COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Colerain Township is now home to the longest mural in the Cincinnati area, and the second-longest mural in Ohio.
The mural, located outside of Northgate Mall, stretches 802 feet and was painted by Colerain High School alum and White Oak native Brian Beck.
The mural has been in progress since August 2024 and was spearheaded by the Colerain Chamber of Commerce.
Beck was selected for the project and has painted a whimsical, floral motif with nods to the strong neighborhoods within Colerain Township, according to a press release sent by the Colerain Chamber of Commerce.
On Saturday morning, Beck, along with the Colerain Township and Colerain Chamber of Commerce, dedicated the mural. Beck said it was an honor to design and complete this mural for his hometown.
"There’s a lot of attributes to this mural on a personal level, but also embedded through the community itself. Pretty much all these together represent the community, represent a lot of background, historical homage to just the community itself, and then surrounding neighborhoods that make Colerain," Beck said.
The seven neighborhoods are represented by various flowers, including peach trees, white oak trees, blue wild indigo, coneflowers and clovers, Beck said.
The chamber said in a press release that these plants symbolize the community's heritage, "embodying traits such as resilience, strength and valor," alongside the native plants in the area. The mural also has nods to Colerain Township's veteran population with poppies and bald eagles.
Colerain Chamber of Commerce President Dave Moravec said the new mural is "more than just art on a wall."
“Seeing our neighborhoods come to life through color and creativity is truly exciting. It’s a project that celebrates our past, reflects our present and inspires our future," Moravec said in a press release. "We’re thrilled to create something that brings the community together in such a meaningful and lasting way."
The mural was made possible through corporate and personal donations, with the hope that it inspires others to bring the community together.
The chamber worked with Colerain Township, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and local business leaders to develop a design that would stand the test of time.
