Joe Prescher has always been an artist. He’s taught high schoolers in Iowa and Texas and college students at Miami University, as well as selling his work professionally. So, when the opportunity arose to permanently place his work in his hometown, he did not hesitate.
“They’re hungry for public art,” said Prescher, the mastermind behind the mural located in the alley between CJ’s and Mac & Joe’s. “The community reaction has been amazing. Everybody’s been in here since this started.”
Prescher started the mural last August, with the initial creation wrapping up in November when the weather turned. Now, with the help of students, community members and other professional artists, he is back for one week only to finish up the mural.
“I’ve been waiting all year to get back in here and finish up the stuff I missed,” Prescher said. “I’m adding in a couple more bees, cleaning up some of the wear and tear and finishing areas that were left undone.”
Since he started, Prescher has recruited all sorts of new artists. Some, like Natalie Natusch, paint for a career.
Natalie Natusch rinsing a brush as she works on refreshing the mural.
“I randomly met Joe at an art show that I [hosted] recently,” Natusch said. “He said he needed some help with a refresh, and I offered to come out.”
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Others, like Ava Suarez, a senior studying painting and arts management, stopped by to help paint on the way home from class.
“She came by, told me she was an art student and asked if I needed help,” Prescher said. “So I said, ‘Sure,’ and she’s been painting for the last hour.”
Suarez spent her hour in between classes painting in three of the honeycombs that were left blank last November.
“This is a great way to get more involved with the community,” Suarez said. “My friend [helped with the mural] last year and told me all about it. There are all sorts of people coming in and helping when they can. It’s a great way to bring people together, and it's so cool playing even a small part in it.”
As her hour break wrapped up, Suarez headed back to campus, much to Prescher’s protests, but she promised to return later.
“I do actually have to go to class,” Suarez said, “but I can come back tomorrow. Will you be here around 11 a.m.?”
“Can’t you skip class?” Prescher replied. “I probably know the professor and can get you extra credit.”
But art students aren’t the only people offering to jump in.
On her way back from lunch at Mac & Joe’s, Gail Stark, a 1962 Miami alumna, expressed her approval for the mural.
Community member and Miami alumna Gail Stark adds to the mural.
“This is the best thing that Oxford ever did,” Stark said. “I had my son and daughter-in-law come visit from San Francisco, and they both painted on it. They absolutely loved it.”
After a little encouragement from Prescher, Stark added her own painting to the mural.
“Come on, it’ll only take you five minutes,” Prescher said. “Maybe even three. Natalie here will walk you through everything.”
Natusch walked Stark through the entire process, and after five minutes, Stark left the mural as a contributing artist.
“You just want to put a little paint on the brush like that,” Natusch said to Stark. “It’s just like putting makeup on.”
Some go as far as to purchase entire bees for the wall, which Prescher will paint and name in their honor. For $1,000, individuals and organizations have had bees on the wall painted in their name. While he was reluctant at first, Prescher started selling the bees to fund the mural project.
“I had to figure out a way to pay for this thing,” Prescher said. “I started a GoFundMe, and it did pretty well. But once the honeycomb was done and the bees were coming in, I decided to charge people a flat fee for a bee.”
Some of the bees on the wall were painted in honor of wives and daughters. Others were purchased by community organizations, such asEnjoy Oxford and the Oxford Community Arts Center.
“The first one I sold was to a dad visiting his daughter,” Prescher said. “We were just talking off the cuff, and he said that he wanted one. We’ve even had someone running for state senate buy a bee.”
One of the bees painted for $1k on the mural.
Prescher said after this last round of touch-ups, the mural is complete.
“After this week, it’s done forever,” Prescher said. “But, the town is becoming more interested in public art. The mural has piqued the town’s interest. I’ve got another project down the street and hopefully more coming next spring.”
For now, Oxford’s hunger for public art can be appeased by a finished bee mural, one year in the making.
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