GREENVILLE – The Greenville Mural Committee is announcing the installation of a new mural on North Broadway in Greenville; a bright, colorful design by an artist whose vibrant, whimsical work explores imagination, joy and storytelling currently adorns the south-facing wall of Blue Lantern Tea Room. Entitled “Tractor and Flowers,” the mural design was created by visual and digital artist Ching Chung. Unlike previous murals, this edition will change seasonally, with a different image installed in the same location about every three months.
Although the “Tractor and Flowers” mural will be on display for a limited time, the fact that this art, produced by an Asian artist, now adorns an Asian-themed tea room seems fitting. Blue Lantern Tea House owners Jesse and Kim Berry are excited to host this vibrant mural, and are looking forward to the seasonal changes in the art adorning their wall. “Kim and I love all the murals that have been installed around town and are excited to feature a mural on our business,” Jesse said.
Jesse and Kim have fashioned their tea room to emulate the authentic tea experience enjoyed in Asia, which inspired the establishment of their business, also home to Young Forest Martial Arts.
Currently featured artist Ching Chung earned a degree in Industrial Design at The Ohio State University and has a professional background in boutique retail and aviation design.
“I love creating pieces that feel whimsical, graphic, and full of energy—frequently drawing from florals, nature, organic shapes, and abstract forms,” the artist explains.
In her artist’s statement, Ching states that she is “inspired by travel, everyday life, and the ever-evolving world around me,” and draws from a wide range of influences filtered through a unique lens as a designer, observer, and Asian immigrant. While some of her work is inspired by tradition, much of it is simply an intuitive response to imagination, curiosity, and wonder. Her work, “Peace Blooms in Dayton,” paying homage to the Gem City’s historic role in the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, was recently chosen in a competition for an installation in downtown Dayton commemorating the historic agreement that brought the Bosnian War to an end.
This mural installation is the sixth completed by the Greenville Mural Committee, which is also responsible for the art designed by Greenville High School students now seen on seven power boxes around town. This work is supported by generous donations from the Ohio Arts Council, the Harry D. Stephens Memorial, Inc., Darke County Endowment for the Arts, Lydia E. Schaurer Memorial Trust Fund, Brown Family Foundation, Blue Lantern Tea House, Greenville Kiwanis, and Tom and Julie Graber.
Joe Wintrow of Wintrow Signs has donated his time and labor to the installation of the murals, making Wintrow Signs a major sponsor of the work of the committee.
