Three murals previously created by artist Kamille Ejerta, or OGMillie. Ejerta will participate in Gravity Mural Fest Saturday. Credit: Courtesy of Kamille Ejerta
Most classify “watching paint dry” as the epitome of boredom. But the inaugural Gravity Mural Fest could be the rule’s exception.
Gravity Mural Fest is the brainchild of local real estate company Kaufman Development, Mary Sundermeier, a programming manager at Kaufman Development, said in an email. The free event — scheduled for Saturday in Columbus’ Franklinton neighborhood — will feature live mural painting, music, poetry readings, fashion design demonstrations and more, with tours of Kaufman Development’s newest Gravity apartment buildings.
Sundermeier said additional components of Gravity Mural Fest include a collaboration with Columbus-based flea market, Matchmakers Market, as well as a “Wellness Courtyard” highlighting different wellness providers and products.
Roughly six months in the making, Gravity Mural Fest aims to enrich the wider Columbus community and encourage the city’s creative minds, Sundermeier said.
“The spotlight is shone on these artists through giving them a platform to showcase their work in a myriad of ways, because we believe that all genres of art can matter on the same playing field,” Sundermeier said.
It is ultimately muralists who lie at the heart of Gravity Mural Fest, Sundermeier said. In particular, five nationally and internationally acclaimed artists — Kamille Ejerta, Adele Renault, Okuda San Miguel, Felipe Pantone and Pref — are set to participate.
“What has made these international artists appealing, in my opinion, is the notoriety each of them has in the art world,” Sundermeier said. “It’s honestly crazy that they are here in Columbus, Ohio putting up permanent work.”
Becoming a street artist was a fitting but somewhat unexpected development in Ejerta’s life; in an email, Ejerta said that playing basketball was an instrumental part of not only their childhood in New York City but also their college experience at Dowling College on Long Island.
Ejerta transitioned from athlete to artist in 2017, they said. Wanting to exercise their bachelor’s in graphic design, they painted their first outdoor mural in collaboration with the nonprofit Spread Art NYC.
“Since that day, I fell in love with larger-scale works and never looked back since,” Ejerta, also professionally known as OGMillie, said.
As someone who struggles with retinal detachment in both eyes, Ejerta values the hands-on approach mural art demands, she said. They look forward to sharing a one-of-a-kind art piece with Columbus and experiencing its local culture in the process, they said.
“I would say my style is eclectic, vibrant and bold,” Ejerta said. “I love incorporating vintage frames lately and would love to create more works in that style. Being both LGBTQIA+ and Asian American, I’m passionate about creating artwork that represents inclusion and diversity for all communities.”
San Miguel, a pop-surrealist painter and sculptor hailing from Spain, likewise appreciates art’s ability to bring strangers together.
“I like to see the live feedback from the public even before finishing a work,” San Miguel said in an email.
For Gravity Mural Fest, San Miguel said he will create a piece centered around one of his favorite motifs: the “Kaos Star.” Colorful and spiky in nature, San Miguel’s “Kaos Stars” reflect an ongoing pursuit of personal freedom, he said.
“My philosophy has to do with a universal consciousness in which the imposed barriers are blurred, and the past is kept in mind in order to look to the future,” San Miguel said. “I try to reflect on what links us and what separates us.”
Sundermeier said Kaufman Development’s staff is ecstatic to see Gravity Mural Fest come to fruition at last. Ensuring Columbus’ art scene remains bustling and dynamic is just one of the company’s long-term goals, Sundermeier said.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but I can promise that we don’t have any plans to shrink,” Sundermeier said. “Gravity will definitely be growing when it comes to experiencing the brand, and the goal is to throw more of these types of events.”
More information about Gravity Mural Fest, including a list of participating creatives and an all-day schedule, can be found on the event’s website.
