Elevating the East: Local artists paint one of largest murals in Ohio to instill community pride

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Central Bus Service Facility wall along 2500 Woodhill Road is now home to a 700-foot mural that reflects the culture and history of the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, which includes Buckeye, Kinsman, and Woodland Hills. Drive by the mural at 2500 Woodhill Road and you can see why it’s one of the largest in Ohio, along with murals in Ohio City and Toledo. The project is part of the Elevate The East (ETE) public art plan—a community-led effort to guide public art investments in the eastside neighborhoods depicted in the mural. The plan is a component of a larger transformative strategy to benefit everyone in the community. The ETE steering committee made the large-scale mural the top priority for public art. The project comes out of a partnership between LAND studio and Burten, Bell Carr Development Inc. (BBC), with financial support from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) and a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Woodhill Choice Community Initiative grant. Mural graphic designed by an eight-year-old Woodhill resident“LAND studio is honored to be invited to partner with BBC on the Elevate the East public art projects,” says LAND project manager Ahlon Gonzalez. A total...