Selected by AIGA Toledo as a participant of the You Are Here project in collaboration with The Arts Commission.

After researching the building that stands at 405 Madison Avenue, I discovered that the site used to house the popular Boody Hotel which was torn down in the late 1920’s. In 1932, the Ohio Bank Building stood in its place. While exploring the building, I found plenty of characteristics that were common to the Art Deco style of architecture. Art Deco is typically based on symmetry, geometric shapes and has influences from cubism, futurism and even relates back to neoclassical design.

As a child, I started collecting vintage glass bottles that washed up along the shores of the Sandusky River. When I found out that the PNC building was once the global headquarters for Owens-Illinois, a local glass container company, I was ecstatic. This building and I have something in common– we grew up in Toledo and we have a thing for glass.

So, I took my love for patterns and combined it with my love of bright colors. The glass bottle that stands in the center is an illustration of an old Pepsi bottle I found in my collection. It even has the old punt marks from O-I on the bottom of it. The city of Toledo has many things to be proud of. Being known as the Glass City will never shake from our history.

For more information on the You Are Here project visit here.