Briefs: Ashland Chautauqua, salute to Ohio astronauts, upcoming meetings

Ashland Chautauqua 2023 event features “History’s Real Action Figures” theme

ASHLAND — Ashland Chautauqua’s 2023 theme, “History’s Real Action Figures” is a reminder that real people had lives just as innovative, exciting and action-packed as any fictional character.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 24th year features scholars portraying five historic individuals who were “action figures” in unique ways. The scholars include Brian “Fox” Ellis portraying Meriwether Lewis, famous for co-leading the Corps of Discovery, better known as the Lewis & Clark Expedition; Karen Vuranch portraying Jackie Cochran, a fearless record-breaking pilot in the early days of aviation; Becky Stone portraying Pauli Murray, an activist motivated by her own experiences of racism and sexism; Joey Madia portraying Samuel Bellamy, an English seaman who became a pirate captain leading his crew with a strict moral code of conduct; and Larry Bounds portraying Harry Houdini, who may arguably be the greatest magician and escape artist of all time.

The traditional five-day event, featuring evening first-person performances and daytime workshops, will be held July 11-15. Evening performances are at the Guy C. Myers Band Shell in Ashland’s Brookside Park at 8 p.m., with opening musical acts starting at 7 p.m.

The popular informal discussions, Coffee with the Scholars, will be back on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. These will be held in the “FLAC” building at 107 E. Main St. located in downtown Ashland.

All Ashland Chautauqua events are free and open to the public. The evening performances and workshops are at accessible locations.

New painting unveiled at the Ohio Statehouse

COLUMBUS — Artist Bill Hinsch unveiled a painted rendering of Ohioans in Space in the Ohio Statehouse Wednesday. The image is the artist’s study for a large oil painting he will create to hang permanently in the Rotunda next year. This small version of the painting was revealed to the public in the Rotunda.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) commissioned Hinsch to paint a 9-foot by 12-foot oil painting which will be installed in the Rotunda area in 2024. The artwork will recognize the accomplishments of Ohioans in space travel and exploration.

The smaller rendering displayed this week measures 30 inches by 40 inches. It shows several Ohio astronauts and their spacecrafts. The Earth, Moon and Mars are included along with an image representing the support staff who make space travel possible.

The painting pictures four of Ohio’s 25 astronauts who achieved real firsts — John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Judith Resnik along with Flight Director Gene Kranz of Toledo.

Bill Hinsch is an artist originally from Hicksville, Ohio, who now lives in Perrysburg. His aviation art hangs in the Pentagon and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton.

The final painting is projected to be installed in 2024.

Upcoming meetings:

● Shelby City Council, 7 p.m. Monday, Shelby Justice Center, 29 Mack Ave., Shelby

● Mansfield Board of Control, 10 a.m., Wednesday, ninth floor conference room, Municipal Building, 30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield

● Shelby Park Board, 7 p.m., July 10, conference room, 5 Water St., Shelby

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ashland Chautauqua July 11-15, Statehouse astronaut painting