You never know who you’ll see at your bus shelter. Willy Wonka, Harry Potter, or maybe Dorothy and Toto on their way to Oz.
ArtWorks partnered with Metro and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to transform 24 shelters in downtown and Over-the-Rhine into colorful public art featuring popular books.
In addition to Willy, Harry and Dorothy, “Alice in Wonderland,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Scarlet Letter,” and “The Odyssey,” are just a few of the literary works suggested by the community that inspired the bus shelter art.
ArtWorks Lead Artist Ryan Little and Teaching artist Brandon Parker led the six youth Apprentices between the ages of 14 and 21 in designing the graphic prints for the Metro Art Shelter Project.
“This has been a dream project in every aspect,” said Katie Labmeier, ArtWorks public art manager. “The ArtWorks apprentices and teaching staff were a great team and wonderfully collaborated to produce so many exciting designs for the shelters. And, Metro has been an amazing partner throughout the entire process."
“We are thrilled to partner with ArtWorks to transform downtown bus shelters into works of art,” said Metro CEO and General Manager Terry Garcia Crews. “We believe our customers and the community will enjoy the whimsical art created by these talented young people…and it’s a great reminder to read and ride.”
The dedication for the Metro Art Shelter Project was celebrated on Sept. 26 at a bus shelter near the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Main Library downtown on Walnut Street.
