The History/Culture Behind 'The Mona Lisa'

  According to Shortnorth.com, a website about the neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio that this mural appears in, the 'Mona Lisa' is probably the most well known mural in this neighborhood, partly because of it's iconic status in the art world, but also because it has been in the Short North neighborhood since 1986 when it was originally painted by Brian Clemons. It has since been retouched twice, once by the original artist in 2001, and then in 2005 by Curtis Goldstein, who had this to say about 'The Mona Lisa': "if it had been the Mona Lisa straight up, it wouldn't have been as interesting, they turned it on its side, and made it fun. The Short North is a mixture of old and new, so taking the Mona Lisa and giving it a new twist is an interesting blend of old and new"

The original mural (in 1986) was the vision of Chris Steele (the then president) of Citizens for a Better Skyline, a non-profit devoted pedestrian friendly development and historic preservation based in Columbus, Ohio. The mural was funded by The Ohio Arts Council, The Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Wood's Company (which owns the building the mural appears on), and the non-profit aforementioned. 

  Brian Clemons, a graduate of Columbus College of Art and Design, is the president and artistic director of the Optic Nerve Art Corporation, which he founded 20 years ago. According to the Optic Nerve website: they are a full service art production company which employs muralists, fine artists, craftpeople, and similar creatives, all of whom endeavor to provide the world with anything from murals to sculptures, from silk screen printing to dimensional signage.