Murals project looks to take the next step
publisher@wood.cm
To say that the Wood County Walls (WCW) project has exceeded expectations, consider this.
Todd Witt told the Mineola Economic Development Corp. last Wednesday that what has been accomplished in …
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Murals project looks to take the next step
To say that the Wood County Walls (WCW) project has exceeded expectations, consider this.
Todd Witt told the Mineola Economic Development Corp. last Wednesday that what has been accomplished in the past year was beyond what he thought could be done in four years.
“It’s a big project that has just blown up,” he said.
The first major project, the Unity Mural on S. Pacific in Mineola, kicked off the string of events last summer that has expanded countywide.
The most recent mural, on the north wall of the MPrints building in downtown Mineola, has generated incredible publicity.
In his presentation, Witt said these murals represent “straight up economic development.” The selfie economy is already bringing people to Mineola and other towns across the county, and the development of an arts trail should only enhance that.
Six Wood County communities are getting on board, and by the end of the year the county could see nearly 50 murals.
Among those will be six developed during the county’s first muralist festival the week of Sept. 18-23, with each community hosting a nationally-renowned artist.
Witt approached the MEDC about the next phase of Wood County Walls, developing a visitor center.
He proposed tying that in with the plans for the Flint and Steel Coalition, the umbrella organization for WCW, to turn an unused building off Front and S. Johnson Streets into “Art House.”
The project needs a physical location to serve as the focus for WCW, Witt explained, to better market it. That would ensure Mineola becomes the focus for arts tourism.
Having a physical presence helps ensure the arts trail will show up on travel-related apps and websites.
He proposed purchasing some or all of the Ramirez property on S. Pacific – where the Unity wall was painted – to serve as the visitor center and possibly expand to host micro-enterprises and hospitality training, among other ventures.
“Customer service is a marketable commodity,” he said, which could be a developed curriculum through local schools and area colleges.
Art House itself will focus on the visual, musical and computer arts and more.
