News and Stories

ArtWorks and the Cincinnati Zoo Transform a Community Wall into a Canvas

City Barn Mural Dedication Ceremony, Thursday, October 23 at 4:00 p.m.

WHAT:          Driving up Vine Street to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden looks different these days with the addition of a series of panels, recreations of wildlife-themed works of Charley Harper, a celebrated Cincinnati artist.  The project transforms a community wall into a canvas, displaying a beautiful work of art and offers a welcoming gateway to the City of Avondale and to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Harper, who studied and taught at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, is best known for his images of the natural world created in his distinctive ‘minimal realistic’ style.  These panels fittingly adorn the sides of the City Barn; a site which originally housed horses used to pull trolleys around the city and is now owned by the Cincinnati Zoo. 

WHO:                 A team of three professional artists and eight youth Apprentices worked with a lead artist to create artwork for the City Barn window panels, as well as paint a mural on the south side of the City Barn building.  The 1,465 square foot “canvas” took 6-8 weeks to complete.

ArtWorks youth Apprentices (ages 14-21) and professional artists work side-by-side to trans­form the Greater Cincinnati, providing inspiration for visitors and residents. To date, ArtWorks has created 90 murals in 34 Cincinnati neighborhoods and 7 nearby cities, covering over 135,000 ft² of walls.

WHEN:          City Barn Mural Dedication Ceremony, Thursday, October 23, at 4:00 p.m.

                                    Speakers include:

Colleen Houston, Vice President of Programming, ArtWorks

Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo

Brett Harper, Son of Charley Harper

Chip Doyle, Charley Harper Estate

Mary Rita Dominic, Community Garden

 Chris Land, Lead Artist

WHERE:       City Barn (Vine Street at Glenmary)

NOTE:            Media are invited to attend.  Feel free to park on any of the nearby streets or in the Zoo’s Main Parking Lot off Vine Street.