Metropolitan Holdings Partners With Local Artist For New Olde Towne East Mural

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Columbus, Ohio (October 13, 2023) - A new multi-story mural is being painted in the heart of Olde Towne East. Located at the new Metropolitan Holdings development, Triumph Apartments, local artist Carlos Roa began work on the piece in early October.

Once complete, Roa says the mural will depict “an indigenous African goddess keeping a motherly and protective watch over the community.” The painting is inspired by the vibrant African American art and jazz community of Columbus in the 1930s and ‘40s and Roa’s own cultural roots.

Roa was born in Bogota, Columbia and raised in the United States after being adopted at the age of six. His artistic philosophy is to pay homage to the spirit of the native people of all nations and to unify audiences through his uniquely intriguing style, mixing the past with futuristic elements.

“I hope the mural inspires people to think about who we are, where we came from, and the generations of ancestors that paved the way before us,” says Roa.

Roa has lived in Columbus for over 35 years and is the owner of Fifth Element Tattoo Gallery on Parsons Avenue. More of his mural work can be seen at Barrio locations on Fifth Avenue and Lane Avenue, as well as a mural celebrating Merion Village at Parsons Avenue and East Stewart Avenue. “The Columbus art community is so open and welcoming to new artists and voices,” he says, reflecting on what he loves most about the city. “It’s great to see the community taking care of its artists in a way we haven’t seen before.”

Metropolitan Holdings selected Roa to create the mural after issuing a request for proposals in 2022. “It was important to us that we continued the strong tradition of public art in the neighborhood,” says Matthew Vekasy, founder and CEO of Metropolitan Holdings. “Roa’s work was selected for uniquely celebrating and honoring the rich cultural history of the Near East Columbus community.”

The mural can be seen on the northwest side of the Triumph building, at the corner of 18^th Street and Agate Alley in Olde Towne East.

To see more of Roa’s art, visit www.instagram.com/roa_tattoos. For more information on Triumph Apartments, visit www.metropolitanholdings.com.

About Metropolitan Holdings: Metropolitan Holdings is a full-service real estate firm located in Columbus, Ohio. The company focus is on the development, construction, and management of suburban and urban multifamily and mixed-use developments within a three-to-four-hour radius of Columbus. The company has successfully developed over US $200M+ worth of multifamily assets, including a total of 700+ units within the Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati markets.

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