A beautiful day for painting at Madison Villa
A short drive down Madison Road will reveal a bright pop of color on the front exterior brick wall of Madison Villa that lies just beyond this threshold.
“Spring Festival” is the name of this beautiful ArtWorks mural honoring local philanthropist and friend of ERS Janice Lubin, who passed away September 10, 2020. The Mural was a collaborative project between Episcopal Retirement Services, Church of the Redeemer, the Madison Villa community, ArtWorks and several special donors.
The Rev. Gary Lubin’s lead gift brought the mural to life, as Gary and his late wife Janice included provisions in their estate plans to create a fund that will support some of the ongoing needs of Madison Villa. Gary explained he and Janice shared a deep “empathy, appreciation for our lot in life, gratitude for God’s love, grace and mercy, and the desire to pay it forward (that) sparked our interest in creating a little something that would provide for the continued needs of Madison Villa.”
Designed by local artist Ann Geise, the mural celebrates the Lubins’ shared passion for nature, and includes many elements that are of personal significance to them. The mural is anchored by two birds: a Brown Thrasher and Baltimore Oriole, which represent Janice and Gary, as official birds of their respective home states. The dogwood reminds them of when they moved to Cincinnati in 1979 from Georgia. To feel at home, they immediately planted six dogwood trees in their front yard. It was a fun coincidence that Ann worked a Jack-in-the-pulpit into the mural, as Gary has served as Deacon at Redeemer for over twenty years.
Bringing nature to the Madisonville urban setting was a priority of the project. It can be enjoyed from many vantage points—from inside the building on each floor, on the patio directly beneath it, and by people on the sidewalk and street. Just as with nature, the longer you linger to enjoy it, the more things seem to appear. Can you spot the ladybug? A snail? The tree frog? Look closely: There is not one bee, but three!
It took an ArtWorks team of lead and assisting artists and 5 youth apprentices 10 weeks to complete the mural in the summer of 2022. Mid-way through the project, approximately 50 Redeemer parishioners and Madison Villa residents came together to add their brush strokes to the mural during a community day of service. ArtWorks apprentice Lexi Spurlock reflected on the symbolism of the mural’s title, “Spring Festival,” that special day. Just as nature emerges in the springtime – with buds bursting into leaves and flowers, butterflies emerging from their chrysalises, and birds hatching in their nests – she marveled at all the budding friendships she saw blooming that day, as people from diverse backgrounds came together with a common goal: to improve the quality of life for those who live, work in, and visit the community of Madisonville.
“Spring Festival” will serve as an important reminder of the circle of life: its beauty, its diversity and its resiliency.
In addition to our collaborative partners and lead donor Gary Lubin, we gratefully acknowledge ArtsWave and an anonymous donor at Redeemer for providing critical funding to complete the project.
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