New mural celebrates hope
Project Jericho is preparing to begin a new mural on a Springfield bike path that will help welcome bicyclists to the city and connect them to the next path.
The new ‘hope ahead’ mural will be on the bike path at the intersection of South Yellow Springs Street and Leffel Lane, according to a release from Clark State College.
Project Jericho youth will start working on the project in May with local artists and the mural’s designer Kelley Booze.
“(It’s) to celebrate the resiliency of the Springfield community and convey anticipation for what lies ahead,” the release stated.
Project Jericho, Bike Greater Springfield and National Trail Parks and Recreation District are collaborating on the project, which they say was a “source of hope... during some of the most isolating periods of the pandemic,” the release stated.
Project Jericho has created several other murals to help bring the city to life.
In August 2019, Project Jericho spent nearly 300 hours to bring flowers to the side of the Starrett and Fred building at 10 E. Main St. The ‘Rose City Mural is 12 feet high and 73 feet across. It was finished in 20 days by mural artist Mariah Kaminsky and 22 Project Jericho students.
In August 2020, Project Jericho and The Conscious Connect, a local nonprofit group focusing on literacy and neighborhood revitalization, transformed a 30-by-30-foot basketball court in an area informally known as the Woodward Avenue Family Park, located at 1615 Woodward Ave., with a floor mural. The mural contains several colorful painted triangles and positive messages emblazoned between the free-throw line and basket. It was finished by 20 Project Jericho youths, staff members Lauren Houser and Kristi Limes, and Colum- bus-based artist Cera Marie.
Project Jericho is a program of Clark State supported through funding from the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, Clark County Juvenile Court, Ohio Arts Council, the Turner Foundation, Community Health Foundation, and private contributions. For more information, contact Project Jericho at 937-3287976 or visit http://www. project-jericho.com.