Our 2017 theme, Movin’ & Groovin’, was in celebration of the completion of the Camp Chase Trail through the Hilltop, part of the Ohio-to-Erie trail network. Living an active life is critical for mental and physical well-being, so we were (and are) so excited to have this major recreational and commuter multi-use trail right in our backyard. We wanted to motivate folks to get themselves moving, and “Groovin’” was a nod to our arts & music festival. Putting a big, bold mural along the new trail was simply a no-brainer!

Roger J. Williams’ design had everything we wanted in it: Color, pop art, movement, and aesthetic appeal. It really brightens up the Camp Chase Trail, and gives residents and visitors alike something to enjoy while using the trail.

Roger is a professional muralist who studied in New York City with Andy Warhol, Sol Lewitt, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Roger’s studio in Olde Towne East is an explosion of color with canvases and paintings covering every square inch. Roger is the only deconstructivist artist in Columbus, and we’re certainly honored to have a mural of his on the Hilltop.

When asked why he wanted to paint a major mural on the Hilltop, Roger replied, “I’m doing it for the same reason that Keith Haring put all the graffiti around Brooklyn and New York. He went outside the New York art system and politics to make his art public. I kind of want the notoriety. I guess I’m hoping for some trickle-down or trickle-up effect. I want to leave a legacy for the Hilltop!”

The mural took Roger eight weeks to complete, with him working on it daily. He wanted to weave in contemporary elements, and in the spring of 2017, Pokemon Go was all the rage, so he placed four Pokemon characters in the mural (three that are specific to the Hilltop). When a group of kids passed by one day while Roger was painting and asked if there were going to be fidget spinners in the mural, Roger’s brain moved into full gear. By the next day, there were four spinners scattered throughout the mural.

The completed mural is 95 feet of wild and crazy. It can be found just east of where the Camp Chase Trail crosses N. Sylvan Avenue.