MOUNT VERNON — To celebrate the United States of America’s upcoming 250th birthday, Ohio has been adding murals that highlight parts of different towns or cities to a mural tour map, so to speak, for months.
The America-250 Ohio Commission has already added 288 murals to the Murals Across Ohio program, with another 81 on the way.
Four of the 288 already in the program are in Knox County, and one from the next group of 81 to be included can also be found here.
“The state is rich with murals and talented artists and students who take to the walls of a side of a business or a church, or just about anywhere,” said Donna Collins, Executive Director of the Ohio Arts Council.
“So, the program, Murals Across Ohio, really is a commemoration that allows us to spotlight Ohio’s unique role in the nation’s history through public art, specifically murals.”
Below is information on each of the murals in Knox County that made the program so far, and where to find them.
Celebrating Knox Arts
In 2016, muralist John Donnelly painted the “Celebrating Knox Arts” mural, which depicts an artistic timeline revolving around theatre and acting. The mural is located at 14 E Ohio Ave. in Mount Vernon.
Commissioned by the Knox County Landmarks Foundation, the painting features amphitheaters from the Greek and Roman times intertwined with the Woodward Opera House.
“You feel like you could have been there in Greece way back when, then at the other end of the building is a woman with opera glasses, and it really is beautiful,” Collins said.
Mount Vernon Industry Mural
Also painted by John Donnelly, the “Mount Vernon Industry Mural” at 20 W Ohio Ave. walks the viewer through the city’s industrial past.
Originally commissioned in 2018 by the Knox County Landmarks Foundation, the mural follows industrial innovation history from horse-drawn Cooper-Bessemer compressors to the Lamb Glass Company and beyond.
“The gears that are in the middle on a ribbon that says ‘Mount Vernon, Ohio’ also make me think of the future,” Collins said.
“They’re always grinding, they’re always working hard; the community is trying to be innovative and moving forward. I think that’s pretty clear in this mural.”
Centerburg Historical Mural
Similar to Mount Vernon’s industrial-themed mural, Centerburg also has a mural that takes the viewer back in time.
“[The mural depicts] four scenes of everyday life in Centerburg from 1890 to maybe 1930, 1935,” Collins said.
When looking at the scenes, it almost appears as though the building is a bridge or a window, as the illusion of arches guides the viewer’s eye.
“This mural also shows you how the railroad and industry in general began to shape the community,” Collins said.
Knox Countians can see Rick Van Horn’s “Centerburg Historical Mural” creation at 8 N Clayton St. in downtown Centerburg.
Find JOY in the Journey
Sprouting and blossoming along the side of The Shoppe on Main in Fredericktown is Allison Pence’s flowery mural, “Find JOY in the Journey.”
“This mural was inspired by a desire to have something welcoming and encouraging, like a gateway to the Village of Fredericktown,” Collins said.
Compared to the other Knox County murals in the program, Collins said Pence’s piece is not as old-fashioned as the others.
“It’s these huge flowers and birds, and it’s on a white building as opposed to a red or brown brick background,” Collins said.
The mural represents locals’ joy in their community and their joy in having a 100-year-old building still in use today.
Pence’s piece welcomes travelers at 167 N Main St. in Fredericktown.
Pride in local communities
The original goal was to simply have 250 murals for America’s birthday, but due to communities’ pride in their work, that goal has been shattered with 369 total submissions so far.
“Our goal now is to have all 88 counties represented, and we’re really close more than 2/3 of the way there,” Collins said.
Collins has seen firsthand the pride people have in being an America-250 community, as she recalled a humorous moment.
“When the form is filled out and they send me a photo, I send them a 12×12 vinyl America-250 logo, and they can put that on the corner of their mural,” Collins said.
“There’s a pride about that. I took a week to send one woman her logo, and she was like, ‘We’re having a festival on Saturday, I want that logo up on the wall. We’re so proud to be an America-250 community,'” Collins recalled.