Public Art

PUBLIC ART TO CONTINUE GROWING THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD AND BEYOND

NATALIE DRISCOLL | HUB SPRINGFIELD

If you’ve wandered around Downtown Springfield lately, you might have noticed some new public art pieces that have popped up on building walls and planter boxes.

In the past few years public art has become more of a staple of the atmosphere of Downtown and throughout the city as a whole, and it continues to be at the forefront of plans moving forward.

Springfield’s Public Arts Committee was created by the Greater Springfield Partnership and includes a diverse group of local artists, cultural non-profit leaders, City officials, foundations and businesses.

Collectively, the group works to recognize how arts contribute to the quality of life in Springfield and help make the city more vibrant, more attractive, and more livable, says Marta Wojcik, the executive director of Springfield’s Westcott House, who is one of the active members of the Public Arts Committee.

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EXPLORE DOWNTOWN
SPRINGFIELD'S PUBLIC ART

In the past few years public art has become more of a staple of the atmosphere of Downtown and throughout the city as a whole, and it continues to be at the forefront of plans moving forward.

CURRENT PUBLIC ART DOWNTOWN

We are constantly adding to the list of public works in our downtown corridor, below is the current set with a little more information.

Steve Ehret Mural

"When the waves come we face them" by Steve Ehret

Madonna on the Trail

One of 12 identical statues depicting pioneer women migrating along 19th-century western trails. Commissioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), they were dedicated in 1928-29 in 12 states stretching from Maryland to California.

Greetings from Springfield Mural

Letter Guide:
— Symphony in the ParkS
— Symphony in the Park P
— Symphony in the Park R
— Farmers Market I
— Farmers Market N
— Canoe in Buck Creek State Park G
— Canoe in Buck Creek State Park F
— Canoe in Buck Creek State Park I
— Frank Lloyd Wright's Westcott House E
— Frank Lloyd Wright's Westcott House L
— Hartman Rock Garden D
— Hartman Rock Garden
Background — Heritage Center, Roses, Crow

4-H Founder Statue (A.B. Graham)

The statue of A.B. Graham, founder of 4-H, was sculpted by Mike Major and dedicated on August 12, 2004. Mr. Graham looks on with approval as a farm boy shows a farm girl his champion ear of corn.

C. Cole Phillips Murals

A mural image of a “bat girl” created by a Springfield native C. Coles Phillips for LIFE Magazine in the 1920s, graces the side of the Pappas Building on Fountain Avenue.

Rose City Mural by Project Jericho

Mural artist, Mariah Kaminsky, and 22 Project Jericho students worked together to finish the mural in 20 days. Springfield was known as the Rose City from the late 19th Century through the Great Depression for nurturing around 20 million flowers a year.

John Legend installation

Installed on the State Theater downtown this panel celebrates Springfield, Ohio native John Legend.

“Harry” Toulmin Sr. Statue

Toulmin, as patent attorney for the Wright Brothers, played a key role in one of the greatest sagas in American history. After failing to obtain the necessary patents on their own, the Wright's hired Toulmin to defend their inventions. His legal work guided them through numerous counter claims by competitors and thus led to the award of the pioneering patent for the “flying machine” in May 1906 and four additional patents for aircraft controls over the next eight years.

George Rogers Clark Statue

In June of 1780 British and Indian forces seized Ruddle's and Martin's Stations in Kentucky. On August 8, 1780 George Rogers Clark led a force of nearly 1000 Kentucky militia under authority of Virginia to engage the British led Shawnee at the Village of Peckuwe approximately 6 miles west of here where George Rogers Clark Park now exists. This was the largest Revolutionary War Battle fought west of the Allegheny Mountains and helped to diminish the British influence in the west. Statue sculpted by Mike Major

Gus Sun Mural

The mural, first and foremost, pays tribute to Gustave (Gus) Ferdinand Sun, who was born in Toledo, Ohio and eventually rose to fame as the premier small town vaudeville king in the early 1900s. Painted by Yellow Springs native Jason Morgan

“Upward Through the Storm”

Springfield Family YMCA Mural by Joel Artista

Bronze statue of Davey Moore

Statue honoring Springfield legend Davey Moore. Moore fought in the Olympic Games, won the world featherweight title and competed around the globe before dying from a brain injury suffered in a nationally televised featherweight title defense fight against Cuban emigre Ultiminio “Sugar” Ramos at Dodger Stadium in 1963. Sculpted by Mike Major

Hattie Moseley mural

Mural of iconic Civil Rights leader Hattie Moseley on the east side of the WesBanco building Downtown was created by internationally recognized artist Gaia with the assistance of local artists.

“Transformation” mural

This large mural depicts a monarch and a pair of hands. The mural is part of a Springfield Public Arts Committee (SPAC) effort with ABC Disney, which used the mural as one of the shooting locations for a pilot filming around the city in 2023. By Columbus artist Jeremy Jarvis

"Dream Big" mural

Commissioned by The Greater Springfield Partnership, the latest mural downtown aims to capture the momentum and endless potential of the Springfield community. By Columbus artist Jeremy Jarvis