Oxford Public Arts Commission discusses future changes to public art selection
The commission also discussed upcoming projects and ideas in a Sept. 8 meeting.
The Public Arts Commission (PACO) met on Monday, Sept. 8 to discuss a variety of ongoing and upcoming projects.
The planned mural on the corner of the Oxford municipal parking garage at 6 W. Walnut St. is in the permit application process, with an anticipated timeline of early November.
The artist, Mathew Sharum, was selected in 2018 to paint what was one of the largest veterans murals in the country on an abandoned warehouse in Michigan.
Jessica Greene, Oxford assistant city manager, said “I think he understands college towns because he did (a mural) in Ann Arbor.”
“We’re excited,” Greene said.
The process of selecting a muralist created a sense of unease for some board members, leading them to brainstorm ways to better connect the community with artists.
“We’re looking at three different pieces, and for me, it’s just a lot of anxiety,” councilwoman Amber Franklin said..
Moving forward, the committee suggested an alternate approach for selecting muralists. This strategy proposes selecting finalists based on their identity as an artist.
Instead of submitting a final rendering of a proposed mural, the commission would encourage candidates to share examples of their artistic style, such as past works or a mood board. Then, three finalists would be selected for interviews with community members, and upon selection after these interviews, a $200 grant would be given to the artist to create a rendering.
That way, Franklin said, “The person works with the community around those themes to develop something the community wants.”
PACO also discussed plans to expand art throughout Oxford.
In the spring of 2026, Miami University will offer a mural course where students will work on designing and painting a mural in front of Duke Energy’s substation expansion at the intersection of Locust and Spring streets. While logistics are still being worked out, commission members are hopeful that students would be able to complete the project in one semester.
The rendering will first need to be approved by Duke Energy, and commission members would like the mural to involve Oxford’s history.
Franklin sees opportunities for engaging community pieces of art everywhere – including the traffic light mast on Beech Street, where art can be placed at eye level with children. While the project is in a very early stage, Franklin hopes to involve community members, potentially having students work with elementary students to bring the piece to life.
“I’m thinking of ways that art communicates,” Franklin said. “We’ve got these big murals, we’ve got that alley mural – what are the other surprising ‘pops of art’ that people can engage with?”
Separately, PACO will begin the program Call for Haiku: Haiku on Ice in early October. Community members can submit their haikus for the commission to review and potentially place on windows of local businesses.
PACO added that it aims to join the statewide Toni Morrison celebration, a year-long initiative to honor the contributions and legacy of a Nobel Prize-winning writer.
PACO’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 13.
