Middletown Ohio


Find us on
 Google+ and Facebook


 

Home | Yearly News Archive | Advertisers | Blog | Contact Us
Friday, March 29, 2024
FORUM CITY SCHOOLS COMMUNITY
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - How To Draw People Downtown
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

How To Draw People Downtown

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
 Rating: Topic Rating: 1 Votes, Average 5.00  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: How To Draw People Downtown
    Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 1:43pm
Journal story...

Mural to show off diversity of art community

MIDDLETOWN —
A fish mural is swimming into town and ironically it’s being painted on the side of a school.

Cuban artist Osmany Piedra, three apprentice artists and youth artists from Middletown have been working for months on the 90-foot mural on the side of the former Job and Family Service building, 1021 Central Ave. The mural will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Oct. 18, and the last fish will be painted by Piedra and Dr. O’dell Owens, president of Cincinnati State. The downtown building is owned by Cincinnati State Community & Technical College, which owns several properties.

The mural begins with a large fish bony tail, which in Cuba, represents “very little,” said Sue Wittman, director of Art Central Foundation, the organization behind the project. The tail turns into fish, who are shown swimming in the same direction, which makes them “more powerful,” Wittman said.

The design concept came from Piedra, who has worked on the project for two months, and was approved by the City of Middletown.

Earlier this week, Piedra stood on a scaffolding painting a large fish, while Julia Vogelsang, a sophomore at Fenwick High School, outlined other fish toward the bottom of the mural.

Piedra said he’s painting the mural without the assistance of a drawing. He has a concept how the mural will look, but those plans have changed because of what he called “an evolving style.”

Vogelsang agreed: “I paint as I go. I paint what I see.”

It’s one mural with numerous fingerprints. One artist added their initials, and one of the fish is saying, “Hello there.”

Wittman said the mural shows the “diversity” of the art community and it will draw more people downtown. She said the Art Central Foundation hopes to fund one large mural project every year. She said the fish mural has created “positive feedback.”

It will be the 11th mural painted in downtown Middletown, Wittman said. Three of the murals were painted by Franklin’s Eric Henn. Wittman said Henn’s mural on the back of the former First National Bank on Main Street is peeling. Wittman said the primer was “bad,” and plans call for Henn to repair the damage. Eventually, she said, a clear coat will be painted over the murals.

Cincinnati State recently received a $68,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation that will assist in the redevelopment of the property at 1021 Central. To meet regional needs, the college must expand beyond the one building it occupies at 1 N. Main St., said Judy Bober, assistant director. She called the grant “very important” to the growth of the college and the continued redevelopment of downtown

MS.WITTMAN MAKES THE STATEMENT, "IT SHOWS DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND IT WILL DRAW MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN".......BUT SHE DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW THIS MURAL WILL DO THAT. HOW DOES ONE MURAL ATTRACT ENOUGH INTEREST FOR SCORES OF PEOPLE TO GO DOWNTOWN? SHOULDN'T THERE BE MORE TO IT THAN TO LOOK AT A MURAL ON THE SIDE OF A BUILDING? COULD SHE BE OVER-SIMPLIFYING THIS A TAD BIT? MS. WITTMAN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, JUST BECAUSE YOU AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE ARTS DOESN'T GUARANTEE THERE WILL BE EQUAL INTEREST GENERATED IN 99% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION OF THIS CITY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD BET YOU WOULD ATTRACT MORE ATTENTION FROM MORE PEOPLE IN THiS TOWN, IF YOU STARTED OFFERING LOW COST BEER, A LARGE OUTDOOR HD TV WITH SURROUND SOUND TO WATCH NASCAR OR THE BENGALS ON A SUNDAY AND SOME RIB AND HAMBURGER VENDORS, ALL AT GOVERNORS SQUARE. HECK, WE'LL EVEN LET YOU CALL IT AN ARTS EVENT IF YOU WANT. IT IS A BLUE COLLAR TOWN MS. WITTMAN, BUT YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THAT. SO SHOULD YOUR ARTS BUDDIES BY NOW. I WOULD IMAGINE VERY FEW WILL LOOK AT YOUR MURAL AND APPRECIATE IT AS MUCH AS YOU DO. MOST HERE ARE CUT OUT OF A DIFFERENT MOLD THAN THE AVERAGE ARTS FAN. AS SOON AS YOU AND THE OTHERS START UNDERSTANDING WHAT MOST LIKE AND WANT, THE SOONER YOU WILL START FILLING YOUR DOWNTOWN. PLEASE STOP FORCING YOUR ARTS THEME ON US. UNLIKE A CENTERVILLE, A WEST CHESTER OR AN ANDERSON, IT WON'T WORK HERE. IT IS NOT A CULTURED TOWN. NEVER WAS. IT STILL HAS IT'S ROOTS IN BLUE-COLLAR STEEL AND PAPER. YOU ARE TOUTING THE WRONG PRODUCT TO THE WRONG AUDIENCE.....AND THE SAD PART ABOUT IT IS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.    
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
Bill View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Nov 04 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 710
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 2:45pm

Vet, I would even argue against the idea that brightly colored murals are an attractive asset for any downtown.  When I see those I think of them as part of a decaying, bombed out inner city.

Back to Top
Perplexed View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Apr 22 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 315
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 3:00pm
Instead of a costly abstract painted fish mural, why not have an comic mural of Miss Judy, The Doogmeister, Slammin' Sammy Ashworth and Laughing Larry Mulligan holding dead fishes? You might consider adding Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, George Burns, Professor Irwin Corey as well.
Back to Top
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 3:17pm
Originally posted by Bill Bill wrote:

Vet, I would even argue against the idea that brightly colored murals are an attractive asset for any downtown.  When I see those I think of them as part of a decaying, bombed out inner city.



Bill, you're post on the brightly colored murals had me thinking of another angle to this......

Why do some cities call brightly colored pictures and symbols graffitti and paint over them, treating them like a plague and other cities call the same type of pictures, symbols and bright colors on a wall a mural, worthy of labeling it art? Couldn't graffitti "artists" be members of the artzy world also? I would imagine we could enlist the talents of many who paint railroad boxcars, underpasses, overpasses and retaining walls and spiffy up the town for free. Got a good start as one travels by the railroad tracks on Central Ave. with the brightly painted pawn shops, right? Might as well take that theme down to the main area of downtown. It's "art", right? Seriously, could any of this be any worse than the arts people coming up with decorating the PAC with multi-colored car bumpers? How embarrassing would that have been if that would have actually occurred?

All in the eye of the beholder I guess.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
bumper View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Feb 01 2010
Location: over here
Status: Offline
Points: 307
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 3:58pm
IMO i see this graffitti crap as being very cheap ghetto looking and for sure not to waste gas to come look at any of it!! to me its just the same as a bunch of hoods with fugly stupid jail house tattoos... oooh well..
Back to Top
Miss Kitty View Drop Down
MUSA Immigrant
MUSA Immigrant
Avatar

Joined: Oct 29 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 61
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Miss Kitty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 4:30pm
What a ridiculous look we've created for our downtown with these paintings. My biggest question would be- who will repaint these murals when they start to peal and disintegrate-(and they will)? I also noticed the Middletown Historical Building is only 1/2 painted and has been that way for about a year. Are we starting a new trend with only painting 1/2 the buildings now?
Back to Top
John Beagle View Drop Down
MUSA Official
MUSA Official
Avatar

Joined: Apr 23 2007
Location: Middletown
Status: Offline
Points: 1855
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Beagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 03 2014 at 10:00am
Originally posted by Miss Kitty Miss Kitty wrote:

What a ridiculous look we've created for our downtown with these paintings. My biggest question would be- who will repaint these murals when they start to peal and disintegrate-(and they will)? I also noticed the Middletown Historical Building is only 1/2 painted and has been that way for about a year. Are we starting a new trend with only painting 1/2 the buildings now?

Good point, the mural at the First National Bank building is peeling.


John Beagle

Middletown USA

News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio.
Back to Top
Bocephus View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Jun 04 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 838
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bocephus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 05 2014 at 1:21am
All we need now are taco carts lining central and main.
Back to Top
spiderjohn View Drop Down
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Jul 01 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2749
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 05 2014 at 8:03am
I like the Cuban's art--the fish and cat inks, however this piece pretty much looks like street graffiti down a seldom-used side alley

Did "we" pay for this?
And if so, how much?

I am not sure that childrens' art is what we need to showcase our city either

Nothing against the Arts Central crew--they are good people trying to make their efforts important and helpful--but....
Back to Top
crazycatcher View Drop Down
MUSA Immigrant
MUSA Immigrant


Joined: Sep 06 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 26
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote crazycatcher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 06 2014 at 4:31pm
The art and programs that the Art Central Foundation offers and creates, including the murals on The Gathering, Roger Flowers and now the 'Fish" in the alley are all privately funded. 
Back to Top
Miss Kitty View Drop Down
MUSA Immigrant
MUSA Immigrant
Avatar

Joined: Oct 29 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 61
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Miss Kitty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 5:31pm
That's great that it is PRIVATELY funded and it should be. What one person might think is art, another might think is graffiti or even hideous.
Back to Top
Mike_Presta View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: Apr 20 2008
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3483
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 9:25pm
I sure hope that the Historic Commission blessed the "Dead Fish" mural with a Certificate of Historic Appropriateness!!!
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
Back to Top
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 08 2014 at 6:16am
Originally posted by Mike_Presta Mike_Presta wrote:

I sure hope that the Historic Commission blessed the "Dead Fish" mural with a Certificate of Historic Appropriateness!!!


Ya know, great point Mike. We haven't heard from Marty Kohler or any other "Historically Appropriate" committee member on a ruling on this. I can't believe they have been bypassed on their judgement call. Didn't read anything about it in the minutes of their meetings either. Surely city hall wouldn't have been so bold as to have acted without a seal of approval for these murals from the controlling interests in the downtown area.

It is a form of comedy to watch these committee members gather to hand down their verdicts on all matters pertaining to "historical correctness" in their little wonderland down there. Truely people so into themselves as to self gratification and self importance, that they fail to acknowledge reality at times and have the audacity to tell people what they can and can't do on their own property. Amazing that anyone would go along with this nonsense. Kinda like an HOA on steroids as to the iron-fisted crap dealt out.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
itsamee View Drop Down
MUSA Resident
MUSA Resident
Avatar

Joined: May 03 2013
Location: Middletown
Status: Offline
Points: 154
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote itsamee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 13 2014 at 4:22pm
Complaining about things is fine. We have freedom of speech, blah blah. Whatever.  Sure, the way Middletown is reflected to those outside of it could be misconstrued if one were to visit this board before moving here. 

I don't mind people asking questions about where the funds come from for art, etc. That is valid. I still do not understand how doing something to make downtown look a little more 'alive' can be considered bad. But, hey, art is in the eye of the beholder.  

Now, what I think is absolutely stupid would be the racism brought to us by our friend bosephus and his taco cart reference (actually, taco carts might help people want to go downtown to get some food. Didn't Combs BBQ start as a food truck of some sort?). 

Way to show how classy you are. Way to reflect negatively on the rest of Middletown. 

Itsa me, mario!
Back to Top
bumper View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Feb 01 2010
Location: over here
Status: Offline
Points: 307
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 13 2014 at 5:10pm
Back to Top
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 13 2014 at 5:20pm
Originally posted by itsamee itsamee wrote:

Complaining about things is fine. We have freedom of speech, blah blah. Whatever.  Sure, the way Middletown is reflected to those outside of it could be misconstrued if one were to visit this board before moving here. 

I don't mind people asking questions about where the funds come from for art, etc. That is valid. I still do not understand how doing something to make downtown look a little more 'alive' can be considered bad. But, hey, art is in the eye of the beholder.  

Now, what I think is absolutely stupid would be the racism brought to us by our friend bosephus and his taco cart reference (actually, taco carts might help people want to go downtown to get some food. Didn't Combs BBQ start as a food truck of some sort?). 

Way to show how classy you are. Way to reflect negatively on the rest of Middletown. 



itsa, I don't believe this forum will make a major impact in swaying people to locate here. I believe the reputation, over the last few decades, has been propagated by the city leaders themselves. The school board and the educational community certainly haven't helped in luring people to town either as the reputation of the schools has been tarnished also. The comments delivered on this forum are the aftermath of decisions, direction and tarnished image created by your city leaders and school community members. We here did not originate this mess we are in now, but we merely are responding to what the city leaders/school board do. The ineptness shown in the city/schools, reported by the Journal, provides the fuel for the responses here.

As to the "taco cart/racism" comment. It may be some frustrated fallout from a segment of this society that resents the idea of illegals and the apparent bennies given to them like cell phones, free education and other social programs they have not contributed to and haven't earned the right to benefit from. To some, we seem to be catering to them too much. To some, minorities are favored nowadays over the majority and that doesn't set well with alot of folks. The Obama administration seems to demonstrate to many, that they only care about minorities. When the majority is left out and the minority is catered to, most are upset. Last time I looked, this was a democratic society, but, under Obama, rights are slowly melting away for the majority.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
spiderjohn View Drop Down
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Jul 01 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2749
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 14 2014 at 9:55am
I dunno
Middletown has a well-earned reputation outside of the city, and little to none of it traces back to this message board. I don't know anyone outside of the city who has ever read it. Instead they read Facebook and a few other message boards about Middletown(primarily positive).
Are you saying that this place has that much influence? Most would say not.

Local art---so what are we now in the former downtown area?
We started out with a historic mural theme and higher end art, and now it us mixed with childrens' wall painting and now alley way graffiti-toned.
So--anything goes?
No central theme?

Hey--as long as the property owners are paying for this, I can live with it.
Doesn't matter what I like or don't like.

Am tired of reading about how this site is responsible for our city's and schools' image.
If you really want to play the blame game, lay it where it honestly belongs.

A taco cart down there would be fine with me, would be an improvement and get me down there more often.
Back to Top
bumper View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Feb 01 2010
Location: over here
Status: Offline
Points: 307
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 14 2014 at 2:49pm
oooh boy to even try to stick the blame on this site, the posters, and me LOL is just silly stupid!! some just live under a rock and come out every now and then and say stupid shhhhht !! you know it was all over the news!! i saw it watching channel 9 local news then read it on yahoo news about the beating of the 82 year old man!! im sure ya remember the cow running around townLOL and lebanon throws the chicken lady out of town and moves to midtuckyLOL and over the years past council acting crazy was all over the news and youtube!! the big wigs from AK move out ! and myself and a whole lot of others sold and moved out of town!! the schools turn to crap!! i could go on and on if you want! so many from surrounding city's all know what middletown is about!! the only ones moving into middletown are those picking up the rest of those choice vouchers..Confused hmmmm wonder who we should say thanks too!!!!
Back to Top
bumper View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Feb 01 2010
Location: over here
Status: Offline
Points: 307
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 23 2014 at 8:04pm
wcpo news reporting!!! they say residents of Middletown say the heroin problem is so bad in their city, finding a used syringe on the sidewalk is a daily occurrence. well i'll be darn, there you go !!! lets blame these folks for the city's bad reputation!! 
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.084 seconds.
Copyright ©2024 MiddletownUSA.com    Privacy Statement  |   Terms of Use  |   Site by Xponex Media  |   Advertising Information