DELAWARE — There is a giant blue boy staring off into the distance while eating popcorn on East Winter Street.
The boy is the focal point of a new mural on the side of the Strand Theatre, and he’s actually staring at an imaginary movie screen for the first time.
Columbus-based muralist and Ohio Wesleyan alumnus Nick Stull, who painted the new downtown Delaware masterpiece, said he wanted to capture that first-time-at-the-movies feeling.
“I wanted to think of an idea that would really be universal, or capture that universal love of movies, and in particular, going to the movies,” Stull said.
He also loves to incorporate portraits and figures in his mural work, so the boy looking at the big screen was the perfect combination.
“A child, mid-bite of popcorn, looking up at an implied move screen, it seemed like a very universal idea that would capture that wonder and joy you first experience as a kid when you go to the movies,” Stull said.
The meaning behind the design
There are other nods to the Strand’s history and Delaware’s history throughout the mural.
The film reel that winds around the boy’s head shows pictures in each segment.
The images in the darker portions of the film reel reference specific movies, such as Wilson’s face from Cast Away, the bottom of a boot with “Andy” written on it from Toy Story and a “B” for Barbie.
“Some are more clear and some are not,” Stull said. “I want to keep it a little bit ambiguous for people to figure out on their own what those movies could be. Some have multiple meanings.”
Images in the lighter portions of the film reel reference local history, such as Ohio Wesleyan University’s mascot Bob the Bishop, the Arts Castle and a brown jug.
Some also refer to the theatre’s history, including the Batman logo, representing the last film movie and first digital movie shown at the theatre, which was the Dark Knight.
Near the bottom of the mural is a projector showing the words, “the house beautiful.” Stull said the phrase appeared in an article published by the former Delaware Daily Journal-Herald when the theater first opened, describing the Strand as “the house beautiful.”
Background on the project
The Delaware Historic Preservation Commission approved the installation of the mural in May and Stull got to work in July, but he was already working on the design long before that.
Stull said Strand Theatre Director Tracey Peyton reached out to him about the possibility of him doing mural work. At that point, the theatre had reached out to several artists, so Stull decided to throw his hat in the ring.
Once Stull was selected based on his portfolio, Stull worked with a committee to refine the design before presenting it to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Pittsburgh Paints, or PPG Paints, provided a grant for the mural work.
“They provided the paints for the mural and they’ve been great to work with,” Stull said.
Stull said all that’s left to do now is put on the finishing touches.
