Page 69 - BusinessWest August 22, 2022

John Simpson begins to transform his brick canvas early in the mural process.
Mural
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ecology that promotes well-being. Simpson told BusinessWest about
another mural he had worked on and how it connects to his overall goal. “It says, ‘there’s no place like Springfield’
“I think art is really transformative for a lot of things. It’s transformative to people and their spirits — whether it be visual art or music, art is beauty, and it helps change people.”
because there is no place like home. That’s for every kid to think about, instead of things they’re hearing from other towns. Springfield is home — there’s history here with beautiful peo- ple, art, and architecture.”
Plotkin agreed. “Springfield has an incredible history. To have something as big and beautiful as this spurs the imagination of those bygone days and recognizes a city that was once another Springfield.
“I think that’s why I do it,” he went on. “John is the artist, and I think that
I wouldn’t be able to do what he does; physically, I don’t have the talent. I
just really get off on the impact it has on the community and the responses people are giving. I’ve lived and worked here for many, many years. I’ve seen some great times here, and I’ve seen some bad times here when the city wasn’t flourishing as much. We’re on the rise again, and we’re coming back strong. This is going to help us reach the point where we have a commer-
cially viable district here. We want to recreate that.”
Tapestry Through Time
Clearly, the mural on Worthington Street is more than just a mural. It is a physical representation of what Spring- field has to offer, and a reminder that the past impacts the future, and the future always reflects the past.
“We want the wall to show a little
bit of the past, some of the present, and eventually the future,” Hernandez said as he surveyed his day’s work. “It’s a tribute to the overarching narrative that is a part of Springfield.” u
Kailey Houle can be reached at [email protected]
BusinessWest
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