East Walnut Hills Mural

Step 1: Research and Ideation:

Before starting I took a car tour and two bike tours of the community — exploring the entire geographic area of the neighborhood as defined by the city. During these tours I took reference photography and visited the local businesses.

Step 2: Community Engagement:

Between June 25th and July 12th I collected public feedback from the community of East Walnut Hills to revise and update the proposed design submitted in mid-May of 2021. I used the following methods to collect feedback:
- Attending three in-person events (July 4 Sunday on the Streets; July 6th Pop-up Drink and Draw at Woodburn Brewing and the July 9th Walk on Woodburn hosted at Originalitees).
- An online survey (using the questions below)
– Social media posts using some of the questions
– I used a blank coloring page as a prompt for sharing of personal realtionships and views of the community through artistic expression
– Working on plein-air drawing studies to introduce myself to some of the residents

Questions posed in survey, in some in-person interviews and some social media posts:
- What makes you feel most connected to or proud of East Walnut Hills? (It could be an event, a business or organization or perhaps a person or a place).
- What’s your favorite place in East Walnut Hills?
- What’s your favorite activity or hobby that connects you to East Walnut Hills?
- Do you have a favorite unknown, hidden or unusual thing you love about East Walnut Hills?
- What word would you use to best describe East Walnut Hills?
- Lastly I asked survey respondents their relationship to the community and if they would like to see people added to the mural.

Be sure to follow https://www.instagram.com/eastwalnuthills/ or the #TaftWoodburnMural or visit https://eastwalnuthills.org/community-mural/ to find out more.

Step 3: Design Process with Mike Colbert, Maria Nacu and Anissa Pulcheon

Following community engagement

Anissa Pulcheon (@echolocations) illustrated the many people of the East Walnut Hills mural. Our community engagement found that many residents valued the neighborhood's diversity as well as it's friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Anissa (she/her) used census data as well as list of activities collected in community engagement to populate the scene with a variety of people diverse in age, ethnicity and gender enjoying the many things to do in East Walnut Hills.

Mike Colbert (@drawn2mike) illustrated the natural elements in our mural — creating a collection of flowers, trees and animals inspired the neighborhood’s tree-lined streets and public gardens and flower pots. These elements in the East Walnut Hills mural reflect an aspect of the neighborhood that many of the residents mentioned valuing in community engagement — the access to nature is a real benefit in the community.

Maria Nacu (@maria_nacu) designed the lettering featured on the corner of Taft and Woodburn community mural. Maria developed letterforms that alluded to the historic architecture of the East Walnut Hills neighborhood while complementing the whimsy and simplicity of our collective illustration style.

Step 4: Design Transfer and Painting

On August 28t

Step 5: Public Painting Days:

On August 28th and September 4th the East Walnut Hills mural team, organized by Ellen Stedtefeld, lead two public painting days where over 125 community volunteers assisted in the under-painting of the mural. On September 2nd we also hosted the Purcell Marian High School Art Club