Public Arts Commission of Oxford reviews three finalists for parking garage mural

The Public Arts Commission of Oxford (PACO) held a meeting on July 15 to discuss three finalists out of 45 submissions for a mural at the Oxford Municipal Parking Garage at 6 West Walnut Street. 

The mural will take up a total of 488.39 square feet on the corner of the parking garage facing Main and High Street. 

After reviewing each applicant and voting previously, PACO talked about three finalists who it will ask to submit final concepts on Aug. 8: Rafael Blanco, Mathew Sharum and Snack Break Studio. These three finalists will receive a $200 stipend to finalize their proposal, according to assistant city manager Jessica Greene. 

Among other criteria, the commission is looking for a project and an artist that brings a creative display that accurately represents Oxford, especially as the mural will be on a public corner. 

“For me, I was looking for things that were a little different, either funny or really striking,” said Carole Katz, a member of the commission. “I really tried to imagine standing Uptown and looking at that space and thinking about people who live in Oxford [or] visit Oxford and how they would feel looking at those things.”

Members also discussed the importance of having art in Oxford that connects with other murals, such as the bee mural by Mac & Joe’s. The commission wants to avoid “dropped art,” or art that doesn’t have a strong background or story behind it. 

“I was really drawn to the ones that said something about Oxford,” said Bobbe Burke, a member of the commission. “I thought if you just were using the state bird and the state flower, it wasn’t enough. But even the one that was the trails, I thought that was a really clever way to get into something that’s really special about Oxford.”

Many of the submissions portrayed the natural environment of Oxford and rural Ohio, showcasing sunflowers and grassy fields. Some artists proposed work that would create a 3-D illusion on the corner. 

In the project background found on the city’s website, artists were asked to create something that aligns with the goals of Oxford’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan, such as promoting parks, arts and culture in the community and encouraging creative placemaking. 

The artists were also asked to create their murals to appeal to a broad audience and be family-friendly. The city prefers that the mural be painted on panels and installed on the brick surface, rather than painted directly on the brick. 

When discussing its final three artists to move to the next step, PACO chose Blanco, Sharum and Snack Break Studio because of each submission’s creative design using the corners and their murals’ connection to Oxford. 

Also at the meeting, Emily Shoker shared an update on a summer project to create a map of Oxford of the public art pieces, including descriptions of the artists and the projects. The project is anticipated to be completed online by the end of the summer. 

“Around town, we’ve identified 71 different pieces of public art, [including] on Miami University’s campus,” Shoker said. “So next steps, we need to finish collecting information, specifically about different artists.”

PACO will next meet on Aug. 11 to select the final artist for the mural project. The finalists will have until Aug. 8 to send their updated concepts.