Westgate mural eliminates eyesore, preserves history
Photo By John Ray
By Felix Hoover
For YourNewsColumbus
Posted 10-21-09
What for years had been a dingy gray wall on the West Side has been transformed into art space that tells a tale of the Blue and the Gray from a turning point in American history.
The east wall of the handball court at Westgate Park now displays the Heroes of Camp Chase Mural, which was dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 17..
Artist Curtis Goldstein spent three months painting Civil War-era scenes from Camp Chase, a training camp for Union troops and prison for Confederate soldiers.
The mural also depicts Arch Monument, located nearby at 2900 Sullivant Ave., at the entrance to Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery. More than 2,200 Confederate prisoners are buried in the cemetery.
Goldstein talked briefly about the fun factor of going to a city park every day and doing something he loved.
"I always wanted to do stuff to make Columbus better," he said.
Several government officials took part in the dedication ceremony inside Westgate Recreation Center, including City Councilmember Priscilla Tyson, State Rep. Dan Stewart and Alan McKnight, director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. Others on hand included City Attorney Rick Pfeiffer, City Auditor Hugh Dorrian and City Councilmembers Herceal Craig and A. Troy Miller.
Tyson talked about the value of public art, the importance of volunteerism in the community and the significance of the mural as a reminder of the nation's history.
"Too often we forget about the past," she said.
Images of the period were reinforced by reenactors who portrayed Civil War soldiers, President Abraham Lincoln and Buffalo Bill Cody.
Besides the muralist and performers, much of the focus on the Friends of Westgate Park, whose volunteers were the driving force behind the art project and other efforts to beautify and improve the park. Friends of the Hilltop served as fiscal agent for the art project.