Public Art in Kent

Haymaker Farmers' Market Mural

[Cross the street to the Haymaker Farmers’ Market Mural on the west side of Franklin Avenue.]

Mural by Elaine Hullihen

The mural was completed by Hullihen, members of the community, art students, and vendors from the farmers’ market. Located on Franklin Ave., this mural is a great example of using public art to express our community values — in this case tapping into Kent’s green roots and cheerleading for locally grown fresh food.

Bicentennial Sculpture

[Continue north on Franklin Ave.]

Sculpture by George Danhires

Located between The Historic Train Depot & gazebo on Franklin Ave., the images coming forth from this bronze relief sculpture survey Kent’s history from the Native Americans, to early settlers, the Underground Railroad, to John Brown, John Davey, to a city revolving around information and technology.

"The River Knows" Bronze Relief

[Turn left on Main Street, and take the Main Street bridge. Follow the stairs down to Franklin Mills Riveredge Park. The art is located up the stairs at the end of the old locks.]

Bronze Relief by George Danhires, Poem by Kora Mendez (Kent 4th Grader)

This bronze relief represents the Cuyahoga River both past and present. In the background, the river is polluted and debris filled, while the foreground has the same scene, but with a clean river and wildlife. The plaque also features lines from a poem written by a Kent fourth grader about the Cuyahoga River and was dedicated at the 2019 Kent Torch Fest, which commemorated the anniversary of the river burning.

Mill District Mural

[Retrace back up the steps and across the bridge, then cross at the light, walking north on N Water Street past Hometown Bank Plaza.]

Mural by Emily Anne Buckingham and Joshua Bentley.

Standing Rock Cultural Arts is happy to announce another completed mural for downtown Kent. After a year and half of planning, the design by Emily Anne Buckingham has been painted on the south wall of the building that houses the SRCA Art Center, 300 N. Water St, across from the Bent Tree Coffee shop. The mural highlights the newly formed Mill District and pays tribute to the long history of art and music that has been celebrated on North Water Street. Please visit  www.standingrock.net  to learn more about the nonprofit art and educational activities of Standing Rock Cultural Arts.

KENT Sign

[Walk north along north Water Street.]

Sculpture by Sean Mercer with art by Randy Crider.

The KENT public art piece resides on the corner of N. Water St., as a welcome to downtown's Mill District. This dream project of the Main Street Kent design committee, members Alex Catanese and Lesley Sickle took the reins and brought this project to life. Partnering with Each + Every design studio, the team worked with local artist Sean Mercer to design and fabricate the structure and artist Taryn McMahon was the first to design the graphics displayed inside the letters of the structure. The current artwork is by Randy Crider. A grant was secured from Ohio Arts Council to help pay for the project, Each + Every provided in-kind support as well as a substantial donation, and Main Street Kent utilized design committee funds to bring this project to life.

Love Mural

[Cross the street and walk south on N Water Street.]

By Edwin George

The mural titled Love, designed by Edwin George, resides on the side of Scribbles Coffee Co. on N. Water St. This project was sponsored by Standing Rock Cultural Arts, directed by Crystal Birns and painted by community volunteers in 2005.

Joe Walsh Mural

[Continue south on N Water Street, crossing Main Street, and look up, toward the east side of the street to see the Joe Walsh Mural.]

Mural by Scot Phillips

The “Welcome To Kent”/ Joe Walsh Mural is located on the side of the Water Street Tavern building. Designed and hand painted by KSU alumnus Scot Phillips, this mural pays tribute to the City Of Kent’s rich musical history.

Lake Cities Train Mural

[On the east side of the street, look down Burbick Way to see the Lake Cities Train Mural.]

Mural by Henry Van ‘t hooft

Henry Van ’t hooft, a 17-year-old Boy Scout from Troop 177 in Stow, worked with Main Street Kent to complete his eagle scout project in 2013. This beautiful mural now adorns the alley on South Water Street - better known as Burbick Way. It features a 10-foot-by-25 foot mural of an iconic image of a passenger train arriving at the Erie Depot some 50 years ago.

Marvin Kent Mural

[Walk a bit further east down Burbick Way to see the Marvin Kent Mural.]

Mural by Maya Culley

Artist Maya Culley’s concept was to combine some of her favorite aspects of Kent, one being the mixture of city and nature. Visuals of figures and geometric shapes were used to represent the city while plants such as the milkweed flower found in the Kent bog to represent nature. She also used the bog as inspiration for the abstract images on the doorways. Culley also focused on the theme of “new Kent vs. old Kent”. She referenced Kent’s rich history with the image of Marvin Kent while adding modern colors and organic shapes to relate to the current growth of the city.

Traveling Stanzas Poetry Boxes

[Return to S Water Street and continue South to Erie Street, crossing to the south side of Erie Street, then walk east to Dan Smith Community Park.] 

We worked alongside Each+Every, Wick Poetry Center and the City of Kent to adapt Traveling Stanzas illustrations to fit on utility boxes and kiosks around Kent, with the goal of bringing poetry into the public consciousness. Accompanying the illustrations are audio devices which play the authors reciting their poems.

Each+Every also developed a  web app  that allows people to navigate to the boxes, read the poems, view the original art, and listen to the poets read their pieces!

 Map of Poetry Boxes 

Squirrel with an Attitude Sculpture

[Walk up the stairs across the street from Dan Smith Community Park and under the arch that says "Acorn Alley"] 

Sculpture by James Taylor

This 6 foot tall, 200 lb. squirrel sculpture was commissioned for Acorn Alley II in 2011. Ron Burbick worked with New Hampshire artist James Taylor to create this centerpiece for Acorn Plaza. Squirrel is made entirely of recycled metal parts. A shovel was used for its head, an old tractor seat for its tail and trailer-hitch balls became eyes. The frame of an old dirt bike holds it all together. The sculpture complements the already abundant squirrel theme present in the Acorn Alley development.

Three Veterans

[Return to Erie Street and continue East, crossing S DePeyster Street until Erie Street ends at Haymaker Parkway.]

Bronze Sculpture by George Danhires

This bronze sculpture is located at the corner of Erie St. and Route 59 and was designed by local artist George Danhires. “The intention of (the monument) is to show veterans that we appreciate their service,” Danhires said. “This sculpture indicates a value this community has.” He designed the monument to represent all types of American veterans through three figures. The sculpture features female, African-American and disabled veterans to “indicate that everyone who served is being appreciated,” Danhires said.