Right now, a walk down North High St. between Woodruff and W Lane Ave. reveals that there is little to no public art. The walls of buildings are completely blank, and there is no visible art whatsoever. The sidewalks have no color or decorations. A stronger art presence could bring in a new crowd of people who appreciate art. It could also attract more art-focused businesses that embrace art as a form of expression and advertising. It would help create a more inviting space for people to gather around, instead of being a way for students and residents to get from point A to point B. This would attract people to want to spend more time and money in the University District.
Our first recommendation is for the “Old North Columbus” Arch. We propose that we run a strong underneath the arch from one post to the other. Along that string we attach old carriages in the form of cutout silhouettes. The other detail would be a silhouette of a carriage conductor leaning up against the post of the arch on the west side of the street. The reasoning behind this installation is that the Old North Columbus was home to a major horse carriage station during the early years of the city. We think that this proposal alludes back to the history of Old North Columbus and also refreshes the arch which has become unnoticeable as everyone is used to its sight.
An area we saw that could use some revitalization was in front of the Ohio Stater’s building. The building is very bland and also has some chipping paint. On top of this it is very boring and doesn’t look like it should belong on campus. The name of the building suggests otherwise though as it is called the Ohio Stater. We felt that to bring this space more life, adding a mural of Ohio State and some of its prominent features would really do the site justice. The hope is to bring some color and pop to such a bland building. Our mural would add some excitement with the classic “Go Bucks!” phrase and some classic pictures of places on campus as well.
For the Old North Columbus sign and the mural outside the Ohio Stater’s building, our plan is to further its link with the community there. To do so, we would first need to fully design the project with the help of an artist. After the design is complete. The project will then need to be created, thus hiring both someone to design and to actually implement the project. As the project is not extremely large, it can easily be paid for through taxes and through a community fundraising effort. Both the arch and the mural could be funded as they both would be inexpensive. Leading a community push at city council to form a push for funding could also help but is not seen as being necessary for this scale project as long as they are approved by the local governing body.