A once-blank wall at Cincinnati Public Radio is now a bold new piece of public art. On Friday, September 11, the community came together to celebrate the artists and young apprentices who brought it to life.
A large crowd gathered outside CPR’s Dana Avenue home for the celebration and dedication of With Voices Raised, WE RESIST!, created in partnership with 1001 Colors. The colorful mural explores freedom of speech, media, public dialogue, and civic engagement while showcasing the work of professional artists and youth apprentices.
The dedication included remarks from Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, mural artist Cierra LeRoy, 1001 Colors Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director Colleen Houston, and Cincinnati Public Radio President and CEO Rich Eiswerth.
The celebration marked the culmination of a project that began months earlier and brought professional artists and young apprentices together to create the mural. Thanks to 1001 Colors, formerly ArtWorks, and the support of Cincinnati Public Radio donors, the vision became a reality.
“When we moved into our new building over a year ago, many asked about the large white wall on the park side of our building,” said CPR’s Director of Major and Planned Gifts Conrad Thiede. “The goal was to add a mural ‘someday.’ This building is the first in the city to be built with a specified empty wall space to be filled with a mural; a blank canvas, if you will.”
1001 Colors focuses on youth employment in the arts, producing public art and creative projects that employ and develop young people while strengthening communities and supporting artists. The organization approached Cincinnati Public Radio about partnering on the mural, beginning the process of selecting a design and artist.
Regional artist Cierra LeRoy, known for her text-based work, was chosen to design the large mural focused on freedom of speech, along with a smaller music-themed mural facing the park. LeRoy said she has had a deep appreciation for public radio since she was introduced to it as a child during trips to and from school.
“The main mural piece (‘With Voices Raised, WE RESIST!’) is primarily a call to action,” LeRoy said. “As I designed this mural, I questioned how free we are to speak, or rather who exactly “freedom of speech” still exists for, or who it was really won for in the first place. So it’s a call to raise our voices as a collective, in defense of truth, in defense of our neighbors, in pursuit of community, in pursuit of true freedom. A reality where everyone is free and protected, and not just those who hold enough privilege to move the levers of power & influence.”
Learning Behind the Mural
Bringing LeRoy’s design to life required a team that included 10 youth apprentices who helped turn the design into the finished mural. The words “Raise Your Voice” are positioned at the center of the work.
One apprentice, Kaden Carpenter Kellogg, a high school senior, said working on the mural gave him a new understanding of how much technical work goes into creating large-scale public art. He was surprised by the amount of math, measuring and precision required to take an artist’s original design and accurately reproduce it on the side of a large building.
“It’s a lot more math than you realize, especially if you are working with a lot of shapes,” Kellogg explained. “Plotting the tape down itself took a lot of consideration with where the lines were. We had to use a lot of levels.”
The project provided more than an opportunity to paint. It offered firsthand experience with the planning, teamwork, problem-solving, and attention to detail required to turn an artistic vision into a finished piece of public art. Project manager Josh McGrew and teaching artists Alex Tanveer and Margeaux Lim oversaw the project.
“Working on the 1001 Colors mural as a first-time teaching artist and my first mural ever was a massive privilege,” Lim said. “I was honored to work on such a vibrant design by Cierra LeRoy, and teaching and working with the apprentices was the highlight of my summer.”
The project was also made possible by twelve Cincinnati Public Radio supporters who made additional gifts toward the mural. Among them were Charles Frank and Jan Goldstein.
“I love murals and the stories they tell,” Goldstein said. “I was saddened that we were leaving the CET mural behind, and equally excited about a community-facing mural on the CPR building. Even before I saw the design, I supported the idea, but now that I have seen it, I love the message.”
The mural was completed in late July, with final touches added in early August. The dedication event gave the artists, apprentices, supporters and community an opportunity to come together and celebrate the finished work.
The evening also included 1001 Colors’ Red Door Auction, “Freedom Speech,” featuring more than 40 works exploring the theme of freedom of speech.
What began as a blank wall at Cincinnati Public Radio’s new home is now a permanent piece of public art, created through collaboration and designed to engage the community for years to come.