Sparking Change
In 2023, Art x Love was engaged by Main Street Wadsworth to create a mural for their #WadsworthWings public art project. We worked with their team to develop a series of concepts that were then reviewed and refined for installation. Before finalizing the concept, we conducted a site inspection and found that the proposed wall was not ideal for painting, and the project was postponed until 2025.
The final and select concept was designed to look like phoenix wings made out of matches for a reason. The Ohio Match Company was founded in Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1895, and was famous for manufacturing the "Ohio Blue Tip" strike-anywhere matches. The company grew to be one of the largest match companies in the world, producing more than 300 million matches a day. The company closed in 1987, but the City of Wadsworth still celebrates its legacy with its annual Blue Tip Festival.
“Sparking Change” became the working title for the project, named in honor of the “strike-anywhere” spirit and fame of the matches. Instead of painting directly to the wall, we pivoted to a modular display so the mural could be moved (if desired) in the future. Mac cut the panels and painted more than 1,000 blue tip matches over several weeks. The mural was finished and weatherized with a marine-grade anti-graffiti coating.
Sparking Change is the 18th and final Wadsworth Wing mural, and was installed and unveiled on February 20th, 2026. Mac was invited to say a few words and share his inspiration with the community.
“As I painted this, it was easy to drift into a trance and reflect on the world. The idea of “strike anywhere” made me think about how we all have the power to effect change. I hope that when people take a picture with this mural they think about their own ability to make a difference.”
Sparking Change can be found on the west side of Main Street, in the new pocket park, just before Alexandris Restaurant. Please feel free to share your photos with us and tag #WadsworthWings
