representing a current correlation of past to present Middletown.