The Set - Cincinnati Murals

This month’s “The Set” spans multiple locations with a common theme: wall murals. Cincinnati is well on its way to becoming a city known for its murals. Thanks to ArtWorks, the Contemporary Arts Center, community leadership, business owners, and guerilla artists, Cincinnati has a wealth of wall art. Many of these local murals have appeared on What I Wore 2Day (clicking on any photo will bring you to the original blog post, which often contains alternative views of the mural).

Longworth Hall

Longworth Hall, once a warehouse, has since been repurposed into office and event space. Adjacent to the hall’s parking lot, underneath I-75, you’ll find four murals. The themes: beachside, abstract, floral, and ancient Rome.



Madisonville

We performed Piece of My Heart at the Madisonville Arts Center. The center’s entryway sports a beautiful mural of bits of glass, ceramic, and tile. A wall across the street hosted a Shepard Fairey mural for a few days, before vandals painted over it.


Brighton

Brighton refers to the area bordered by Central Parkway, I-75, the Western Hills Viaduct, and Liberty Street. It’s a depressed area, but has lately become popular with artistic types. It was the home of The Brush Factory and currently houses at least one art gallery. The Mockbee, an event space just on the other side of Central Parkway, anchors the developing, artistic strip. This mural is on the corner of Kindel and Central Avenues:


Over-the-Rhine

There are tons of murals in Over-the-Rhine and along Central Parkway (the southern border of OTR). So far, I’ve only posed with this mural, at the corner of Jackson and 12th street.


...bill often reminds me of other potential blog backgrounds in OTR, but limited light and parking often defeat our attempts to pose in front of area's murals.

Columbia-Tusculum

This eye-catching mural is in the parking lot of Fuel, a local coffee shop, on Riverside Drive. The parking lot also hosts Saturday car shows.



Northside

Like Over-the-Rhine, Northside is rich in murals and graffiti-art. We’ve only begun to explore the possibilities.


The first mural is an old advertisement for Liberty Tire. The second is modeled after Raymond Thunder-Sky's art and is painted on the side of a gallery dedicated to the artist.

Cheviot

This bizarre mural, on the side of Comic Book World on Harrison Avenue, is a new favorite because it’s so colorful and convenient.


North College Hill

I've searched for meaning in this mural every time I've run by the pharmacy on Galbraith Road. I'm stumped, but intrigued.


Covington (Kentucky)

Covington, KY is considered a part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. This mural advertises the Anchor Grill, housed in this building.


I wish more businesses advertised in this way!

I would estimate that we've only used about 15% of the area's murals on What I Wore 2Day. When choosing a mural, we have to consider parking, obstructions (especially parked cars!), and the field of view. Some urban locations are unusable because we simply can't get me and the mural in the shot. Now that we've added a fish-eye and wide-angle lens to our arsenal, we'll be able to experiment with some of these tight locations. We also have to consider height. Beefy is so much taller than I that we either have to find an elevated surface for me to stand upon or a seat for him.

If keep a list of future murals to use as background, but I'd love to hear your suggestions. Leave a comment if you have a mural to recommend or even just more insight about the murals used so far!

The Set - New Gate Warehouse

Beefy and I have divergent preferences on the backdrop for my outfit photos. I seek out dirty, urban landscapes. He prefers a lovely view (usually of Cincinnati). Really, they are pictures of the same thing…I just like to get up close and personal with The Queen City’s industrial side. Since most of the gritty scenes are private property or in bad neighborhoods, it can be difficult to find a safe, reliable location for urban pictures.

Early in our relationship, we played Lord and Lady Capulet in a production of Romeo and Juliet (New Gate Celtic Theater Company). We rehearsed in a portion of a warehouse, behind the Hyde Park Plaza. After only a few rehearsals, we started taking pictures before everyone else got to the warehouse. Beefy would pick me up from work and we’d grab something to eat, drive to the warehouse, and do quick outfit photos near the loading dock. Later, when he directed me in A Piece of My Heart (also New Gate), we fell back into the same rhythm. Not only was the warehouse convenient, but it offered a variety of industrial backgrounds and great light!

Romeo and Juliet:


A Piece of My Heart:


By the time we had started work on A Piece of My Heart, we had become more adventurous with photo locations and only used the warehouse a couple of times. After we moved on to our performance space for that production, we didn’t use it at all.

And then, one hot and steamy day last July, I suggested that we return, not for rehearsal, but just to take a few pictures.


It’s a special place, now. We might not ever rehearse there again, but we’ve made a lot of memories. Romeo and Juliet was our first time on stage together. Piece of My Heart was the first (and last?) time that Beefy has directed me. Many of Beefy’s first photos of my outfits were taken at the warehouse. We learned how to work together to both put on a play and create images for my blog.

The warehouse stays on my short list of east side photo locations. In fact, I think the next time Beefy asks me where I want to take pictures, I'll say, "The New Gate Warehouse!"

The Set - Eden Park

When Beefy photographs my outfits before or after work, we often use nearby Eden Park as the setting. At 186 acres, the park offers a variety of photo locations. And it’s only minutes from downtown. In fact, it is so close to my office that I’ve spent many lunch hours walking through the park and historic Mt Adams. All those lunchtime walks paid off; I know every great picture spot in the park. Thanks to Cincinnati Parks and Parkways by Nancy A Recchie and Jeffrey T Darbee, I also know what those locations looked like long before I began using them as a backdrop.

The Bridge to Nowhere

Eden Park still contains large Mirror Lake, but that was once part of much larger, 12 acre, 96 million gallon reservoir.


Today, all that remains of the reservoir is the much smaller (and shallower) Mirror Lake, centered in the upper half of the former reservoir. What I call “the bridge to nowhere” is actually the remainder of the stone wall that once held back the water. It’s popular with rock climbers and (so I hear) other photographers. It always boggles my mind that the field that now hosts kite-flying, Frisbee-throwing, and dog-running, used to be under water.



I’m glad part of the wall was left intact. It’s a gorgeous reminder of the park’s history. And, it’s a dramatic spot for outfit photos.


Mirror Lake


Mirror Lake may be less impressive than the original reservoir, but it’s still a showpiece. The paved, 1/3-mile trail is popular with walkers and joggers and pets. The day we took this picture, a woman was walking her ferret around the large pond. It ran along the raised rim, untethered, while she walked behind. I wondered who was walking whom.

In the summer, a fountain runs in the middle of the lake. In the winter, the shallow lake freezes and it’s used for skating and ice hockey. No matter the season, Beefy and I should use it for photos more often!


Twin Lakes


We end up at Twin Lakes more for the view of the Ohio River and Kentucky hills than the lakes, themselves. That seems to be the case with most of the area’s visitors. The overlook is lined with benches and they are usually full on a sunny day.


This little corner of Eden Park sees a lot of traffic. It is just up the hill from Krohn Conservatory and serves as overflow parking. Victory Parkway, a busy road, borders one edge of the Twin Lakes area. And there are always plenty of runners, picnickers, and daydreamers in the park. When we take photos here, I have to be prepared for an audience.



Spring House Gazebo

This pretty little gazebo is over 100 years old and caps a spring with supposed medicinal qualities. The building is in fabulous condition. It is one of the landmarks I look forward to as I run through the park.


Beefy first took my photo here to document my return to red hair. We came back a year later to photograph my hair, again. I guess we’ll keep it up, returning each May 19th (or so). Some people get married in the gazebo. Some people take frivolous photos of their hair and outfit in the space.


Seasongood Pavilion

I was confused, when leafing through Cincinnati Parks and Parkways to find photos of a bandstand where I knew Seasongood Pavilion to be. The landscape between the Cincinnati Art Museum and Mirror Lake forms a natural amphitheater. It held an ornate bandstand until 1960.


The bandstand was replaced with the much larger, but not as lovely, Seasongood Pavilion. Aesthetics aside, I do appreciate the great cover provided by the pavilion. It’s become my new “go-to” location for rainy day pictures. It’s dry and open to natural light.


I will admit that the walk to the pavilion can be a bit perilous, especially after the Osage Oranges have dropped their fruits (see picture at left) on the steeply sloped sidewalk. It’s like trying to skate downhill, in heels, on slimy brains.



Hinkle Magnolia Garden

For about 5 days each spring, this section of Eden Park is absolute heaven. There are at least half a dozen species of magnolia planted here. If you visit at just the right time, all the blossoms are in some state of bloom – either overblown or just beginning to unfurl. I’ve never caught it on film.

The other attraction of the garden is the Hinkle Tinkle. Actually, it’s called the Bettman Fountain, but the water makes a metallic, tinkling noise as it falls. Beefy once took my picture here.


I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to climb on this fountain. Especially in heels.
Someday, we are going to catch the magnolias at that magic time. But the fountain is an acceptable consolation prize.


The magnolia buds are already well developed in December. I can’t wait for the spring show!
I’ve enjoyed Eden Park as a walker, runner, and naturalist for years. Recently, I’ve also come to appreciate it for the photographic opportunities. Since learning a little of its history, I’m even more enamored with the park. If you see a dreamy, far-away look in my eyes as I pose here, you can bet I’m thinking about how the park used to be and what it might be like in the future.*

*Not to spoil the nostalgic mood or anything, but I’ve developed an elaborate fantasy of fencing off the entire hill, including the park, to create a little safe haven in case of a zombie apocalypse.

All black and white photos scanned from Cincinnati Parks and Parkways, Nancy A. Recchie and Jeffrey T. Darbee, 2010.
Color photographs were taken by me or Beefy Muchacho