1 Picture = 1K Words

What you see here are members of Crawford County Arts Counsel posing with mural artist Eric Grohe (the tall man in the white shirt) at the Crossroads Mural in Bucyrus, Ohio.

So...why are we holding paintbrushes? Because structural damage to the building caused damage to the mural, one of three that Eric has painted in our County Seat. Repair work has been completed on the building, which is located in Millennium Square, and now Eric is back in town to do the tremendous job of repainting.

Eric's website shows the before and after work when the mural was first painted. It is amazing what talent + paint can do to transform an area.

To help raise funds for the restoration, the newly formed CCAC (of which I am a board member) is hosting a Wine and Cheese event. This is going to be so much fun! Not only do attendees get to sample wonderful Ohio wines and cheeses, they will participate in a mural walk with Eric, and later be able to chat with him during  Meet the Artist at Gus' Grille and Grog (which has generously provided the food plus facility).

 I believe that preserving the  mural's wonderful, detailed artwork is worthwhile because it is an important aspect of our county.  The mural preserves the history of the area while paying homage to industry and agriculture, both an integral part of our county's success.

Talking with Eric today was enlightening to me. I had no idea how much work goes into such a huge project. Not only does the concept have to be drawn and a scale model made, but also seasonal light studies and traffic flow studies have to be conducted to determine when the most amount of people will see the mural and from what direction. In choosing colors, samples of the bricks and stones from the buildings depicted in the mural are collected. Also, factors such as how much sky is around the building have to be taken into consideration in determining how paint colors are mixed. All this, and more. 

*WHEW*

My brain cells nearly melt into a sludge at the base of my skull just thinking of it all!

From left to right, members of the CCAC are: Your's Truly, Tonya, Sandy, Carol, Eric, Dani, and Bob.

If you are interested in attending the event and meeting Eric, leave a message in the comment section or email me at ohiocountryjournal@gmail.com

Marcheta *pigmented

Liberty Remembers

We have set aside today to remember and honor our service people. 

Galion, like many towns across our nation, has a traditional parade. Most years, the parade follows this formula: led by a Color Honor Guard comprised of Veterans, followed (not necessarily in this order) by the Galion High School Marching Band, Eaglettes Baton Corps, maybe a few Scout Troupes, city vehicles like police cars and a fire truck. A Person of Honor rides in a fancy car. The parade route is short, leading through town, then along Fairview Avenue to Fairview Cemetery. 

The service at the cemetery usually goes something like this:

At the canon in the cemetery, people gather to hear a speech about our heroes. A wreath is laid. A prayer is said. A lone bugler plays Taps. 

The service ends with a 21 gun salute.

It is traditions like this that help bind a community together. 

And it is art like this that really brings the Cost of Freedom home. The strong visual effect lays indelible mark on people's hearts who are lucky enough to see this massive mural in person. 

Notice the texture behind the main images: those are the faces of service men from Crawford County. It is an amazing work of art and an amazing achievement, that is for sure.

This is a small part of the Liberty Remembers mural. It is one of several murals in our county seat of Bucyrus, Ohio. The murals were  designed and painted by Eric Grohe. You can read about the mural here.

From the website: 

In this mural, Lady Liberty cradles a dying  

soldier in her arms, surrounded by the portraits of 284 veterans

 from Crawford County, Ohio.

The mural was almost completed when the tragedy of 9/11 

occurred. Eric composed the phrase “Her torch still shines, our 

flag still waves,” which he added to the interior arch as a

 memorial to this event. A book was later published featuring all

the veteran submissions for the mural.

I cannot think of a more touching memorial to our Veterans than this wonderful work of art.

Marcheta *remembers