Nordonia art students create bridge mural depicting communities in the district

by Laura Bednar

When motorists drive under a highway bridge, they can expect to see graffiti. But art students from the Nordonia Hills City School district executed an upgrade, creating a mural under the state Route 82 bridge over I-271.

Nordonia schools Superintendent Dr. Joe Clark initiated the idea of students creating a mural after being inspired by a mural he saw at a college in Louisville, Ky.

The idea was then shared with Macedonia Mayor Nicholas Molnar, who worked with Clark and community committee members to bring it to fruition. Director of business for Nordonia schools, Matt Strickland, said the idea originated before COVID-19 but was put on hold for a year and a half until students could meet. During that time, students worked with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Initially, the mural was going to show only Macedonia’s city seal, but Strickland said, “The mayor wanted all five communities that make up the school district involved.”

Each of the five communities — Boston Heights, Macedonia, Northfield Village, Sagamore Hills and Nordonia — submitted ideas of what they wanted their part of the mural to represent. Students also did their own research on each area to find the best representation.

The mural reads “Nordonia” in large letters with five “postcards” depicting the personality or history of each community.

“Our communities are different and don’t always agree on everything,” Strickland said. “To do something on that scale to tie us all together is special.”

Strickland said the project was the first of its kind in the state, as ODOT had never been asked to approve what they considered to be “intentional graffiti.” Nordonia art teacher Kristi Gunyula said the students, some who were part of the school art club, and others who were just interested in art, had to go back and forth with ODOT on the design, making changes when the department did not approve.

“It was a learning experience,” Gunyula said. “We wanted art students to participate in everything from client communication, working with a professional muralist, brainstorming, researching, designing, critiquing, planning and implementation.”

Approximately 30 students worked on the project, with 11 AP juniors and seniors each having two to three people work under them. Due to delays caused by the pandemic, some seniors from the Class of 2021 laid much of the groundwork for the project but graduated before the mural was finished. Gunyula said many of the graduates went on to major in art in college.

The large-scale size of the project led Gunyula to partner with muralist Jason Baumgardner, who has a studio called “Headspace” in Great Lakes Mall.

“I knew the project was going to be big and that we were going to need someone with more large-scale commercial experience,” Gunyula said.

Baumgardner’s space in the mall is not only a storefront but a place for artists to work and collaborate on projects. “Last year’s team took two field trips to his Headspace art gallery where we spent the day collaborating, brainstorming and sketching,” said Gunyula.

ODOT issued a permit for the mural three months ago, and the actual painting took three weeks, finishing in September. Students painted when traffic was light, and a lane was blocked off to ensure their safety. Gunyula said students signed up for painting times, between the hours of 6 a.m. and noon, as well as weekends.

Said Gunyula, “We have received so much positive feedback through letters, phone calls and social media and I can see it when the students talk about it — how proud they are that they were a big part of the process.”∞