A Natural celebration

Hamilton, Ohio – Following its successful ElectriCITY public art event last month, StreetSpark officially dedicates the newest murals it created for the city of Hamilton.

The dedication celebration takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at 960 N. Third Street, Hamilton, Ohio 45011 (next to the Hamilton Power Plant and Black Street Bridge).

StreetSpark Program Manager Jennifer Acus-Smith will be on hand, along with the creators of Natural History, the 400-foot artwork on the site. Lyric Morris-Latchaw designed and served as lead artist of the mural, along with co-lead artist Anissa Pulcheon and supporting artists Kinsey Downs, Trinity Stewart and Kayla Walker.

With ElectriCITY complete, StreetSpark also announces its next project as part of the celebration – rolling artwork. Area artists have an opportunity to submit designs to decorate a Butler County Regional Transit Authority bus with a graphic wrap.

The submission process opens July 8 and culminates with three buses bearing StreetSpark artist designs come fall. Complete details for interested artists will be available at the dedication ceremony, along with a previously decorated StreetSpark/BCRTA bus for inspiration.

“The number of people we engage – artists, volunteers, spectators and soon, bus passengers - is amazing,” Acus-Smith said. “We’re changing the face of the city for the better with art that people see and enjoy without having to go to a museum or a gallery.”

StreetSpark originated as a partnership between the Fitton Center and the City of Hamilton in 2016. Principal funding for the project comes from the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Community Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council; Tamz Construction served as an ElectrCITY sponsor.

One of the unique elements of the Natural History - in addition to its sheer size – is the fact members of the public helped fill in the design laid out by Morris-Latchaw and her team.

In addition to Natural History, on June 11 and 12 area artists created a dozen other murals on city utility boxes along High and Main Streets, as well as four 4x8-foot portraits of people connected to the concept of electricity painted in Journal Square.

“People got to be involved,” Acus-Smith said. “Whether watching or actually painting, people got to see that artists aren’t always working in a studio by themselves all the time. Making art like this is almost like a performance; the artists engaged with the people and vice versa. That’s unique to our project.”

Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture