What is it: A new mural is bringing color to Shores & Islands Ohio’s downtown Sandusky welcome center.
The west side of the building, at 125 E. Water St., was rebuilt after storm damage in 2018. The
Shores & Islands Ohio team planned to beautify the spot ever since it moved into the building in 2020, but first had to commission additional work to ensure the surface was watertight, according to the release.
Shores & Islands Ohio received monetary support from the
City of Sandusky Public Arts & Culture Commission for the approximately 2,542-square-foot mural, the release states.
The artists: After approval from Shores & Islands Ohio, the City of Sandusky Arts Commission, and the building’s homeowner’s association, artists Derek Brennan and Chad Fedorovich of
Cleveland Mural Company began work on the project, which, as Shores & Islands requested, was to “be representative of the region, without specifically identifying businesses or attractions,” according to the release.
Brennan and Fedorovich have worked together for years and have completed other mural projects in the area. The two recently completed “
The Boy and the Sneaker” at Venetian Marina on First Street, and Brennan’s “
Warblers and Wildflowers” has brought a splash of nature to an apartment building on Hancock and East Washington streets. Brennan also is responsible for the “Live Green” mural at
A&B Hobbies & Cycles on West Washington Street, as well as several murals at
The Marketplace at the Cooke. Fedorovich has painted murals at
Castaway Bay on Cleveland Road West and
Paddle Bar in downtown Sandusky.
“As a mural artist, I’m always driving through the city searching for potential sites,” Brennan states via the release. “I’ve been staring at this wall for a few years now and I knew if I ever got the opportunity that it would really have an impact on downtown. I just want my work to bring color and joy to people in the community and it’s an honor to be able to leave my mark in the city I grew up in.”
Why is it important: The project is another of several new public art commissions in Sandusky that continue to enrich the area.
“In working with the Public Arts & Culture Commission over the past few years, murals continue to top the list of high impact, priority projects,” said Arin Blair, chief planner for City of Sandusky via the release. “We’re so excited to have taken part in the creation of this new piece of public art in Sandusky and grateful to Shores & Islands Ohio for taking the lead to make it happen. Public art is a key factor in creating places that are unique, memorable, and celebrated.”
How to get involved: Watch
a time lapse of the painting of the mural, created by Sandusky’s New Departure Films, and view the mural in person at the Shores & Islands Ohio Welcome Center, 125 E. Water St., Sandusky.