Pedestrians as well as car owners are being treated to two art displays in Kent that they might not have expected to see while walking around town or bringing a car in for service.
Wall murals in both a downtown alley and an automotive service center reflect the city鈥檚 history as well as a young man鈥檚 hometown spirit.
Strolling down Burbick Way headed to South Water Street, Ryan Sole and Adam Baldwin are surprised to see both the art, and the artist. 鈥淔or real? That鈥檚 awesome man, good job. That is really cool.鈥�
Henry Van鈥檛 Hooft created the striking black and white 10-by-25 foot wall mural from a historic photo of a familiar Kent scene.
鈥淭his is the which is now a restaurant located in downtown Kent,鈥� says the artist, 鈥渂ut this is during the time it was functioning as a train station. There鈥檚 just some passengers getting ready to board. With the train in the station and just the people, it has a very nice story to it.鈥�
Good artistic deed
Van鈥檛 Hooft is a 20-year-old art major at Kent State University. The mural in the alley between and is his Eagle Scout project.
鈥淚 wanted to do something that was different. I wanted to connect it with my personal interest which was art.鈥�
Scout masters were always aware of Van鈥檛 Hooft鈥檚 interest. 鈥淚 pretty much always had a sketch book with me.鈥�
He got into scouting in kindergarten and art not long after.
鈥淛apanese comic book styles. And that鈥檚 really gotten me into wanting to be an illustrator and an artist.鈥�
Van鈥檛 Hooft grew up with a favorite anime comic book hero. 鈥淭he character himself was like an outsider. He just wanted the attention and recognition of the people who wanted nothing to do with him.鈥�
As a victim of bullying, Van鈥檛 Hooft could relate.
鈥淎nd it just kind of helped me get through tough times in high school. And from there, it鈥檚 like 鈥業 wish I could make a story or something that would help someone else feel they have someone to connect with.鈥�
Civic-minded
His connection to his hometown is something else he feels deeply. 鈥淲e moved here when I was about 2, so Kent鈥檚 always been home to me.鈥�
At the he found inspiration for the Eagle Scout project.
鈥淧hotos of trains and train stations because it鈥檚 just been such a big part of the history of Kent.鈥� Also, his father鈥檚 a lifelong model-train hobbyist and train enthusiast so,鈥淚 grew up looking at trains,."
Part of Kent鈥檚 new look
The non-profit revitalization organization helped him get some of the money he needed to complete the project, found the spot for the mural, and honored the young artist鈥檚 effort with its Ronald Burbick Award. Burbick is the Kent businessman credited with spurring recent downtown redevelopment.
Passerby Ryan Sole says the Burbick Way mural fits the town鈥檚 new look. 鈥淚 feel like it just really captures Kent.鈥�
Sole has noticed other beautification efforts.
鈥淓specially because it鈥檚 huge, but I mean, just anywhere you walk you can pretty much see some form of art in some way shape or form. So, it鈥檚 pretty cool. It鈥檚 entertaining.鈥�
Muralist Van鈥檛 Hooft likes what he鈥檚 seeing, too. Downtown鈥檚 now also has a wall mural, and he鈥檚 noticing floral displays and artistic bike racks, too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just incredible to see the inspiration that鈥檚 come because of it, and just how one individual with an idea can just make the downtown area so much nicer than it was a few years ago.鈥�
Art for carowners
On the other side of Kent, Rex Sloan didn鈥檛 expect to see art when he brought his car in to 鈥檚 service center on State Route 59. But he likes what he sees spread across two inside walls.
鈥淧retty nifty stuff,鈥� says Sloan.
Unlike Van鈥檛 Hooft鈥檚 downtown mural, this one is in color. Sloan thinks the yellow and blue Kent State colors really pop.
鈥滻 think it鈥檚 dynamite. I just like the striking effect it has on you. I鈥檇 like to have one in my house.鈥�
Klaben Service Director Carl Bejorian says Van't Hooft鈥檚 second mural, also based on the historic Kent train photo, has been a conversation starter, "people asking about it or recognizing the train station or recognizing the esplanade. Henry鈥檚 the man, yeah.鈥�
Van鈥檛 Hooft says he worked the new Kent State University Esplanade into the service center mural at the request of Klaben Ford.
鈥淭hey said they wanted to do old Kent and new Kent, and this is one of the images that stood out of the new Kent.鈥�
First commission
For the Klaben service center wall mural, unlike the Eagle Scout project downtown, Henry had a customer to please.
鈥淭his one was more of a commissioned piece whereas the other one was more of a volunteer effort.鈥�
The Klaben Ford commission is the first time Van鈥檛 Hooft 鈥榮 been paid for his art.
鈥淭he money鈥檚 definitely helping to cover the cost of materials and supplies for my major, but it just also helps to feel that sense of recognition and pride that you鈥檙e making something and somebody actually wants to pay for it.鈥�
He feels good about what began with a Boy Scout鈥檚 good deed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just, it鈥檚 an incredible feeling to know that you鈥檝e made a permanent change. It鈥檚 really neat to have something to say like, 'I helped to improve where I live, where I come from, where I go to school.'鈥�
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