Michael Mercil

ART IS GOOD FOR YOU, 2023
7777 Girard Avenue

12’ 8” x 100’

Michael Mercil’s mural, ART IS GOOD FOR YOU, entreats the embrace of the arts, both in its creation and consumption. Painted directly on-site, this lively imperative reminds the viewer of the importance of art as a crucial and ubiquitous aspect of daily life. Taking inspiration from the playful messaging found inside the box cover of Atomic Fireball candies, which reads "Candy is good for you. Eat some every day,” Mercil recontextualizes this cheeky reference, bringing the same level of panache and good humor into a public art setting. Comprised of a complementary color palette, orange capital letters outlined in red boldly pop out as the text runs horizontally across a placid blue background. Using text as a creative tool, Mercil inspires the viewer to appreciate the holistic benefits of a daily infusion of art as an integral aspect of our collective humanity. He expertly weaves his artful message into the surrounding environment, bringing a compelling and colorful belief in the benefits of art into the realm of everyday relatability.

Mercil’s interdisciplinary practice takes many forms, incorporating an expansive use of many mediums including drawing, painting, needlepoint, sculpture, landscape architecture, film, performance, teaching, and farming. Born in Crookston, Minnesota, in 1954, he received a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in 1978 and an MFA from the University of Chicago in 1988. He is currently a professor emeritus in the Department of Art at The Ohio State University (OSU). Exploring realms of “the near, the low, the common,” Mercil’s work re-contextualizes culturally significant reference material through dynamic multimedia compositions.

Mercil’s work has been featured in many prominent institutions, including exhibitions at Beeler Gallery, Columbus College of Art and Design and Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio; Socrates Sculpture Park, New York City; North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks; Arnoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati; Ebert Art Center, Wooster, Ohio; The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia; and DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts. His many other notable projects include The Living Culture Initiative, in collaboration with Ann Hamilton at OSU; The Beanfield (2006), The Virtual Pasture (2008-2011), and Site set-aside (2017–present) at Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus; and the Art Market™, an ongoing, Columbus-based, studio project. He has received many awards and much recognition, including a Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs Endowment Award (2016, 2009); Greater Columbus Arts Council Media Artist Fellowship (2012); Wexner Center for the Arts Film/Video Artist Residency (2011–2012); Harpo Foundation Visual Artist Award (2010); Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship (2009, 2005); ASLA Design Honor Award (2009, 2003); and Environmental Design Research Association Place Design Award (2002). He lives and works in Columbus, Ohio.

Photos by Philipp Scholz Rittermann