MANSFIELD – New public artworks in downtown Mansfield are just the story’s beginning.
Located across from the Main Library and the Chamber of Commerce, three murals by local artists illustrate how “Books Move Your Imagination.”
“Once Upon a Library” by artist Allison Pence, transforms the large bus garage doors into two big bookcases full of classic literature, unmarked books, a scattering of encyclopedias, a globe, and an onward gazing mouse named Booker.
Pence paints a vibrant fantasy scene, with a beanstalk, a castle, a dragon, and a ship sailing into a colorful horizon as a hot air balloon rises.
“Right at the Tip of the Mind” by artist Demetrius Howell, shows a feeling of wonderment that an open book can give a child.
Howell painted his son Zion with an open book on his lap, and it’s his largest portrait and mural to date.
Images pop up from the book and into a vast universe of ideas that bubble in front of Zion, a mixture of spray paint and hand-painted styles swirl together.
“Wild About Books” by Robin Shoup, creates a scene of majestic nature that springs forth in an open book.
The viewer is transported to a safari adventure, making eye contact with wild animals staring back at you with life-like intrigue, a pride of lions, a cheetah perched in a tree, a pair of giraffes, koalas, and elephants, as a baby chimpanzee hangs out and outwardly smiles.
Local artists created the murals this year in collaboration with Mankind Murals Inc., RCDG Mansfield Arts & Culture Sector, and the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (MRCPL).
“The MRCPL Board and staff are pleased to highlight three of our talented local artists through the garage mural project,” said Chris May, Library Director. “These murals make Mansfield more unique, cultivate cultural awareness, and inspire community engagement and a feeling of belonging.”
Lending their individual talents and creative ideas to the Main Library and the Imagination District as a whole, the murals by Allison Pence and Robin Shoup are 18-feet tall by 22-feet long, and Demetrius Howell’s design spans 18-feet tall by 30-feet long.
The murals were started earlier this year and completed at the end of November.
It required three stories of scaffolding, an extension ladder, some projection, and lots of primer and paint as each artist completed their mural independently.
Their designs were reviewed and approved by the Public Art Commission, and the project was sponsored by the Library with matching funds through the Mansfield Art Sector, which is part of the Mansfield Rising Plan through the Richland County Foundation.
The story is to be continued. The Library and Mankind Murals are developing programming for 2024 and inviting the public to continue moving the imagination into next year.
The Main Library plans to set up a table with images of the three murals and all three designs have been transformed into full-sized coloring sheets.
The interior display will include artist bios, and photography of the murals and be up from Dec. 11 through sometime in January.
“This will just be something fun for guests to interact with while we prep the bigger programs,” says Jessica Ney, Library Communications Director. “We plan to incorporate an imagination-related contest and a spring interactive story time program.”
Early next year, additional creative opportunities will arise that are inspired by murals like these.
A story and poetry submission based on the “Books Move Your Imagination” project will be held through the Library and will take place in the Spring and Summer of 2024.
There will be a category for youth, young adult, and adult writers to submit stories, poems, and literature based on the murals at the library and beyond.
Images of all local downtown murals will be cataloged for the storytelling submission, which promises to add layers and pages of content to Mansfield’s growing collection of public art.
Stories that can be inspired by each of the murals in Mansfield, and will be hosted in a curated collection on the MRCPL’s website.
A storytime program in the Summer of 2024 will help celebrate the culmination of creativity by public artists on this project, readings of locally submitted stories, and hopefully continue to move imaginations and inspire artists, writers, and readers of all ages in the community.
Go to mrcpl.org to view images of the three new murals, read artist bios, and find more information about MRCPL’s additional public art installations.