Q&A with mural artist Jesse Strother
We had the pleasure of interviewing Jesse Strother, local tattoo artist and painter, who will be creating the mural for the Make Your Mark project. See the Q&A below!
Q: What excites you the most about the Make Your Mark project?
A: I feel that cities with a good creative scene usually tend to be more progressive and forward thinking. I also feel like artwork can bring people together and Akron doesn't have a ton of public works. I guess I’m just excited to give something back that hopefully people will like.
Q: In this project, you are taking inspiration from the community and what they love about Summit County. What is your favorite part about your hometown?
A: Probably the parks. I’m not too much of a city guy. Just throw me in the woods and I’ll be fine.
Q: You created the mural that’s on Angel Falls in Highland Square. What do you like most about creating murals?
A: I like the impact of the size. Its one thing if its a large billboard but its a whole other ballgame when something that large is hand painted.
Q: Do you see yourself being involved in more projects like this in the future?
A: Hopefully! I try to never close open doors. You never know where they will take you.
Q: What is your favorite public art work?
A:The queen street alleys in Toronto.
Q: What benefits do you think the community gets from public art?
A: I think that communities benefit from public art greatly, especially local artists. It's a way to totally set your city apart from all the others. It's a way to give a city an identity and from that identity the city can grow rapidly. I also think that embracing artwork and creativity can keep a lot of kids out of trouble.
Q: How do you hope the public reacts to your creation?
A: Hahaha I hope well! When you make art for a living you realize very quickly that you can’t win everyone over and there are a lot of people who for some reason like to have negative things to say about everything. I hope people love it, I hope it triggers inspiration and above all I hope people realize that this city we live in is only as cool as WE make it, so lets get to work.
