TOWN/GOWN
Highlights of Oberlin Life Featured in New Community-Created Mural BY YVONNE GAY
TA N YA R O S E N -J O N E S ’ 97
more than 100 people from the college and town came together to create a 32-foot mural on the back of the Oberlin Bookstore during a community paint day in August. The result is an expressive collage that project organizer Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97 hopes will delight and inspire passersby. “I hope [people] feel joy when they see the vibrant colors,” she says. “I hope they feel pride in what a special place Oberlin is. I hope they realize there is a strong arts, sports, and music culture in this town.” Rosen-Jones, who owns a photography studio in downtown Oberlin, collaborated on the project with Oberlin High School and mural painters Martha Ferrazza of Oberlin, Jared Mitchell of Amherst Township, and Isaiah Williams of Cleveland. With community members lending a hand, the August installation of “We Are Oberlin” took just two weeks, but its groundwork was two years in the making. Its location was inspired by an existing installation painted in 1996. The mural, which had become weather beaten, depicted a sitting figure whose hands steadied a ball of light on top of its head, with the Earth and an open book at its feet. “I wondered about its origins,” says Rosen-Jones. “It was almost 25 years old, and there was no graffiti. I wondered how it was still respected after so much time.” Her inquiries led to former Oberlin associate dean Brenda Grier-Miller, who ran a camp in the 1990s that connected middle-school students to local artists for hands-on learning experiences. During a 1996 mural painting class, students came up with the concept and installed the work with the help of Nanette Yannuzzi, Oberlin professor of studio art, and Miller’s daughter, Imani Miller-Annibel ’03. “They were sad to see the mural go, but excited about a new generation getting the opportunity to create something beautiful and inspirational in the space,” explains RosenJones. “We compromised that any new design would include an homage to the original mural.” Rosen-Jones consulted with middle school art teachers and worked with a committee of local artists and community and college members. “I wanted the mural to feel communityowned, so it involved three important steps,” she says: Oberlin High School student participation, a communitywide vote, and a community paint day. Ultimately, 700 votes were cast to choose the winning design. “Oberlin truly is a special place,” says Rosen-Jones. “It’s small enough so that we celebrate our victories together and we suffer our losses together. It is the kind of place where you can make a positive difference in people’s lives.” OBERLIN ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2021 FALL
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