Traffic Cabinet
Art Boxes
Main Street Marysville presents the 2025 Uptown Traffic Box Art Project with the City of Marysville!
Marysville was founded in 1816 by Samuel W. Cuthbertson. What began as a
small town with a couple churches and a few small stores exponentially grew
when manufacturing arrived. A bustling Uptown sprang up, and many of these
buildings still stand today including Houston Block, Union Block, and the Liggett Building.
Destinations such as the Avalon Theatre, Houston Block Studios, and Plumm Home
are current businesses that call historic buildings home. Arrayed around
the main intersection of 5th Street and Main Street, site of the former public square,
the historic architecture weaves a connection between then and now.
To this day, Marysville boasts a culture of innovation with major manufacturers such as
Honda, Scotts-Miracle Grow, and Nestle calling the city home. In Marysville, the adage
“Where the Grass is Greener” is not merely a phrase, but rather a statement that
boldly reflects the community’s aspirations.
Artists are encouraged to take inspiration from Marysville’s rich history for their artwork.
The theme of this art project is “If the Past was Present”.
Artists are encouraged to consider the historical context of Marysville,
most especially the historic buildings, and reimagine them.
Historical photographs are available for download to be used as
inspiration and/or in the artwork.
5th Street and Court Street - NW Corner
1927 - A+P Grocery Store located at 125 W. 5th, Marysville, Ohio. Vernon Swink, manager on left and Edward Thompson, clerk on right.
Selected Artist: Sarah Griggs Sarah lives in Marysville, Ohio. She has been using her God-given gifts as an artist her entire life and loves experimenting and exploring a variety of mediums and techniques. She studied graphic design and studio art at Cedarville University. She is passionate about seeing the beauty of the Creator all around her, capturing the magic in the ordinary things, and creating meaningful work. In her art, she has always been drawn to people and especially faces, which tell a lifetime of stories. She is a full time wife and mom with an insatiable drive to create and always has some kind of side project going on. @s.griggs.creative -- Timeless Beauty -- Driving through town I noted the location of the boxes and started pondering what may have been there on the town corners throughout our history. I thought of what kind of vendors could have parked their carts in anticipation of the locals coming to buy from them and I thought about how our town proudly decorates the square and beyond so beautifully each season with various floral displays. I searched to see if old time flower carts were a thing, and they were! The historical flower vendor photos inspired me for this concept which reflects the beauty of florals that Marysville celebrates, the warmth of summer evenings strolling town, and the joy of picking up a bouquet of your favorite flowers from a local maker.
5th Street and Court Street - SW Corner
Union County Court Houses, Marysville, Ohio First Second Third (Destroyed 1883)
Selected Artist: Brenna Wight Brenna Wight is a local elementary school teacher who enjoys creating art in her free time. She finds joy in drawing, painting (especially watercolor), and making digital art. She is thankful for all of her past and present students who continually inspire her to learn, grow, and create new things. When she is not teaching or making art, Brenna enjoys spending time with her husband, learning more about Jesus, and taking long strolls uptown. -- Windows into Our Past -- This piece is an abstract, stained glass inspired design that draws inspiration from various architectural elements of our uptown buildings (past and present). There are historical photographs embedded throughout the design in hopes to spark curiosity and encourage others to learn more about Marysville’s fascinating history.
6th Street and Main Street - SW Corner
Entrance to Haggard Building
Selected Artist: Bailey Perry 23, from Marysville, Ohio. Currently living in Los Angeles, CA, and working in animation as a production assistant on the tv series Krapopolis. Instagram: @art.by.beep -- Firehouse at Golden Hour -- I was very inspired by the architecture of the former Marysville firehouse building. Since my artwork is displayed on the street corner where that building once stood, it felt right to pay homage to it. The color palette was heavily inspired by the firehouse as well, and I played with some bold, bright colors to help it stand out and incorporate a more modern element.
6th Street and Main Street - SE Corner
Corner of South Main and Sixth Streets Looking West Big snow of 1950 Marysville Hi-Speed Gas Station
Selected Artist: Sarah Griggs Sarah lives in Marysville, Ohio. She has been using her God-given gifts as an artist her entire life and loves experimenting and exploring a variety of mediums and techniques. She studied graphic design and studio art at Cedarville University. She is passionate about seeing the beauty of the Creator all around her, capturing the magic in the ordinary things, and creating meaningful work. In her art, she has always been drawn to people and especially faces, which tell a lifetime of stories. She is a full time wife and mom with an insatiable drive to create and always has some kind of side project going on. @s.griggs.creative -- Running Into The Present -- As I thought about what may have been in this space historically I envisioned farm fields and beautiful landscapes and children running to play in them. My concept shows children from years past running into a field to play on one side and coming out the other side as children of present time entering the park's current grassy play field.
5th Street and Walnut Street
Service Station
Selected Artist: Danielle Caldwell My name is Danielle Caldwell. I am a local resident and artist here in the heart of Marysville, Ohio where I have lived since 2011. I have always had a passion for artmaking, collecting, and creating. I really enjoy an informal creative process, working with materials and items found along life's journey. Currently I hold the school director position at Primrose Early Learning Center in Dublin, Ohio. I recently received a Masters in Teacher Leadership, with American College of Education. I will soon hold Art Therapy Practitioner Credentials. Many of my daily skills used at Primrose are also used with my own private practice as I provide Creative opportunities through my business; The Creative CoOp with Caldwell. In 2007 I was hired with Marysville Exempted Village School District. There I had the pleasure of teaching K-4 Visual Art for the past 18 years. When employed at MEVSD I taught at two elementary school buildings, with modified instruction for high functioning and low functioning needs. After concluding my art studies at CCAD I earned a BFA the spring of 2003. I attended Ohio Dominican University where I received my K-12 Visual Art Teaching Certificate. During this time I became a live-in nanny for a family that I had been providing childcare for; at this time then earning my field work hours with Gahanna City Schools. I began my own college career studying Fine Art at Columbus College of Art and Design where I also assisted the curator at the Columbus Museum of Art. Several credit hours were also being earned at local Columbus campuses over the years. Aside from being an artist, educator, or administrator; I am also a Mother to two wonderful children. I have both a daughter and son. They are also very creative and adventurous towards the life that they lead, and for that I am so very thankful. Also a proud alumni of New Philadelphia High School, class of 99.’ thecreativecoop.com -- 5th and Walnut -- The historical photos that the design team provided is where I began. I did not look at the templates, as I wanted to be inspired by the subject matter and theme of the project, rather than size restraints. I enjoyed studying the historical photos provided as way to inspire my initial designs.The panels of my chosen design were taken from larger works of art that I created from sketches done within my sketch book. I enjoy working in a collage method cathering materials and printing papers to include in the works I created. I also have taken a mixed media approach; using pencils, pens, posca markers, alcohol markers, magazine images.....and so on. Once all 8 canvases were completed I photographed and cropped areas of selected pieces in order to fit the panels' dimensions provided in the template.
5th Street and Plum Street
Thorpe Motors & Wilcox Restaurant, 208-212 E. 5th Street, Marysville, Ohio, 1960s
Selected Artist: Rick Limes Rick graduated Marysville High School in 1966 with the goal of becoming a graphic designer. He met his goal and retired in 2013. Throughout his life he was an art director for the first condominium company in Columbus, an illustrator for the USAF, art director for a printing company and then for most of his career an art director for OCLC in Dublin, Ohio where he worked with clients across the U.S. and around the world. He now has a studio/gallery in Columbus Ohio. Rick can be contacted at limesrick@gmail.com -- More Moxie -- Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that was among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It continues to be regionally popular today. Moxie originated as a patent medicine called “Moxie Nerve Food”, which was created around 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson The Moxie Back Story: As teenagers, we would sneak onto Elwood Sawyer’s tennis court at 4th and Cedar Street and play until he chased us off or challenged us to a game. One day he invited me into his house for a glass of water. There I saw a large pile of historical photographs of Marysville on his kitchen table. He said that his father was a photographer. When I was a senior in college I need a subject for the animation class that I was taking. I remembered all the old photos from years earlier. I borrowed enough photos to make a 10 minute “Ken Burns” type of movie (many years before Burns was making his films). In 1976 I borrowed photos again to create several woodblock carvings to make prints for an art show that was held in downtown Marysville. The actual woodblock of “More Moxie” was chosen to be displayed at the office of Congressman Clarence Brown in Washington D.C.
5th Street and Main Street
W. 5th Street, Looking East, Marysville, Ohio
Selected Artist: Kylie Fearn Kylie Fearn is a 28 year old female artist livin gin Marysville, OH. She enjoys working on various projects that encourage new challenges in creating artwork that is meaningful to herself and others. She entered her first local art competition as a fun way to get involved and was thrilled to haver her work chosen to share with the community. -- “If Then Was Now” -- With my design, I wanted to pay homage to Oakland Hotel and Otte’s Clothing Store whilst bringing life and vibrant color to the piece and the surrounding historic buildings. My hope was to capture the nostalgic essence of our town and help us remember our shared spaces.
4th Street and Main Street - SE Corner
The Standard Stamping Company Postmark: November 2, 1908
Selected Artsist: Linda Shepard I was born and raised in Lancaster, Ohio. I took every art class available at public school. In high school I was offered a free painting class at Ohio University. My high school art teacher reviewed my portfolio for a scholarship application. She told me my paintings were cartoonish it was pointless for me to apply for an art scholarship, so I didn’t. After high school, my husband joined the Air Force, and we began our life together in Charleston, South Carolina. I attended Charleston Southern University and majored in industrial design (to pay the bills) and minored in fine art. I’m a continuing education junkie. That’s why I’m always learning from publications, the internet, online courses, other artists, and workshops. We moved back to Ohio in 1992 and travel the country attending art events. I have a home studio and commercial studio space in downtown Columbus. https://www.facebook.com/linda.d.shepard/ | https://www.instagram.com/shepard3892/ | https://bsky.app/profile/artist-shepard.bsky.social shepardartstudio.com -- Elephants on Main Street Marysville -- Historic photos are notoriously hard to discern in detail, so imagine my surprise when I realized what I was seeing in the photo. Elephants walking down Main Street Marysville!
4th Street and Main Street - NW Corner
North Main Street
Selected Artist: Vanessa Prentice Vanessa is an artist, musician and prevention specialist living in Marysville, Ohio. She works in a wide variety of mediums including watercolor, acrylic, pen & pencil and does wood burning, jewelry and cartooning. She sings and plays original music on guitar and works to help kids with their mental health and suicide prevention. Vanessa Prentice – Artist & Musician on Facebook, vanessa.prentice.3 on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/p/Vanessa-Prentice-Artist-Musician-100064850329903/ -- Marysville Circus Day 1907 -- I first thought of painting this scene several years ago when I was a graphic designer at the Marysville Journal-Tribune. We were doing a bicentennial edition and looking at all of these pictures of Marysville past and present. I saw the picture of elephants parading in Uptown Marysville labeled “Circus Day 1907” and imagined how amazing that must have been and thought about how today, very few people even know that happened. My daughters always loved the circus – they have an aunt & uncle who were Ringling circus clowns for many years. I think kids in Marysville would love to know that long ago there were elephants and circus performers parading right where they are walking today.