Hamilton panel approves two of three mural designs

Here are the two approved Hamilton murals

Hamilton’s Architectural Design Review Board approved two very different mural images:

Here’s some of what the mural’s designer, Nicole Trimble, an artist and art instructor at Miami University Hamilton, had to say about her design: “This combination of contemporary and classical art styles and bold color palette will add vibrancy and energy to the location, honoring the city’s namesake while marrying the city’s rich history with its flourishing art scene. The abstract and graphic qualities of the mural will also provide a compelling contrast to the surrounding area, juxtaposing contemporary art with the historic buildings of the neighborhood and further help to expand the revitalization and focus on the arts of Hamilton’s downtown area.”

Here’s some of what its designer, Stephen Smith, an artist and art education coordinator at Inside Out Studios, had to say about the image: “Robert McCloskey is strongly tied to the original municipal building. He was commissioned to create designs that were carved in bas relief on the surface of the building that currently houses a museum for his artwork. The pocket park at the corner of Front Street and High Street displays a sculpture inspired by his book, Lentil. This mural would complement McCloskey’s relationship to the building and bring an appreciation for his artistic efforts that were formed from his upbringing in Hamilton.”

Is the mural that Hamilton’s Architectural Design Review Board rejected too artsy and new for the building it would be painted on? Too pink?

The StreetSpark public murals program recently won approval for two of three murals it wants to paint this summer on prominent Hamilton buildings. But the design review board rejected the third — a playful depiction of recyclable objects that the StreetSpark program still hopes to paint on a side of the building at 244 Main St.

Approved were an eye-catching modern update of a portrait of the city’s namesake, Alexander Hamilton; and a pictorial tribute to writer and illustrator Robert McCloskey, a Hamilton native who created beloved children’s books, including Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, and Homer Price. McCloskey was a two-time winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal, which is awarded for excellence in children’s book illustration.

But rejected by a 6-3 design-board vote was a playful mural image on a pink background that graphic designer and illustrator Lily Knights created for a side of the building at 244 Main.

“This design came about as I considered the importance of recycling,” Knights wrote in her artist’s statement about the image. “Once we see potential in throw-away objects, we develop a new appreciation for them. We see their beauty. These are recyclables. They are bright and cheerful. They dance joyfully across a pink field, challenging the viewer not to smile!”

Ian McKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, told Hamilton City Council on Wednesday that the winners were selected by a StreetSpark committee from among 54 submissions by 29 artists.

Jennifer Acus-Smith, an artist and head of the StreetSpark program, said the committee liked Knights' design for a few reasons, and plans to appeal its rejection to Hamilton's Board of Zoning Appeals at its 1:30 p.m. April 7 meeting.

"The committee liked that it was a contemporary, whimsical design," Acus-Smith said. Also, because nobody is sure how the building, which is owned by the CORE Fund redevelopment organization, will be used in the future, it can't be known whether future owners will want to install more windows or doors on the mural's surface.

The design’s patterned image could be interrupted by windows or door openings without being ruined, she noted. “So the committee took into account that an overall pattern design would work best with this.”

“This piece was not accepted by the ADRB committee, and we’re disappointed because we feel really proud of the (selection) process, and we feel everybody involved chose the best designs possible for the building that was presented,” she said.

“I love it,” Vice Mayor Carla Fiehrer told Acus-Smith. “I love how it’s pink and kind-of blends in with the building.”

“Thanks,” Acus-Smith said. “We love it too.”

Hamilton Councilman Robert Brown, who also sits on the design review board, told his council colleagues there was sentiment on the design panel that the structure would be called “the pink building.” Board members also balked at the design because the structure, which recently had been power-washed, exposing its natural brick color, did not seem in keeping with the building’s character.

“I was for it,” Brown said. “So I did my thing.”

Acus-Smith noted that while the mural does not refer to Hamilton’s history, the other two murals do.

It’s important “to have a variety of perspectives, and present something that’s a little bit more contemporary, modern,” Acus-Smith said. “I think that’s one of our big goals, is really celebrating the intention of the artists, and their unique perspective.”

“It’s subjective, and not everybody is going to like every design, but to be a city of the arts, I think, we should embrace that,” Acus-Smith said.

McKenzie-Thurley said the appeal isn’t being made in disrespect to the design board: “We very much respect the process, and we very much respect the ADRB and the members on it, but we feel we have a duty to both our artists and to the selection committee that was formed — it’s representative of all the community here in Hamilton.”

“We just want to make sure the process is seen all the way through, so the artists know when they come here to Hamilton, they will be shown that respect from both the StreetSpark program and the Fitton Center, that we’ve looked at every avenue to explore,” he said.

Murals were selected by a StreetSpark committee that did not know the identities of the artists who submitted the mural concepts. One of the artists whose image was selected was Stephen Smith, the husband of Acus-Smith, but she and McKenzie-Thurley told city officials she played no part in the mural selection process.

The winners receive $500 each and have their visions painted on the buildings. If those artists themselves have the necessary mural-creating experience, they also can be chosen to help paint the murals.