A presentation on the project was made recently before the Planning Commission, again by Andrea Keller, executive director of Troy Main Street, the nonprofit downtown support organization. Main Street and the city of Troy are working in a partnership on the program, she said.
The downtown has a couple of murals already including one painted by local artist, the late Aka Peremya on the side of the Mayflower building facing the northwest section of the Public Square. Another was painted by high school students and others on the walls of the Troy Rec Building located off North Market Street just north of the square.
Among Troy Main Street’s efforts over the years has been to bring public art downtown. The largest example of that effort is the popular Sculptures on the Square program. The next Sculptures on the Square is being planned for 2023 from June through October with a theme of “Wind and Water.”
The Make It Art project strives to:
- Enhance the beauty of the historic downtown through public murals
- Attract residents, visitors and businesses to downtown Troy
- Provide opportunities for artists to share their talent while earning a living
- Allow building owners an opportunity to utilize their buildings in a creative manner while maintaining the historic integrity of the building and streetscape
- Expose the community to diverse styles of art and interpretation to increase understanding and appreciation.
A Mural Installation Guide was developed by the Main Street design committee with city staff, Keller said. It includes directions for how to apply for a mural on a building, outlines what makes a building eligible for a mural, details how murals will be selected, contains guidelines for installation and provides a process timeline.
The Planning Commission, which will approve mural designs, approved the guidelines and the program outline. The guidelines include a decommission plan for when a wall can no longer be used for a mural or the mural has degraded to the point where it needs removed, Austin Eidemiller of the city staff said.
Twenty-two potential mural locations have been identified throughout the downtown, Keller said. The initial mural likely will be a small selfie wall mural followed by a larger mural.
Troy Main Street has secured an Ohio Arts Council grant for around $2,400 for a mural and will seek a sponsor to match that grant, Keller said. A list of area mural artists also has been compiled.
For more information on the project, contact Troy Main Street at troymainstreet.org.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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