Highlighting Ithaca Murals: An artistic union

Being a professional artist is not a requirement to create one of the large, vibrant murals that you often see around Ithaca.

Ithaca Murals is a network of people who paint murals in both public and private spaces all over Ithaca’s cityscape, telling both historical and residential stories.

They prioritize highlighting different groups in leadership and artist roles. This includes people of color, underemployed and working class folks, people who were previously incarcerated, and members of the LGBTQ+ community in leadership roles.

One of the most well-known murals in the Ithaca area is the fence on the South Hill Recreational Trail. This portion of the fence was done by Shane Scarofile.

Murals are funded by donations, whether through their website or through the purchase of an Ithaca Murals Coloring Book, which features murals and other local street art.

Some of the many locations in which artwork by locals is featured include Finger Lakes ReUse, Cinemapolis and the Sciencenter.

Ithaca Murals was first founded from the inspiration of advocating for State Street’s second name, Martin Luther King Jr. Street, which was successful with the efforts of community members like Caleb Thomas and Gino Bush.

Caleb Thomas, artist and Ithaca Murals organizer, then joined the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission and was at the forefront of the contest that led to the Underground Railroad Mural on Green Street.

Thomas continues to be the organizer of Ithaca Murals, bringing artists’ visions and the town’s locality to life in stunning visuality.

10 years worth of artist have been featured on the South Hill fence, including Hannah Teush, Melody Often and Lisa Baechtle.

The organization also brings artists in from outside the Ithaca area as well, according to Murals artist Melody Often.

“I think they’re doing a great job of making it accessible for all,” said Often of the network and its focus on the freedom of expression, as well as its conversational, outside-the-box nature. “Doing what they’re doing has so many positive impacts from my perspective,” said Often. “I think that what Ithaca Murals does is help… bring public art of another nature.”

One of the big ideas behind Ithaca Murals is to emphasize social justice, often weaving art and activism together by updating pre-existing murals.

Ithaca Murals features both local residents as well as artists from outside the Ithaca area, emphasizing the variety of stories being told. This portion of the fence was done by Sarah Rose Sheppard.

For example, a reimagining of the Underground Railroad Mural is in the process of accepting donations. The mural’s update within the context of the Black Lives Matter movement is in collaboration with the Southside Community Center.

Another focus of the artist network is to amplify a variety of voices, shown through the mural project in progress at the Belle Sherman Elementary School.

The project will see students participate in brainstorming designs and helping paint the final product. The idea behind this mural is to not only give students a chance to participate in the arts, but also leave the school with a lasting, positive image for the future.

Currently, there is a call for artists to be at the forefront of the school’s mural. Students are hoping for the mural to represent universal support and peace.

Kebbeh Gold, a member of the project’s committee, felt that a piece of art in collaboration with Ithaca Murals would allow young people’s voices and opinions to be heard.

“They’re 10- and 11-year-olds. I think that’s a pretty big deal,” said Gold. “They live with their parents [who] tell them what to do…. They have no concept of the world [yet], and now people are saying, ‘No, we want to hear what you have to say.’”

Local artist Paulina Melechkina, another committee member for the Belle Sherman Elementary mural, describes the network as an artistic union.

“As an artist, it is such an excellent resource, [like] having an advocate on your side,” said Melechkina. “It creates… this community of artists, and we are suddenly much more connected. It creates a ton of opportunities.”

Future projects are funded through donations, including the purchase of Ithaca Murals Coloring Books. This mural was done by Lynn Golan.

In 2009, there were 15 mural locations in Ithaca. Today, there are over 200.

The Ithaca Murals network is continuing to focus on art through the support of those who create it and tell stories, allowing for them to be shared visually with anyone who lives in Ithaca or is passing through.