Over the past six months, an artistic flair has sprouted in Bexley along the sides of shops, restaurants and even City Hall. This past summer, the City of Bexley commissioned six murals along Main Street, culminating in a festival in September.
While these colorful paintings may have seemed to appear out of nowhere, muralist Amy O’Donnell Lueth said great dedication, artistry and planning went into creating these picturesque paintings.
O’Donnell Lueth, who painted “Have a Great Day” on the side of WesBanco Bank, explained the city went to great lengths to select the inaugural mural artists.
“They issued a public call for artists, and I applied by completing a detailed questionnaire,” she said. “From there, they carefully narrowed down the applicants and asked the finalists to submit their designs.”
She added her design was influenced by a combination of Bexley’s best qualities, such as its arboretum label and the pride residents have for their city.
“The mural aims to inspire everyone who sees it to embrace the day with a positive mindset and an appreciation for the city they are visiting or the city they call home,” she explained.
The process for painting a mural can be extremely difficult, O’Donnell Lueth said, due to their sheer size and unconventional canvases. She added she has tried various strategies to achieve the best results.
“I like to project my artwork onto the wall and trace it, but that’s not always an option,” she explained. “In those cases, I’ve used pounce patterns, a traditional method where the design is printed in grayscale, perforated with holes and transferred to the surface using chalk to create the piece.”
O’Donnell Lueth said painting outside can introduce difficult conditions to work in.
“Rain can halt work entirely, and extreme heat can be physically exhausting,” she explained. “During the week I painted in Bexley, it was 90 degrees and sunny all week.”
Despite the difficulties in the process, O’Donnell Lueth said contributing to the Bexley murals left an unforgettable mark on her.
“It’s truly a top three core memory for me as an artist,” she explained. “The opportunity to create something of that scale, connect with the community and leave a lasting mark in Bexley was an incredible experience I’ll always cherish.”
