A portrait of pride: Water tower gets new look

WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (WDTN) - A Miami Valley man well known for leaving his beautiful mark across the area and the nation is working on a new project, this time in West Carrollton. Henn is painting a wrap around mural on the water tank that sits on SR 725 near I-75 and the Dayton Mall.

Eric Henn specializes in painting his murals on rusty water tanks or boring brick buildings. The Middletown native is self-taught and works alone, sometimes high above the ground in a harness or on a lift.

"The fun part about it is the traveling and the challenge that it is large scale," said Henn.

But the part Henn didn't figure into his choice of career is the effect it would have on the communities showcasing his paintings.

"It's really kind of an investment in our infrastructure," said Greg Gaines, Director of City Planning for West Carrollton. "We had the exit 47 that opened recently. That's a huge piece of our infrastructure, we look at this as the same type of investment."

City leaders see it as part of West Carrollton's goal to re-establish itself as a destination city. The mural will feature images unique to West Carrollton, including Woody's Market and the paper mills. The rest of the mural is based on a 1914 photo that was featured in "Ripley's Believe it or Not" magazine called the "5 Modes of Transportation." It is based on the belief at the time that this area was the only place in the country where river, canal, inter-urban, train and highway travel came together.

A grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District paid for a little more than $4,000 of the West Carrollton project. The rest is being paid for by donations from local businesses and fundraising efforts.

"It's all about image and we're certainly in West Carrollton working on continuing to advance our image in the community because we want to make sure the people who are here, both businesses and residents, are happy with what they have and what we're offering. We're always trying to attract new residents and new businesses to the community," said Gaines

Henn's work can be seen in Franklin, Miamisburg and Middletown. They're featured as points of pride for the community, but when asked if he admires his work, Henn said he moves on once the work is done.

"I start picking out flaws once I do something," said Henn. "I take pride in it but no I don't admire my own stuff."

Work on the mural in West Carrollton has been suspended until November 12 and Henn has been slowed by the weather, but for now, it's expected to be complete by December.