Cincinnati’s first annual “Mural Month” kicks off Oct. 1, and to celebrate,
ArtWorks is launching its brand-new walking mural tours. The tours,
The Spirit of OTR and
Cincinnati Masters & More, begin Oct. 4.
Both walking tours feature about 10 murals, and last about an hour and a half. An Artworks Apprentice and an ArtWorks volunteer lead the tours, and give tour-goers background information on the mural, its painter, how it was made, and its connection to the community.
“Our murals tell stories, and are eye-catching and engaging,” says Ellen Stedefeld, communications and development coordinator for ArtWorks and the curator of the mural tour. “We want to tell the stories of the murals and the story of ArtWorks, as well as the murals’ connection to the city and the community.”
The Spirit of OTR tour will being outside of
Coffee Emporium on Central Parkway, and will wind its way through
Over-the-Rhine, ending at
Washington Park. Tour guides will describe how the murals were made, and connect the murals to the history of the neighborhood from the 1800s to the present.
Murals included on The Spirit of OTR tour are
Mr. Tarbell Tips His Hat, located at 1109 Vine St.;
Canal at Vine Street circa 1900, located at 101 W. Central Parkway; Cincinnati Strongman Henry Holtgrewe, located at 1215 Vine St.; and
The Vision of Samuel Hannaford, located at 1308 Race St.
Cincinnati Masters & More also begins at Coffee Emporium and ends at
Fountain Square. It celebrates Cincinnati’s artistic legacy by highlighting some of the city’s most famous artists, including Charley Harper, John Ruthven and Tom Wesselmann. Murals included in the Cincinnati Masters & More tour are
Fresh Harvest, located at 1014 Vine St.;
Homecoming (Blue Birds), located at 119 E. Court St.; and Still Life #60, located at 811 Main St.
Tours will take place every Saturday in October and November, ending around Nov. 22 for the winter. Tickets are $20 per person (children under 12 are free) and are available on Artworks’ website. Tours are capped at 20 people, but larger groups can book private tours in advance.
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