Big and bold. That’s what the
Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) is going for with its newest project.
YBI has mounted a campaign to fund the printing and installation of a massive 300-foot, 70-window mural depicting the economic and industrial evolution of Youngstown. The mural was created by six graphic design students who are studying at
Youngstown State University.
According to Jim Cossler, CEO of YBI, the purpose is threefold. “We want to make sure our campus is a creative, exciting place for all our employees to come to work,” he says. “Second, a lot of people don’t realize we’re a four-building campus. The mural spanning our building will help people understand how much we’ve grown. Finally, Youngstown State University is not only our neighbor, but a very important partner, so we look to engage students in as many ways as possible."
The students have titled the mural “Metamorphosis” because it represents the transformation of Youngstown from a manufacturing city to one with a broader economic base. In order to get the mural printed and installed, YBI needed to raise $7,350, which they did during a 30-day online fundraising campaign.
“A total of 121 different individuals funded the project, and we met our goal,” Cossler notes. “It’s a complex printing process, and we anticipate installation of the mural in either late July or early August.”
Speaking of innovatve technologies ... Thanks to a special see-though fabric and printing technology that is being used, individuals who are working inside of the YBI offices will still be able to see outside their windows once the mural is hung.
Source: Jim Cossler, Youngstown Business Incubator
Writer: Lynne Meyer