Cincinnati —ArtWorks and nationally recognized architecture, design and engineering firm SHP have teamed up to ignite downtown with a new dynamic and eye-catching mural, the first mural designed by American artist MOMO in Cincinnati.
MOMO gained recognition from designing large-scale murals on buildings around the world. This new soaring mural expertly showcases his unique style with swaths of color and abstract forms rising 90 feet on the Sycamore Place building, located at the corner of Sycamore and 7th Street.
The artist’s style is self-described as concrete or nonrepresentational, developed over a 15-year process of refining a vocabulary of color sequences and half-tones. “This unique composition for Cincinnati is intended to reach people like visual music without lyrics. There’s nothing representational, just the sensual qualities of color, harmony and rhythm. I’m excited to have ArtWorks bring this design to life for this gorgeous city,” said MOMO.
Led by Teaching Artists Adrienne Dixon and Thomas Osorio, 12 ArtWorks apprentices have been working on executing MOMO’s expressive, geometric design on the building via multi-story scaffolding. They will complete the project by the end of the summer.
SHP is sponsoring this ArtWorks project to recognize and honor the generation of leadership that built the firm’s Cincinnati office.
“Throughout SHP’s 120-plus year history, our work has been about transformation. We have embraced the idea of Simply Helping People by creating environments and experiences that improve lives and raise people and communities up,” said Lauren Della Bella, president of SHP. “ArtWorks’ commitment to using public art to change communities and raise awareness about the impact of art on our lives aligns seamlessly with SHP’s values and commitment to the public.”
SHP is one of the oldest architecture and design firms in Ohio, specializing in the design of engaging schools, businesses and communal gathering places that help people grow and thrive. The firm has over 120 years of experience, with offices in Cincinnati, Columbus and Northern Kentucky.
“I love that this project is dedicated to retired architects and engineers,” said Fiona Flanigan, 17, of Cheviot, an ArtWorks apprentice working on the SHP mural. “The environments they create help people engage in better human experiences. I hope our mural highlights the positive work they do for our community.”
“It is really fantastic to work with ArtWorks. The program, which gives a unique, hands-on opportunity for young artists, really impressed me. When you combine that with a fantastic site, SHP support and top-quality materials, it made for a beautiful opportunity,” said MOMO.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
MOMO has been producing vibrant, large-scale murals in public spaces since the 1990s. His projects, which center around adapted masonry techniques, feature vivid colors, geometric shapes and abstract forms that complement and emphasize the surrounding architecture. Notable mural commissions include those from Facebook, Pepsi, the NFL, and the World Trade Center, with additional self-organized walls around the world.
ABOUT SHP
SHP is a team of dynamic architects, designers and engineers who maximize the utility, beauty and wonder of space. The firm applies its signature expertise and passion—as well as a multidisciplinary approach—to create lasting environments that simply help people engage in better human experiences. Learn more about SHP’s planning, architecture, interior design, engineering, construction administration and facilities management services at SHP.com.
ABOUT ARTWORKS
Since 1996, ArtWorks has collaborated with community organizations and residents, businesses, governments, foundations and nonprofits to build creative works of art that support the Greater Cincinnati region’s global reputation as an arts destination. ArtWorks has employed and trained over 3,500 professional artists and 4,000 youth, ages 14–24. We invest in our creative economy by creating jobs that support local talent, pairing professional artists to inspire and mentor diverse teams of youth, and helping them build 21st-century career-readiness skills. Over the past 27 years, this collaborative approach has created a citywide gallery with more than 14,000 public and private art projects, including more than 250 permanent outdoor murals.
