Clark-Fulton is Cleveland's hot new destination for murals
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Artist Natalie Lanese's colorful mural at West 25th Street and Walton Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of MetroHealth
Clark-Fulton is adding color to Cleveland's grayscale winter palette.
Driving the news: The MetroHealth system, Land Studio and Metro West Community Development Corp. have announced the completion of a community project that commissioned local artists to paint murals at high-visibility locations in the neighborhood.
Why it matters: The "Many Hearts, One Community" effort was initiated to celebrate the area's vibrant culture and history and provide an economic development boost by increasing foot traffic and activating underused spaces.
Between the lines: Clark-Fulton, or "La Villa Hispana," the neighborhood south of Tremont and Ohio City, is home to Ohio's densest concentration of Latinos.
Jasmin Santana, the councilwoman for the area, told Cleveland Scene in 2019 that she was concerned about gentrification.
- "If people are displaced, there will be nowhere else to go," she said.
The big picture: Master planning efforts in recent years have focused on incubating Latinx small businesses and preserving affordable housing for longtime residents amidst MetroHealth's $1 billion campus transformation and ballooning home values on Cleveland's near west side.
What they're saying: "This artwork reflects the neighborhood," Greg Zucca, MetroHealth's executive director of community transformation, said in a statement.
- "A lot of times, people drive through the neighborhood down West 25th Street or down Fulton Road, and most don't really know about the richness of the people and the culture that exists here."
By the numbers: Nine murals have been completed with $235,000 in funding from MetroHealth, Land Studio and the National Endowment for the Arts, and one more is in the works.
Zoom in: The expansive mural at Meyer pool designed by Dante Rodriguez and painted by Mike Sobeck transforms the recreational space with splashes of bright colors.
- Northbound motorists (or 51-51A RTA bus riders) on West 25th Street will appreciate the abstract camouflage of artist Natalie Lanese at the Walton Avenue intersection.
- Check out all nine in this video.