Seneca County’s newest mural has bloomed! This beautiful work is located at Wolf Creek Shopping Plaza, 2451 West Market Street in Tiffin, on the end of the building on the outside wall of the Edward Jones- Chris Lee office space. Wolf Creek Shopping Plaza is home to many local businesses including Jeffrey Jewelry, Threads, Rose Leaf Flowers, Neumeister’s Candy Shoppe, Tangles Salon, and many more! While these local businesses bring Seneca County residents and visitors to their storefronts, this new mural will add another reason for everyone to make their way to Wolf Creek and to Seneca County. From photo sessions to the perfect Instagrammable background for any occasion to just taking in its beauty, we are so happy to have the arts alive and well in our community with this new piece. What makes this even more special is that the mural was done by the hands of Tiffin’s very own Claudia Riedy. It is through passion, collaboration, and determination that projects like this one can come to fruition!
Please enjoy the official artist statement from Claudia:
“Let me start by saying this is a dream come true for a lot of reasons. The short version is that I love public art and I love our community, and I was thrilled for an opportunity to work with a local business to create something that years ago I would have not had the confidence to do (really, I was actually asked a few years back and I declined for that very reason). Some people may not see the value of having some giant flowers painted on the side of a building, but I want to share why I think it is important.
We live in an uncomfortably fast paced world. I can personally attest that I am always in a rush, always anticipating what’s next, and rarely living in the moment. I think a staggering amount of people live in that state too. In regard to my experience working on this project, I cannot think of a more cliche saying to reference than “stop and smell the roses”, but that is truly what I witnessed countless people doing over these past few weeks. I’m unsure of all of the different reasons that brought people around the corner of the building each day, but as I’ve painted, I’ve watched so many unassuming people stop whatever they were doing, even for just a brief moment, to appreciate art. Some people have simply stopped and smiled, some people have rolled down their windows to chat and take photos. I’ve had people share thoughts about their own artistic interests, or about great art they’ve seen in other communities, and I’ve even have had several people tell me how something in my artwork reminded them of a loved one who passed. I’ve had people from out of town stop their travels to get a picture, even though they will never actually see it finished, while I’ve had other people make it a regular stop during their week to see the progress. People of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and beliefs, all pausing whatever they were doing to appreciate art with a total stranger (which half the time turned into a realization that we actually knew of one another because that’s how small towns are). Art has an immeasurable power to make us pause, reflect, and connect. We often take it for granted.
I’ve been drawn to art for my whole life, but when I started to seriously consider it as more than a hobby, I recall people constantly asking where I planned to go to pursue this passion, as if the immediate assumption was that I had to leave Tiffin to feel successful or supported as an artist. I really never felt compelled to leave – why would I go somewhere else when there is need right here? There is something indescribably special about changing the landscape of something you have known your whole life, whether it be a physical change like painting an otherwise ordinary wall, or something potentially even more profound, like cultivating relationships, sharing visions, and seeing them actually come to fruition with other members of the community. Yes, I know that the world outside of our small town has so much to offer and see, but I can’t help but feel excited about all of the ways the world outside can inspire opportunities here too.
I am passionate about the arts. But passion isn’t limited to just artistic endeavors. Our town is full of people who are passionate about all sorts of things. This building itself is home to many people who are so passionate about something, that they pursued it and turned it into a small business. And the best thing they have in common is that they too, decided to stay and share that passion here with us. When you come around the corner in the future, I invite you not only to stop and smell the roses – get out of your car, check out the artwork, have a whole photoshoot – but, also stop and support the local businesses here who have just as much beauty to share with you.”
Thank you to Claudia for sharing her talents and to everyone who made this project possible. Go check out these beautiful blooms today!
