“I cannot find the right words to even begin telling you and Dave how much I love my wall and all that it means to me. With your magnificent gift combined with the warmth and sincerity of your personality the stroke of your brush makes dreams come alive. Stress is released, healing begins and new ideas replace the old. You and Dave are two special loved ones.”

Briarfeld Boulevard off US 20A now offers drivers an aesthetic look at the past.

The Miller Diversified Development Group, a third-generation family company at 3355 Briarfeld Blvd., displays a turn-of-the-century street scene on the back of its building.

“We got the idea from a retaining wall in Plymouth, Ohio,” Jerry Miller, vice president of the company, said, “And then we kind of tailored it to suit our needs here.”

The Millers commissioned Murals and More, a husband-wife team of artists.

“Kurt and Jerry Miller, along with David Spalding, were looking into ways to camouflage the electrical workings on the back of this otherwise plain building.” said Mariangela Smith, one of the two muralists.

Mariangela and her husband Dave drove to Plymouth for inspiration and returned, eager to depict a lovely town in the early 1900s.

Originally, they’d hoped to recreate Monclova, but soon realized that historical information about the town was very limited.

“I wanted to make Monclova; I thought it would be appropriate, but there was almost nothing there when I researched Monclova,” Mariangela said.

The Smiths found plenty of historical architecture in nearby communities as well as the more distant Saratoga, N.Y.

“The buildings (in the mural) all have remnants of buildings from Grand Rapids, Maumee, Perrysburg and Ohio,” Mariangela said.

The 11 depicted buildings include a post office, beauty salon, grain and feed shop, barber shop, ice cream parlor, produce store, hardware store, town hall and three financial buildings.

Oliver’s Grain and Feed and Miller Produce represent businesses that were actually operating in this area during the early 1900s.

Most notable is the Monclova Town Hall, whose brickwork and door were modeled after the existing building on Monclova road.

The architecture of the savings and loan is borrowed from an old Monclova schoolhouse.

Some of the brickwork was taken from a flower shop in Maumee, and storefronts from Grand Rapids restaurants and Waterville barber shops also appear.

“Since I couldn’t make Monclova,” Mariangela said, “I decided to make an area town.”

Of course, mere buildings do not define an era. The muralists also created a small community of townspeople, dressed in period fashion.

The citizens are a clever mix of the historic and contemporary. The Smiths painted clothing from costume books, but found many of the faces in real life.

Members of the Miller family and current members of the surrounding community, notable Glenn Torrence and his wife, Gene, appearing on a bench in front of the barbershop, are immortalized for a time.

Three generations of Millers appear on the mural. Norman Miller, who took over the company in 1946, is pictured conversing with an old time banker.

Given the family’s ties to and history in the area, it’s not unlikely that such a scene occurred.

“We’re an old family company – I’m actually third generation – so we’ve been in the Toledo area for a long time,” Jerry Miller said.

In fact, the company was founded in Toledo in 1920. In 1956, Norman Miller changed the company’s focus to residential and commercial real estate development.

“Our company is a developer, and we were there early in the development of Monclova Township,” explained Jerry Miller.

Miller Diversified president Kurt Miller, vice president Jerry Miller and administrator Dave Spalding are pictured, as well as their children.

Mariangela, however, seems most excited about the inclusion of community members initially uninvolved in the project.

“People would drive by, then actually stop to tell us they liked the mural, to ask what we were painting.” Dave Smith said.

“That kind of appreciation and recognition as an artist is amazing.” Mariangela agreed.

Tony Barroni, a local resident who has been particularly interested and encouraging, was awarded by appearing, along with his dig Cleo, in front of the post office.

“There’s a little boy who keeps coming by here,” Mariangela said. “I’ll have to paint him in.”

“People were pleasantly surprised to see color in an industrial park and thanked us for painting something on an otherwise ugly wall,” Mariangela said.

A few stopped by just to see if the painted ivy vines, concealing gas lines and meters, were real.

“They told us that they were uplifted to see art where it’s not normally found,” Mariangela said. “And it uplifted me; if I can do something like that, then my day’s work is worth it.”

Hopefully, this mural, now a monument to the beauty, community, appreciation and inspiration that emerged on Briarfeld as it was painted, will endure many years.

“I want a face like yours,” Mariangela told a friend who appears on the mural, “aged, weathered, and full of history.”

]]> http://www.tampamuralartwork.com/mural-brings-historic-perspective-to-newer-business-area/feed/ 0 http://www.tampamuralartwork.com/testimonial-6/ http://www.tampamuralartwork.com/testimonial-6/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:40:24 +0000 admin http://gator795.hostgator.com/~gwebdev/tampamuralartwork.com/?p=138

“Mariangela & Dave Smith do BY FAR the most beautiful work in the world. As a business owner who has attained national success, I can be very difficult to please and Mariangela & Dave Smith EXCEEDED my expectations.

When you enter my foyer and front rooms, people absolutely stop, stare, and comment how incredible the work is. They were prompt, efficient, and fairly priced too PLUS work that is second to none. This work will continue to be raved about for many decades to come. Thanks again Mariangela & Dave, you are the best!!!”

I would fully endorse Murals and More and recommend Dave and Mariangela Smith for any project or undertaking.”

I would like to say thank you from both of us for your kindness, patience and divine work, I will treasure these two rooms and they will never be done over as long as I live here. Your husband meticulously prepared the walls to create a canvas for your design. Your eye captured the design of my house and with your vision came up with a design that would work in that space. It is beyond beautiful and it is truly amazing.”

They recently completed the decorative painting of my commercial office and were extremely professional in all aspects of their business and a pleasure to deal with. They finished on time and within budget and exceeded my expectations.

I have recently hired them to do work in my house and would highly recommend them for a residential or commercial project.”

When we approached them, they did not hesitate to say yes and for four days they worked on the four stark white walls, transforming them into a seascape image of enchantment. They named the room, “Expect the Unexpected.”

The room brings a lot of smiles to the children and creates an “ice breaker” for the kids and adults who come for the first time for grief and loss counseling.

Dave and Mariangela are very professional in the way they approach their project. They draw a full color picture of the design they have in mind and do not proceed until the client is in agreement.

Dave and Mariangela are a delight to work work with and we would highly recommend their services to anyone interested in hiring them for any artistic expression.”