This post is all about the fantastic street art found throughout the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinatti. We have included a brief history of the neighborhood for context. Please find below a sample of some of the great street art on display throughout OTR. We hope you enjoy the art as much as we did.
The Over-the-Rhine (über den Rhein)neighborhood in Cincinatti traces its roots to a large German population that settled in the area. The area was home to mana significant number of breweries (at its peak there were 36) which employed many of the German migrants. The workers had to walk over the Miami and Erie Canal each day on their way to and from work and they began referring to the canal as the Rhine in reference to the Rhine River in their native country.
After World War 2 the neighborhood began a long decline as the original German residents again migrated – to the surrounding suburbs. Many of the industries that once provided jobs in this working class neighborhood also left or closed. Of course, to add insult to injury, the Miami and Erie Canal was capped!
By the late 1900s the area had deteriorated to one of the poorest areas in the city and was rife with crime. Fortunately, around the turn of the century the city and several organizations came together to create a comprehensive plan to revitalize the neighborhood. Based on our visit and the number of people visiting the area there has been much progress, although it is clear that this is still an area in transition.
Public art has also been a significant piece of the revival of OTR. ArtWorks and other community organizations have invested in the area and sponsor aspiring and accomplished artists. We have included the artist and sponsor information wherever available. Our apologies to any uncredited artists.
See our Sights & Sounds reels on Facebook or Instagram to experience a snapshot of our visits to Cincinatti and Arkansas. Be seeing you
P.S. Cincinatti is a first rate specialty coffee town!
“Stevie Wonder” Richard Wilson @richardwilsonartwork(2019)
@streetartfromtheroad and @finearttourist traveled to Detroit (DTW) in early December to see the Van Gogh in AmericaExhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts(DIA).This exhibition was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020 but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the DIA was able to gain access to the majority of paintings scheduled to be part of the original exhibition. An upcoming post by @finearttourist will showcase this spectacular exhibition.
Of course, while in DTW we took full advantage of the good weather to explore the outdoor museum of street murals scattered throughout the Eastern Market District.In this post we will share some of the fantastic street art on display in the Eastern Market. Disclosure: some of the mural photographs have been edited to eliminate peeling paint and graffiti.
Ndubisi Okay @n_du_time
Brandan Mike Odums @bmike2c(2017)
“Dreamers” Jeff Soto @maxxer242 (2015)
The Eastern Market has been in existence for over150 years. After World War 2, the market became a major hub for food processing and wholesale food distribution. The market covers approximately 43 acres just north of downtown DTW.There are still 80 standing structures ranging from fully occupied to abandoned and decaying.
Today, the Eastern Market is the largest open-air flower bed market in the United States. Additionally, there are over 150 firms sellingmeat, spices, vegetables, jams and poultry. There are also a number of restaurants, bars and non-food retailers located within the market district.Lastly, if you are hankering for a corned beef sandwich, a pastrami sandwich or Detroit’s (in)famous “coney” this is the place to go.
Victor Quinonez @marka_27(2016)
Tylonn Sawyer @tylonn.j.sawyer(2016)
Ashley McFadden @mcfadden_ashley (2019)
Sydney G. James (A girl raised in Detroit) @sydneygjames(2017)
Enough SAID (Enough Sexual Assault in Detroit)
Tatiana Suarez @tatunga(2017)
The Murals in the Market (MM) organization has been actively supporting the transformation of the Eastern Market from a wasteland to a cultural destination within Detroit. The organization sponsors an annual mural festival in the Market District. To date, the organization has supported the production of 100 muralsin the District and 200 murals across the city. Additionally, MM supports a number of other arts events (including live music) throughout the year.We hope that this organization continues to receive support from the DTW community as part of the revitalization of DTW.
Arlin @arlin_graff(2017)
Birdman @ed_Irmen (2019)
Joey Salamon @joeysalamon (2019)
Osunlade(2019)
“Mama Maiz” by Ivan Montoya @imontoya_ (2019)
Sydney James (A girl raised in Detroit) @sydneygjames (2016)
Of course, a day of mural hunting requires sustenance. Fortunately, we were able to start and end our pic shooting at Anthology Coffee, which is located conveniently in the market. Anthology roasts their own coffee on the premises.Anthology Coffee.com | Always Tasty
In keeping with the meat packing history of the Market, our mid-day replenishment was taken at Franks’s Deli and Grill. We feasted on a Detroit staple – Wigley’s Famous Corned Beef!https://www.facebook.com/FranksDeliandGrill/menu/
Muddy Waters, Clarksdale, MS (1913-1983)Midnight at the Crossroads by Devin Gerard Liston @devin.liston
Clarksdale, Mississippi, undoubtedly the epicenter of the Mississippi Delta Blues, is also a treasure trove of Street Art reflecting the musical heritage of the Delta. While we were visiting primarily to hear live blues music and experience the local juke joints, we could not pass up the opportunity to photograph the many portrait murals of blues legends.
The musicians that were born in this area are among the greatest blues practioners and pioneers of all time.Many of them emigrated north to Detroit and Chicago for factory work but ultimately found fame there and were able to turn their passion for music into their full time pursuit.
Just a few examples of the musicians who were born in this area or contributed to the development of the Blues here include: Sam Cooke, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Ike Turner, Robert Johnson, Kingfish Ingram and Sarah Moore. Click on the link to see a roster (and biographies) of the many famous blues musicians that were so much a part of the blues scene here. https://www.cityofclarksdale.org/music-culture-history/
John Lee Hooker, Tutwiler, MS (1917-2001)Leo “Bud” Welch, Sabougla, MS (1932-2017) by El Care Barbie @elcarebarbieSam Cooke,Clarksdale, MS (1931-1964)Chase Reid@chase_reidChase Reid@chase_reidDelta Roots by Hayden G. Hall @haydenghallartPortrait of Dr. Vera Mae Pigee by Charles Coleman @ccolem20Clint Eastwood as the Outlaw Josey Wales by Christopher KeywoodPlow Mule Blues by Church Goin Mule Marshall Blevins @churchgoinmuleDon’t Stop Me From Flying by Likmi Soberana @lik_miRebeka Skela @sanguineskills
Woman of Rock by @erre.erre
Homage to Howlin’ Wolf Wilson by Gerson Fonseca @monstrucion.3Midnight at the Crossroads by Devin Gerard Liston@devin.liston
We hope you enjoyed these photographs of street murals from Clarksdale. We could have spent another day photographing more murals, but the road was calling and we always heed the call of the road.
Hello everyone. This is our first post of OTR 8.0. Our plan for this trip is to travel throughout the Southeast. We spent several several days in Knoxville and Chattanoogaduring our first two weeksof the journey; neither of us had visited either city previously.
Both cities have a strong commitment to street art and we are excited to share our favorite murals from our tours.
Whenever we have been able to identify the muralist(s), we have included their information in the caption.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Many of the murals from Knox featured in this post are located in Strong Alley, downtown. The alley is known locally as graffitti alley.
We only spent a couple of days in Chattanooga but we were able to capture a number of murals that, fortunately for us, are clustered in the Southside neighborhoodand on Mccallie Street as part of the Mccallie Walls Mural Project.
Ali Kay @ali_kay_studioAnna Carll @annacarllart
Kevin Bate @goodwithfaces
Nyx, Goddess of Night — Miki Boni
The Four Horsewomen (above and below) —- Kevin Bate, Hollie Berry, Miki Boni, Anna Carll and Ali Kay
We plan on publishing another edition of Street Art from the Road later in the trip. We hope you enjoyed the photographs of the murals.You can see additional murals @ctsprinterlife.
Regular followers of OTR know that, in addition to fine art and excellent coffee and tea, we are avid fans of street art (@streetartfromtheroad). This edition of OTR 7.0 presents a sampling of our favorite street murals from this trip. Some of the murals below we found purely by chance while others we sought out based on our research of public art in a particular area, town or neighborhood.
We should qualify that our focus is on street murals as opposed to graffiti or tagging. Marking public or private property is really a subversive activity and while we have our subversive moments, we do not support the defacing of public or private property. Okay, enough on that topic.
Street art is often very political and cultural in nature and at it’s best is powerful and moving. We also find that it is often highly creative, humorous and very often beautiful.
Please find below our favorites from OTR 7.0, we hope you enjoy the photographs. P.S. We have provided attribution wherever possible.
Utah: Moab
Muralist:@skyewalker_art
New Mexico: Taos
“El santero” muralist: george chacon
New Mexico: Plaza de Chimayo
New Mexico: Espanola
“El sembrador”Muralist:Rubel rael
New Mexico: Santa Fe
Texas: Quitaque (kitty-k)
Texas: Amarillo
Muralist:@malcolm_byersblue sky texas burgers
Texas: Amarillo: Hoodo Mural Festival
Muralist:@daas
Muralist:@weshouldbestrangers
“Xochi” muralist: msyellowart
Muralist:@malcolm_byers
Muralist:@dtoxart
OK: OKC
Muralist:Eric tippeconnic (commanche nation of oklahoma)Muralist@juuriart83
OK: Tulsa
Muralist: Aaron Whisner“In Memory of Madison Mcmanus” Muralist: @jeks_nc
Historical footnote: the Greenwood District of Tulsa was the site of the Tulsa race massacre also known as the Tulsa race riot. In the early 1900’s this area of Tulsa was known as Black Wall Street due to the concentration of wealth in this largely black community.
On May 31, 1921 multiple mobs of armed white residents of Tulsa (deputized by city officials) attacked the residents of the area killing and injuring scores of people and destroying a 40 block area of the district. Thirty-six blacks were killed and over 800 were hospitalized.
Some accounts indicate that the massacre was triggered by the arrest of a black man for assaulting a white woman. Most historians agree that this event was more the result of a growing resentment in the white community of the financial success of ”Black Wall Street”.
When we visited Amarillo the second Hoodoo Mural Festival had just wrapped up. Five large scale wall murals were commissioned for this year’s festival. We spent a relaxing Sunday afternoon viewing the murals. The murals are all within a very walkable area along Polk Street in downtown Amarillo.
@blankspacesmurals
All of the murals are impressive – not just for the scale – but for the quality, creativity and artistry. Please see the festival website for more information about the festival and the muralists. We have broken the murals down into sections due the large size.
The High Road to Taos is a scenic drive that connects Taos and Santa Fe. We drove a portion of the route while staying in Taos. Leaving from Taos heading south, the first 30 miles take you on a winding route up and over mountains within the Carson National Forest. The scenery as you might imagine is quite spectacular.
While the views are impressive we found the cultural aspects of the trip even more impressive. The villages, architecture, churches and food reflect the Old Spain of the early Spanish settlements.
Each of the small villages has a Spanish style church – many have been continuosly operating for over two hundred years. We traveled through the villages of Penasco, Chamisal, Trampas, Truchas, Cordova and Chimayo. These villages still maintain the wood carving and weaving expertise and traditions that came from Spain with the first settlers.
SANTUARIO DE Chimayo
We followed the byway as far as Chimayo where we stopped to visit El Santuario de Chimayo. The intial construction took place in 1813. Long before the Spanish arrived Pueblo Indians considered this ground as sacred with healing powers.
The Catholic Church carried forward the belief that the earth under what is now the Plaza del Cerro is sacred and has miraculous healing powers. As a result, the Santuario is a major pilgimage site drawing over 300,000 visitors annually.
The Santuario is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the southwest. The evidence of the woodworking skills of the Spanish settlers is on display throughout the plaza – from the carved figures to the beautiful doors. The plaza is the sole remaining Spanish fortified plaza in New Mexico.
Arthur LowLow Meidna’s Low Low Ride Museum, Chimayo, New Mexico
Ranchero de chimayo
Any worthwhile pilgramage deserves to be rewarded with an excellent meal. Fortunately, while the total population of the small plazas that constitue Chimayo is only 3200 people, one of the best New Mexican cuisine restaurants is located here.
In fact, the Ranchero has been serving food here for 50 years to locals and travelers alike. Interestingly, for our fellow Nutmeggers, the owner, Florence Jaramillo was born in Hartford, Conneticut. Florence moved to Chimayo after marrying Arturo Jaramillo, who was a native of Chimayo. The site of the restaurant is Arturo’s ancestral home.
Espanola
We returned home via Espanola and the River Road (runs along the Rio Grande River).
Muralist Ruben Rael and Youth Participants
The Espanola Chamber of Commerce and the McCune Foundation are sponsoring youth mural projects and we stopped in town to see some of the murals. We are glad that we did – as you can see from the photographs these are, without exception, excellent murals.
E. Martin Hennings,Thinning Aspens, Undated, Oil on Canvas
Taos: a brief history
The Taos Pueblo has been in existence for 1000 years. The first Europeans to arrive in Taos were the Spanish – who initially maintained friendly relations with the Tiwa Indians who inhabited the pueblo.
Afer a relatively short period of peaceful co-existence the Spanish exerted their might and will over the Tiwa, and as they would do many more times in the west, instituted rule over the indians and imposed Catholicism.
While the Town of Taos was incorporated in 1934, the Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited by the Tiwa Indians since its founding. The pueblo has about150 residents with another 1750 Tiwa living on pueblo lands.
The Town of Taos is a major tourist destination with a myriad of outdoor recreational activities including alpine skiing at the world class Taos Ski Valley. Taos is also a noted art colony dating back to the migration of eastern artists to Taos Valley and the formation of The Taos Society of Artists in the early 20th century.
Rio grande gorge
The Rio Grande Gorge is atypical of canyons this size in that it is a massive rift in the earth with the river filling the bottom after the formation of the rift. The gorge is 50 miles long and 800 feet deep at its deepest – quite impressive!
The river itself is impressive as well. The Rio Grande is the fourth longest river in North America. The river runs from Colorado through New Mexico (470 miles) and then forms the border between Texas and Mexico until it empties into the Gulf Of Mexico. The total length of the river is between 1800 and 1900 miles.
Big Horn Sheep
We hiked along the west rim of the gorge, enjoying the views of the river below, the mountains to the east and west and the Big Horn Sheep dotting the edge of the rim.
Hiking on the Rio Grande River Gorge RimEl Santero by George Chacon, Wall MuralElevation Coffee, Taos
We had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at the Taos Museum of Art at Fechin House. We will share photographs of some of the wonderful paintings and the architecture of the Fechin House in an upcoming post.
We discovered the Franklinton Arts District (FAD) during our brief visit to Columbus last fall when we visited One Line Coffee. In addition to a terrific coffee experience at the cafe we found ourselves surrounded by amazing mural art everywhere we looked (or so it seemed). As a result we knew that we wanted to pay another visit to Columbus as we journeyed west on OTR 6.0 to take advantage of the excellent coffee and street art opportunities.
The FAD is not just a geographic district but also a non-profit organization http://www.franklintonartsdistrict.com/ created to support and advocate for artists and art organizations in the district.
The photographs above and below are just a small sample of some of the murals we saw during this visit. We have also included several more mural photos at the end of this post.
Franklinton Arts District
Our first rails to trails ride in Ohio was on the Heart of Ohio Trail (HOOT) and the Kokosing Gap Trail. We rode from the Centerburg Trailhead to the end of the HOOT in Mt Vernon and then continued on the Kokosing Gap Trail several more miles to Gambier where the trail runs through the Kenyon College Campus.
Kokosing Gap Trail, Gambier, Ohio
Our departure from Centerburg was delayed slightly by the arrival of two gentlemen who approached us to inquire about the Beast (not an uncommon occurrence). We are always happy to share our travels and provide a tour of the Beast and even more so because we found ourselves talking to two of the top specialty coffee people in the Columbus area.
Kenny (@kennysipes) and Frank (@franksbusy) are the creative and business leaders that have made Roosevelt Coffee Roasters and Roosevelt Coffee House a very special force for good (as well a very successful business) in the specialty coffee industry. https://roosevelt.coffee/https://the-roosevelt-coffeehouse.square.site/
Roosevelt Coffee House
Kenny had served as a youth pastor for a number of years before deciding to jump into the specialty coffee business while Frank had been in the industry working for one of the top specialty coffee organizations in Columbus.
Our Fortuitous Meeting with Kenny and Frank
After chatting about the Beast and some of our adventures Kenny and Frank graciously invited us to visit the roastery and the cafe the next morning. We said YES!!
Frank explains the operation of the Loring Roaster as he expertly roasts a batch of coffee.
We had a fantastic experience visiting the with Kenny and Frank and found out that they are more than just two really nice guys. Kenny started this business in order to help people in need and Frank signed on for the mission. The Roosevelt businesses are owned by the Roosevelt Foundation https://www.rooseveltcoffee.org/ and donate a portion of the money generated by the two businesses to organizations fighting against hunger, unclean water and human trafficking.
The Mission
We are humbled to have had the opportunity to meet Kenny and Frank and learn first hand about the business and their mission. Thank you Kenny and Frank.
Alum Creek Trail
We took advantage of the fine weather on our last day in Columbus to bike the Alum Creek Trail. Although this trail runs through the city of Columbus it provides many miles of greenway as it meanders back and forth across the Alum Creek. This trail is a wonderful asset within a major metropolitan area as you feel transported to a much more rural environment. We encountered many deer along the route – some who seem perturbed by our desire to proceed on the trail!
Historically, Alum Creek was a key route in central Ohio for escaped slaves and free blacks to move north to free states and Canada. The sycamore trees which line the banks of the creek and the creek itself provided cover for the railroad’s “passengers” seeking freedom.
A key group in the operation of the Underground Railroad in central Ohio were the Quakers that created the safe haven known as Quakertown. The number of escaped slaves that came through on this route is not documented for obvious reasons but it is a credit to the abolitionists that risked their own safety to assist with this humanitarian initiative to right the horrible wrong of slavery.
Franklinton Arts District
Elijah Pierce by Hakim CallwoodPinball by Chris TennantUntitled by Kaylynn Etienne
Next stop Wisconsin to bicycle the Badger State Bike Trail and possibly eat cheese! Be seeing you!
ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen 