The Short North's most recognizable mural gets a facelift
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The new Mona Lisa mural was commissioned by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Short North Alliance, Ohio Arts Council and developer Crawford Hoying. Photos: Courtesy of the Short North Alliance
The Short North is bidding farewell to its Mona Lisa mural in favor of a new reimagining of an old face.
Why it matters: The mural at the corner of Pearl Street and Cedar Alley has been one of the art district's most recognizable public works for over three decades.
Drawing the news: This spring, a group of Columbus organizations commissioned a new work, "She Moves with Color," by local artist Mandi Caskey, known as Miss Birdy.
- It replaces the original Mona Lisa mural, commissioned in 1990 and dedicated to Short North developer Sandy Wood.
The new mural once again features a horizontal Mona Lisa, this time with a bit more color and a style that evokes a feeling of breaking out of the building.
- It was painted last month on the second-story, south-facing wall of the Moxy Hotel (800 N. High St.).
Between the lines: Cracks were starting to show on the beloved old mural, Short North Alliance executive director Betsy Pandora tells Axios.
- She jokes the group "tried to put a little Botox on her and keep her together as best we could," but it wasn't a permanent solution.
- Decommissioning is underway.
What they're saying: A reimagined Mona Lisa required "maintaining a legacy for this art," Pandora says, and the Short North Alliance knew there were high stakes for the next project.
- "How do we make sure that something that's had such a lasting legacy in our community thus far continues to get to do that? We asked ourselves, 'If we did this project for the first time today, how would we go about doing that?'"
"She Moves with Color" was designed to honor "the quiet integrity and historical importance" of the original mural with more "energy" and "vibrancy," Caskey said in a statement.
- The artist says she didn't want to "reinvent" the art, but instead infuse it with a "contemporary spark."
🖼️ What's next: The new mural is complete, with a June 24 public dedication and conversation about the work planned at the Moxy.