Quirky, curious and colorful are just a few adjectives you could use to describe Covington in general. More specifically, they’re also apt descriptors for
Scribble Park, where it’s totally legal to leave your graffiti mark on the concrete floodwall, and where a group of local creative types recently gathered for the quarterly
Covington Creates event on July 18.
Like many hidden gems, Scribble Park is tucked away and a bit hard to find, nestled in a spot sort of between the highway on/off ramps and Mainstrasse. To get there, you pass through an odd, nondescript parking lot and descend a set of stairs painted with a Rolling Stone-ish giant open mouth before landing in, well, a little slice of heaven.
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Art trips down the stairs from the nondescript parking lot to the landing with the incredible view.
No wonder the event’s organizer, Marc Phelps of
AlloyFX, picked the location for the first-ever al fresco Covington Creates panel discussion. “I ordered shade, but not sure what time it’ll show up,” he joked in the hot July sunshine. It was an impossibly beautiful evening, with the panorama of the Queen City’s skyline spread out on the other side of the sparkling Ohio and a welcome breeze gently blowing. The evening’s topic? The significance of public art.
“It seems like people are more stressed and pressured these days, and I like the idea of creating something that will brighten the day of someone walking or driving by, the more unexpected the better,” explained Phelps, co-founder of AlloyFX, a 3-D, video and technology company, and creator of
Clive the Alien on Scott Street.
“I have always been an artist but am fairly new to public art. I like the feeling of working hard and standing back and seeing a physical 3D sculpt, so much more fun than my traditional 2D designs,” he said.
The brain behind Covington Creates and co-founder of Madison Design, Jackie Roberto, added, “Public art is special because it creates community and sense of place. Creating community and connection is the intention of Covington Creates.”
While many of us are art admirers who enjoy the countless public art displays throughout greater Cincinnati, the event’s panelists are true makers. Many in the audience nodded along as the panelists discussed the nitty-gritty of getting this beautiful (and sweaty) work done, often in collaboration with city officials, two of whom were in attendance from Covington: City Manager, Kyle Snyder and Economic Development Director, Tom West.
While a handmade aesthetic is unquestionably essential to public art, the panelists also discussed how technology might be integrated in the future. “I was super geeked for that!” enthused Phelps. “Alloy has been developing AR & VR for over a decade, I think as our phone capabilities increase, we will have a lot of opportunities to experience art and even modify public art and add our own digital twist to share socially. It may be a great collaboration between artist and the public,” he said.
In addition to the panelist discussion, spurred along by thoughtful questions from the audience, there was a party atmosphere at the Thursday-night event, with country music playing and the vegetarian Wrap Sumthin food truck on hand with hot eats.
“This event was entirely Marc’s vision,” said Roberto. “He deserves all the kudos for bringing people together and creating a vibrant shared experience.
What’s next for the quarterly meet-up for creatives living and working in Covington and NKY? Like or follow the Covington Creates pages on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for details.
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Attendees get ready for the panel discussion.
Meet the panelists from the event who share a passion for public art, both as practitioners and champions -- Marc Phelps, founder of AlloyFX and creator of Clive the Alien, who also attends Burning Man each year and has a passion for temporary sculptures made of ice and driftwood.
- Janet Creekmore, a user-experience designer, artist and community builder who is one of the people behind the creation of Scribble Park.
- David Rickerd, who paints murals and portraits throughout the tri-state area and has worked as a graphic designer for more than 30 years.
- Carus Waggoner, who has designed and fabricated custom art pieces for Cirque Du Soleil, the San Francisco Ballet and the Cincinnati Ballet.
- Jay Becker, who is the founder and president of creative consultancy and branding agency, BLDG.
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