Mural features The Yellow Bus at Queen City Book Bank

You will see many a yellow bus on area streets. Yet, one you won’t want to miss is the one featured in a recent mural by ArtWorks. The mural depicts The Yellow Bus from a book by local artist Loren Long, and it graces a wall outside the Queen City Book Bank (QCBB) headquarters at 1200 Gest Street in Queensgate.

Long designed the mural, which was executed by a team of 10 ArtWorks apprentices (local high school and recent grads ages 14 to 21) led by two teaching artists. 

Long, a QCBB board member and a Madeira resident for more than three decades, has illustrated nearly 30 books and his work has appeared on The New York Times bestseller list 12 times. His book, The Yellow Bus, is an inspiring story that underscores the transformative power of being in service to others. It was published this summer by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. The book is about a forgotten school bus that finds joy and purpose in the most unexpected places and in the journey along the way. 

QCBB is dedicated to promoting a love for reading and has distributed 3,500 copies of The Yellow Bus to children in their curated book program. The mural celebrates the spirit of community and act as a reminder of opportunities for growth, promoting a sense of hope and resilience within the hearts of onlookers.

“We are ecstatic about this very special project with Loren, ArtWorks and Macmillan Publishers,” said Michelle Otten Guenther, CEO of the QCBB. “The Yellow Bus will be our signature book for the 2024–25 school year, and its simple, but profound, message will set the tone for an inspiring year ahead. This unique mural reinforces that by working together our community makes literacy a priority.”

In commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial (also called America 250-Ohio) will include the Queen City Book Bank mural as part of their Statewide Mural Recognition Program which will be rolled out in late 2024 and continues through 2026.

Artists from ArtWorks creating the mural in 2024. Above: Loren Long. Photos provided.