| Union Station | |
|---|---|
 The mural when new | |
| Year | 1987 |
| Condition | Hidden from view |
| Location | 612 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio |
| 39°58′29.7″N83°00′10.8″W / 39.974917°N 83.003000°W | |
Union Station is a two-story tall mural in the Short North and Italian Village neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. The mural was painted by Gregory and Jeff Ackers facing a parking lot in the commercial district. The work has been lost or hidden from view since about 2014, when a hotel was built on the parking lot site.
Created by Gregory Ackers, it covers a portion of the north wall of Blick (formerly Utrecht) Art Supplies at 612 N. High St. and depicts the historic Union Station. It was created in 1987 – a decade after the station's demolition. The work was painted at the behest of the organization Citizens for a Better Skyline. [1] On June 21, 1987, the organization held a public celebration of the mural's completion at the site. [2]
It was located across a parking lot of another well-known Ackers-created mural, Trains. [3] Greg Ackers restored both works in 1998. [1]
By 2012, the mural was deteriorating, with chipping paint leading to large sections of the mural being lost. The other mural was noted to be in decent shape, however. [4] Around 2014, the hotel Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph was built on the space that served as a parking lot and both murals can no longer be seen. [5] Also lost during the project was a mural, Cliff Dwellers, based on the George Bellows painting. [6]
Artist Gregory Ackers responded to the planned development eliminating his work in 2012: "The way I see it, some things in life are permanent and some things are temporary. Acceptance is a hard thing, but I accept it." [6]
Richard John Haas is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the trompe-l'œil style. Haas has a 1959 B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a 1964 M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Commonly abbreviated as CUT, or by its Amtrak station code, CIN, the terminal is served by Amtrak's Cardinal line, passing through Cincinnati three times weekly. The building's largest tenant is the Cincinnati Museum Center, comprising the Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Cincinnati History Library and Archives, and an Omnimax theater.
The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) is a convention center located in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, along the east side of North High Street.
Mexican Muralism refers to the art project initially funded by the Mexican government in the immediate wake of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) to depict visions of Mexico's past, present, and future, transforming the walls of many public buildings into didactic scenes designed to reshape Mexicans' understanding of the nation's history. The murals, large artworks painted onto the walls themselves had social, political, and historical messages. Beginning in the 1920s, the muralist project was headed by a group of artists known as "The Big Three" or "The Three Greats". This group was composed of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Although not as prominent as the Big Three, women also created murals in Mexico. From the 1920s to the 1970s, many murals with nationalistic, social and political messages were created in many public settings such as chapels, schools, government buildings, and much more. The popularity of the Mexican muralist project started a tradition which continues to this day in Mexico; a tradition that has had a significant impact in other parts of the Americas, including the United States, where it served as inspiration for the Chicano art movement.
William Walker was a notable muralist from Chicago. He was one of the founders of the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC) and one of the leaders in the project involving the Wall of Respect. He was also one of the critical founders of the mural movements in Chicago during the 1960s. He has cited Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, and Chicago painter William McBride, as well as the work of Mexican muralists Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco as important influences.
Herb Roe is a painter of large-scale outdoor murals and classical realist oil paintings. After attending the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio for a short time, he apprenticed to mural artist Robert Dafford. After 15 years with Dafford Murals, Roe left to pursue his own art career. He currently resides in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Gaia is an American street artist who has received significant museum showings and critical recognition. Based in Baltimore, he has created large-scale murals worldwide to engage the community where he works in a dialogue by using historical and sociological references to these neighborhoods.
Trains is a two-story tall mural in the Short North and Italian Village neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. The mural was painted by Gregory and Jeff Ackers facing a parking lot in the commercial district. The work has been lost or hidden from view since about 2014, when a hotel was built on the parking lot site.
Jesús Álvarez Amaya was a Mexican painter and graphic artist, mostly known for mural work and his graphic work as head of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, which he led from 1967 until his death. His murals can be found in various parts of the country and his art mostly have social and political themes.
Emerson Burkhart was an American artist based in Columbus, Ohio.
The MURAL Festival is an annual international street art festival held every June since 2013 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It aims to celebrate the democratization of urban art in the city of Montréal. Artists from around the world are invited to participate in the festival every year and contribute with their personal perspectives of the art. The art itself is part of the free art movement which stems from the free-culture movement. Thus, all murals immediately enter the public domain as free content or open content when they are created and there is an absence of copyright laws. All the art is free to be viewed and photographed. It has been described by the festival's co-creator as "an extension of the Mile End", and the festival's self-proclaimed mission is to "democratize art".
The Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad Station, today named Station 67, is a union meeting space and event hall located in Franklinton, near Downtown Columbus, Ohio. Built by the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad from 1895 to 1896, it served as a passenger station until 1930. It served as an office and shelter for Volunteers of America from 1931 to 2003, and has been the headquarters of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67, a firefighters' union, since 2007. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. During its history, the building has experienced fires and floods, though its relatively few owners have each made repairs and renovations to preserve the building's integrity. The building is the last remaining train station in Columbus.
Queen Brooks is an artist from Columbus, Ohio, best known for her distinctive, brightly painted, wood-burned pieces. Brooks has been described by The Columbus Dispatch as "one of Ohio’s best-known African-American artists," and by Columbus Museum of Art director Nannette Maciejunes as "a leading arts elder in our community." Brooks is an influential mentor of many younger artists, including psycheñwelic painter April Sunami. She is a past winner of the Lila Wallace, Reader's Digest International Artist Award, which gave her a fellowship in Abidjan, the capital of the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire.
Scioto Audubon Metro Park is a public park and nature preserve in Columbus, Ohio. The park is managed by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around Downtown Columbus. The park features numerous trails, wetlands, rock climbing, volleyball and bocce courts, and numerous other amenities. At the western edge is the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, considered the first nature center built in close proximity to a downtown area.
The Columbus Landmarks Foundation, known as Columbus Landmarks, is a nonprofit historic preservation organization in Columbus, Ohio. The foundation is best-known for its list of endangered sites in the city and its annual design award, given to buildings, landscapes, and other sites created or renovated in Columbus. It was established in 1977 as a project of the Junior League of Columbus, Ohio, following the demolition of the city's historic Union Station. It is headquartered at 57 Jefferson Avenue, a contributing structure in the Jefferson Avenue Historic District in Downtown Columbus.
Sandy Kessler Kaminski is an American painter and mixed-media artist who is also known for her public art murals. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where her work can be found in many places throughout the city and the surrounding area.
77 North Front Street is a municipal office building of Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. The building, originally built as the Central Police Station in 1930, operated in that function until 1991. After about two decades of vacancy, the structure was renovated for city agency use in 2011.
The Neil House was a historic hotel on High Street in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The hotel operated on Capitol Square from 1842 to 1980.
The Union Station arch is a 35 ft (11 m) Beaux-Arts arch standing at McFerson Commons Park in Columbus, Ohio. The work was designed by renowned architect Daniel Burnham, as part of a grand entranceway to the city's Union Station. It has intricate details, including Corinthian columns, multiple cornices and friezes, and statuary groups; some currently in storage.
Media related to Union Station (mural) at Wikimedia Commons
