OTTAWA, Ohio — A Putnam county artist created a mural in downtown Ottawa, knowing his art would help tell the story of his town's history.
However, he's also using his creativity to teach an important lesson.
Artist Bruce Stowe painted "The Rex Mural" last year, showcasing what life looked like between 1920 and 1950 along that same block during the heyday of the Rex Theatre.
However, he wasn't done with the piece of art when he signed his name. He updated the mural to be a sign of the times by adding temporary masks to all of the portrayed characters, including Bob Hope, a regular performer in Ottawa during his Vaudeville days.
Hope, along with all but one of the real-life people on the mural were survivors of the Spanish Flu pandemic.
"I don't think we realize during the Spanish Flu, people were wearing masks, they were staying at home. And we lost a lot of people then, too," Stowe said.
Stowe began placing these masks on his mural's characters back in July, just before Putnam County saw an increase in its level of exposure, which peaked at the end of August.
Stowe said it's still an important message, as Putnam County is one of only nine in the state currently listed in the at Level 3 (Red) on the state's Public Health Advisory Map.
The masks were in place in time to be seen by everyone attending the summer concert series at the neighboring amphitheater plaza.
Stowe said that so far, he hasn't received any negative feedback from his mask additions, and he will keep them up until Putnam County drops down to Level 2 (Orange) on the map.
"Around here, probably masks are not worn as much as they should be, but if they can think about it and laugh about it, it's making its point," Stowe said.
Stowe recently published an illustrated book titled "The Rex Mural Revisited" that showcases the history that inspired the mural, and Bruce's process of painting it.