Trimble’s standards are as high as her latest work, since she is an accomplished art instructor at Miami University Hamilton.
But a big part of summer break is now being spent on scaffolding in downtown Hamilton to turn a giant, dreary cinder block wall of a parking garage into a fanciful and colorful mural painting.
“I’ve painted a lot of murals but not anything quite this large,” said Trimble, a 2011 Miami Hamilton alum, during a mid-day break from the heat Monday.
“It’s about 5,000 square feet, and it’s five stories from the bottom to the top. It’s really great so far.”
Her current project is a mural on the George McDulin parking garage in downtown Hamilton, which overlooks tiny Rotary Park at the corner of High and Second streets and depicts the release of a paper origami bird. Taking Flight was designed by local artist Taylor Scott Welch.
Last summer, Trimble designed and painted a seven-story, pop-art image of Annie Oakley as part of the Cincinnati Legends series sponsored by ArtWorks, a Cincinnati public arts organization.
In 2016, she designed and painted Alexander Hamilton next to True West Coffee at Main and D streets on Hamilton’s west side. Alexander celebrates the city’s rich history and is based on John Trumbull’s iconic 1806 portrait of the American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.
Both Alexander and Taking Flight were murals commissioned by StreetSpark, a new partnership between the City of Hamilton and the Fitton Center for Creative Arts to further the arts identity in the city through exciting public art projects.
Timble is working with a small team of student volunteers.
“I like to work with youth who are just getting interested in art. That’s what got me excited when I was a senior at Badin High School,” she said.
“I have talented assistants working with me on these mural projects. It’s inspiring to work with talented youth. They take pride in the accomplishment. It’s really cool when the scaffolding comes down and you step back and look at it.”
The official dedication of the mural is Aug. 2.
Moira Casey, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Miami University Regionals, said Trimble’s work is a bright, high-profile symbol of what the Hamilton school can contribute to the city.
“We are proud to have instructors like Nicole Trimble teaching in our Community Arts bachelor’s degree program,” Casey said. “Her work in the community exemplifies what we strive for at Miami Regionals: close community connections, faculty members who want to inspire students, and excellent instruction that connects students to real-world applications of their studies.”
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