Daily Inspiration: Meet Christina Kasper

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Kasper. 

Hi Christina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
This project came about during the summer of 2019 when several friends were cruising down the Maumee River and approached the ADM grain silos. Realizing this was the introduction to the city of Toledo for so many (including the 82,365 vehicles that pass that spot DAILY), they wondered why our vibrant city’s spirit had no representation on such a vast canvas. Over a year later, our team continues the process of creating a warm welcome and a message of hope and positivity. We have now created the Glass City River Wall, the nation’s largest mural at 170,000 sq ft spanning 28 silos. The design was created by LA-based artist, Gabe Gault, after an international search and executed by a team of local artists including renowned artist, Eric Henn. The imagery celebrates our past, present, and future and highlights the first farmers of the region- native American women and children. 

This has been a passion project for me and many others on our team including our steering committee made up of a diverse group of people with unique backgrounds. It has been made possible by the generosity of the donors in our community- corporate, governmental, and individual. We have witnessed the most beautiful interactions created by our educational component that bridges the project to the city and have collaborated with 20 entities to elevate and promote not only the educational aspect of the project but also the city itself. Asking the question of whose story is told and why created a runway for conversations and a platform for the power of storytelling. This project has been able to translate that all the way down to an individual level, empowering even our youngest citizens and providing an avenue for inclusion and belonging. 

It has been an absolute honor to be a part of this iconic project. We really had no earthly idea how much this would bring to us individually and collectively, and it’s been joyful to watch it unfold. It didn’t come without daily challenges and obstacles that we never anticipated, but we are near the finish line and can’t wait to deliver this gift to the city of Toledo and all of its people. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
(If we were in person, you would see me laughing hard right now)! I’m not sure how to qualify a smooth road, as a mural to this scale has never been done before, so there was no template. Ultimately, we just put one foot in front of the other and faced every challenge and obstacle head-on. There were plenty of days where things ran efficiently and smoothly- and those were the days I hope we remember the most. Because there were other days where nothing seemed to go right and we wondered what on earth we had gotten ourselves into! 

Most of the challenges we faced were unpredictable. We stopped production for 2 weeks because of supply chain issues, including a national shortage of resin (one of the primary components of our paint). The weather, not just rain, but wind and ice became more of an issue than anticipated. And there were other challenges along the way, but again- we just faced them one at a time and head-on. 

We entered this project during the pandemic with the hope that we could help provide some hope and positivity- at a time when it felt sorely lacking. Gabe Gault’s imagery including the sunflowers (which by the way are often referred to as the “flower of hope” because they follow the sun all day) helped define that, as well as his overall focus of creating art centered around individuals making a positive difference in our culture. 

Ultimately, the spirit of the project was to remind ourselves that we are all a part of something greater, and our past, present, and future is an indication of how we learn, grow, and develop from our collective community. It was really important to us that the educational component be an avenue for people to recognize their unique and intrinsic value- and how that defines and elevates community. That touchstone helped us power through the struggles along the way and helped us focus on getting to the finish line. We’re almost there! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an EDAC art consultant, which means I have a solid background in what most refer to as “art in healing” and environmental psychology through art. My work has included business development for a company based in Chicago, Art Expressions, that curates art packages for (mainly) healthcare systems. I am currently taking a leave from the corporate world to manage the Glass City River Wall, though I continue to consult with Art Expressions and have added several non-profit entities to my client list. 

The Glass City River Wall is, by far, my proudest professional achievement. It has included creating a non-profit, Urban Sight inc, and collaborating with a team that has changed the landscape of our city and created a movement celebrating positivity. But mostly, I am really proud of the career I have built to help make life a little easier and more beautiful for the people around me. 

I think what sets me apart is my unique skill set because I developed my career later in life. I raised 3 amazing young men, and gathered so many skills I wasn’t even yet aware could serve me so well to help elevate others. My career was born out of a sense of wonder and passion for the world around me- and the relationships I have built along the way have been nothing short of magic. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Oh my gosh- the list is so long! The first person that comes to mind on the Glass City River Wall is my co-host on a daily basis- our operations manager, Nicole LeBouttilier. Without her, this project would have not been possible (and I might have lost my mind). All the people that took that original vision, specifically our co-founder, Brandy Wimberly, and ran with it also deserved a tremendous amount of credit. The amount of grit and resilience displayed was astounding. The entire city circled around us and supported us- it’s hard to qualify the amount of support that we received. 

As far as my individual journey, I had the great fortune of “donating back my salary” (i.e., volunteering) for ProMedica (healthcare system based in Toledo). That experience led to Christine Sachs, the owner of Art Expressions, who believed in me before I believed in myself on some levels. She has been a mentor on so many levels and opened my eyes to what can happen when you dream big. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.glasscityriverwall.org
• Instagram: @christinakasp, @glasscityriverwall
• Facebook: Glass City River Wall

Image Credits
Nicole LeBoutillier
Nick Corbin
Christine Sachs
Kathleen Merrill