Arts & Culture

First Bexley Mural Festival aims to paint city as a fun, energetic community

WOSU 89.7 NPR News | By Allie Vugrincic

Published September 19, 2024 at 12:44 PM EDT

A man wearing a mask leans over the edge of a lift to spray paint a large concrete wall. — Artist Andrey Kravtsov of New York City spray paints a mural of a lion on the side of 2nd Glance Hair & Nail on Main Street in Bexley. Kravtsov's mural is one of five that went up around the city in mid-September ahead of the Bexley Mural Festival.

The Bexley Mural Festival happening Saturday looks to paint the city with new color – and to celebrate five new murals on Main Street.

Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler dreamed up the mural project and new festival about two years ago after visiting a similar regional event, said City Director of Administration Megan Meyer.

Dappled sunlight falls over a partially completed mural of a lion on a concrete block wall. A man standing on an electronic lift works on the spray paint mural. — Artist Andrey Kravtsov of New York City works on a mural of a lion on the side of 2nd Glance Hair & Nail on Main Street in Bexley.

Around 60 artists applied to paint murals in the city. With a budget of about $70,000, a committee that included representatives from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, local art galleries, Bexley residents and elected officials selected five artists to put murals on businesses mostly located along East Main Street.

“Bexley is wonderful and has this reputation for being a beautiful community to live, work, raise a family,” Meyer said. “But we don't have the reputation for being where the energy and the fun is at. And we’re aware of that.”

Meyer said public art is a way to bring that energy to local businesses. Building on that energy, the city hopes to continue installing more murals in the future, she said.

Artist Andrey Kravtsov of New York, originally from Belarus, spent much of the week spray painting a large, colorful mural of a lion on the side of 2^nd Glance Hair & Nail, located at 2715 East Main Street.

"The local Bexley football team (has) a blue lion mascot,” said Kravtsov, explaining his inspiration.

A woman stands on a lift works on a painted mural on a concrete block wall. The mural reads "Have a Great" — Artist Amy O'Donnel Lueth of Kalmazoo, Mich., works on her "Have a Great Day, Bexley" mural on a wall across the parking lot from Johnson's Real Ice Cream on Main Street in Bexley.

Artist Amy O'Donnell Lueth of Kalamazoo, Michigan, painted the new mural near Johnson’s Ice Cream, located at 728 East Main Street. She wanted to incorporate nature and positivity into her mural. It reads, "Have A Great Day, Bexley."

"I have never been to Bexley, but when I did my research on it, I noticed that they care a lot about their people and are known for their municipal arboretum,” O’Donnell Lueth said.

Columbus artist Dillon Beck painted a mural on the side of Rubino’s Pizzeria. Another Columbus artist, Martha Gallagher Michael, painted a mural on Anthony Thomas Chocolates, a building owned by her family.

A brick wall is painted in bright oranges, yellow, and blue, with black arches. In the background, a sign reads, "Rubino's Pizzeria, Spaghetti." — A mural by Dillion Beck of Columbus brightens up a wall at Rubino's Pizzeria on Main Street in Bexley.

Bexley’s own Alex Haldi, collaborating with Adam Broulliette, painted a climate stripe on City Hall that celebrates sustainability. That mural was supported by the Bexley Community Foundation and Volta Global, Meyers said.

The Bexley Mural Festival runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday along Main Street and will include music, food and artisans.