Catalyst Columbus and MadLab Theatre have unveiled two new large-scale murals Downtown.
Created by artists Jen Wrubleski and Marcus Billingsley, the mural at 227 N. Third St. wraps two sides of MadLab Theatre and connects the visual arts to performing arts.
The piece was commissioned with funding from the Jim and Annanette Harper Family Foundation, EDGE Landscape Architecture, MadLab patrons and the Catalyst Columbus Fund.
The two distinctive pieces share a color palette and unique depictions of community.
Of her own piece, Wrubleski said the imagery symbolizes how knowledge is key to a community moving forward together.
“Every community wants to grow and move forward, and knowledge is the beacon that sheds the light to illuminate the differences between our current reality and what we can strive to create together,” said Wrubleski in a press release.
“The rabbit moves through portal-like pathways opened up through new experiences and knowledge,” she continued. “But just as there are always two choices to be made in any situation, the rabbit has two heads. This symbolizes the choice we have of either action or inaction, to use and absorb new information to better everyone or not.”
On his piece, Billingsley drew from his interest in storytelling through portraiture.
“I’ve created a design that showcases inclusiveness while also highlighting the themes of MadLab,” said Billingsley. “In my design, I decided to delineate several diverse faces in a stylized and monochromatic manner. As a secondary element, several of the faces depicted have contrasting expressions, hoping to deliver an unusual yet humorous vibe to the design.”
For more information, visit catalystcolumbus.art.
All photos by Shawn Walls, courtesy of Catalyst Columbus