Newest mural honors Hattie Moseley

Hatch New Media created this video to tell the story of the creation of the new Hattie Moseley mural on the side of the WesBanco building at 28 E. Main St. in Downtown Springfiled. 

Springfield’s Public Art Committee has actively worked to identify spaces in Springfield’s core to highlight with a variety of public art pieces. This mural came to be from a collaboration of the committee, WesBanco, The Greater Springfield Partnership and The Westcott House. 

Moseley was chosen to be featured in the mural because of her role in the desegregation of Springfield’s Fulton School. The mural depicts Moseley holding Fulton in her arms, and she is surrounded in the background by a variety of wildflowers native to Ohio.

Through her many roles, Moseley took a no-nonsense approach that allowed her to secure jobs and improve the livelihood of many people. The mural provided the Public Art Committee the opportunity to connect with Moseley’s family and involve them in the creation of the piece.

Internationally renowned artist Gaia and his assistant Bilal Johnson-Bey spent just more than two weeks in Springfield creating the mural. Gaia paints murals around the world and has worked on a variety of creative placemaking projects. He spent times talking with the public while he worked, including during the Oct. 7, First Friday.

“Our goal is to create art that everyone can access and enjoy,” says Marta Wojcik, Westcott House executive director and a member of the Springfield Public Art Committee. “Public art makes our Downtown more attractive and memorable. It is also a great tool for civic engagement, and, of course, a way to support the artists.

“Through our mural projects, we have invited our community to celebrate Springfield history and raise public awareness about important community issues.”

This project is funded by the Springfield Public Art Committee in partnership with the Westcott House Foundation responsible for securing grant funding through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Ohio Arts Council, and the City of Springfield.