the mural of the story

Story and photos by Cara Lawson

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures have a way of invoking emotion, with just a single glance.

Ohio is rich in art. In fact, several Ohio towns boast uniquely large outdoor murals. Towns such as Bucyrus, Massillon, Marion and Portsmouth are homes to these public works of art.  Each of these towns offer at least one outdoor mural for admiration by people all year long.

When you take a take a look at the side of a building along Route 4 in Bucyrus, instead of seeing just another wall, you’ll see a vivid image of Lady Liberty atop a globe. She’s draped in an American Flag, cradling a dying soldier. She stands under what looks to be an archway. Etched on the sides of the mural, faces of soldiers gaze hopefully. Even though it is paint, the stunning 3-D effect of the mural looks as if you can walk right in.

Besides the admiration for the work of art, there’s something else that is special about this mural. The faces of the soldiers that adorn the mural are real faces of Bucyrus’ veterans. When the mural was commissioned, people of the community could apply to have a veteran painted into it. “It was wonderful to see how they took the pictures from the community and put them into the mural,” said Elizabeth Rayborn, a Bucyrus resident.

Just down the street from the “Liberty Remembers” mural is another mural that outlines life in the yesteryear of Bucyrus. The city scene is bustling with activity on a sunny day. A boy sells newspapers as behind him a young child tugs at his grandfather’s jacket.

The murals typically take several months, if not years, to complete. The long process, however, gives community members a unique opportunity to witness creation of the mural, through each step. Once the murals are completed, though, they become common places for many to visit and admire the scope and detail of the project. “People come from all over to see the murals,” Rayborn said, “Some have come from all over the world.”

Like many towns in Ohio situated along the Ohio River, Portsmouth is protected by a floodwall. Unlike most other floodwalls, though, Portsmouth’s tells a graphic story of its past and present. The project took muralist Robert Dafford and his staff 10 years to complete. Today, the 2,000-ft. wall tells the story from the beginning to present day, with more than 50 different scenes.

You won’t find the paint used by the mural artists in typical art and craft stores. Special mineral paints are used to help prevent deterioration via process or fading or peeling.

Eric Grohe is responsible for several of Ohio’s outdoor murals. With more than 40 years experience as an artist, it’s not surprising that he is responsible for many of the murals in Bucyrus, Massillon, Steubenville and Marion.

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