Raymond G. LaVoie
As drills buzzed, hammers pounded and dust flew during the construction of Bridge Park’s new Italian restaurant Valentina’s, 3,444 ceramic tiles were carefully laid on the pillar at the corner of Riverside Drive. and Bridge Park Avenue.
These colorful hand-cut tiles created a beautiful mosaic, titled In the Neighborhood, capturing some of the birds, flowers and other wildlife found in Dublin.
This artwork, created by seasoned ceramic artists duo Eric Rausch and Jen Kiko, has expanded Dublin’s growing public art collection.
From the Beginning
The process that brought this piece together was different from others that Public Art Manager Ava Morgan has worked on for the Dublin Arts Council. This time Crawford Hoying, the developer of Bridge Park, approached them for guidance.
“They had a great vision and intention of using art to create a destination and provide a sense of place with something unique for Bridge Park,” Morgan says, “so they approached Dublin Arts Council and said, ‘Look, we have a budget for this. We just need help finding the right artist.’”
And that is when the council connected with Rausch.
Rausch is a full-time artist specializing in clay and ceramics who began creating art long before he graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. In 2014 he was named Emerging Arts Leader by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and he’s managed an art studio at the Cultural Arts Center for several years.
While he was originally brought on as a consultant, he and his wife, Kiko, submitted a successful proposal for the piece. Once their idea was approved, they got right to work.
“We walked the bridge when we first got here to think about, ‘How will this piece live in this area? How will it feel like something different, but also very much fit into the architectural surroundings?’” Rausch says.
After visiting the site – as well as taking in the details and ambiance of Valentina’s – the two felt inspired and began designing.
Behind the Tiles
With the idea secured after visiting Valentina’s, the artists chose to decorate the column with flora and fauna from the average Ohioan’s backyard. Kiko, an artist and teacher in the Westerville City School District, drew up the details.
Once the design was finished, Rausch and his lead assistant Krissy Beck meticulously cut and labeled every tile to ensure that the finished mosaic would come together perfectly around the column.
After months of cutting, firing, painting and finishing each tile by hand, it was time to install them.
Placing the tiles around the curvature of the column was difficult, but Rausch was able to lay each tile down in the correct position before the doors opened at Valentina’s.
Looking back on the process, both Rausch and Kiko are happy with how it turned out and are grateful for the opportunity to showcase their art.
“This piece is kind of a love letter to Dublin,” Kiko says.
With more than 60 public art pieces around Dublin, there is plenty to see and the Art in Public Places Mobile Tour is a great way to learn about each one. The tour includes a map with 21 stops and audio recordings from the artists or administrators close to the public art projects. Read more at www.dublinarts.org.
Future Impact
With this piece completed, Morgan says the council will continue bringing more art to Dublin.
Since adopting the Public Art Master Plan in 2021, the council has worked closely with the city to enhance the lives of Dublin residents and make the city a destination for visitors.
The Art in Public Places program has brought about pieces such as the Chief Leatherlips Monument in Scioto Park and Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees) near Frantz Road, with each going through an extensive review process by the council. Although In the Neighborhood is not technically a part of this program, it has added to the discussion around public art in Dublin.
For future projects, Morgan says the council hopes to establish a Public Art Review Committee made up of community members to review ideas and proposals. Although she does not foresee that happening before next year, Morgan is excited about the opportunity it may present.
“This way the public art process really does reflect the community at large. It’s not just the Arts Council or the City that’s making decisions. It’s truly a community-driven process,” Morgan says. “The more opportunities we can provide for the community to provide their feedback or opinions, the more successful our public art collection and programming will be.”
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
