RNC delegates riding in and out of downtown Cleveland on the RTA Red Line will be treated to an art display. It will be only a fleeting glimpse, but it’s part of a public art project designed to last.

In today’s State of the Arts, WKSU’s Vivian Goodman takes a peek at wall murals along the rail line.

For weeks, Amber Esner has been gathering brushes and spray cans, strapping on a safety harness and riding a bucket truck up, down, and along a 40-foot retaining wall.

She’s creating art beside the rapid tracks under East 9th Street in working conditions that are less than ideal.

“You kind of get spooked every time the RTA goes past you. And then when you’re trying to move the heavy machinery , which is a first for me, which I love, it’s so much fun. But it’s so difficult trying to figure out, and the ground’s uneven. But it’s definitely a trip.”

Public-private partnership for public art
Esner is one of 19 international, national and local artists, working at 12 sites along the train tracks. They’re racing to beautify the path in time for the Republican National Convention.

The project is part of a half-million dollar initiative of the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Foundation and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.

It’s managed by the non-profit LAND Studio’s Tiffany Graham.

“We use public art, urban design, community engagement and sustainable building practices to improve public spaces all throughout the city. And we’ve been working on implementing public art along the Red Line for almost two years.”

The concept predates Cleveland getting the RNC.

“It’s one of those dream projects that LAND Studio has been kind of obsessed with for a very long time. However, it was once we got the convention that we were really able to say, 'Well, let’s really make this public art plan something that comes to life.”

Red Line first She says the decision to start with the Red Line was not a nod to Republicans.

“The line that we’re working on right now connects the airport to downtown, through many neighborhoods, and all the way out to University Circle. And this is part of the city that thousands of people see every day.”

And that 50,000 visitors coming in for the RNC are also likely to see. Delegates have been encouraged to abandon their cars.

“They’ll ride the Rapid from the airport into downtown, and then there will be delegates going out to different parts of the city, University Circle, other eastside areas where there will be convention events.”

Mix of artists LAND Studios curatorial team chose the artists to paint the Rapid’s walls.

“Cleveland does not have the mural culture that some other cities have, so what we wanted to do was provide an opportunity for local artists to be part of this project, have their names be recognized with some of these other folks and bring some people from around the country and the world here as well.”

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