NASA representatives joined in on the unveiling ceremony of "Ohioans in Space," a tribute painting honoring the state-born national heroes and legendary astronauts Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Judy Resnik, and Gene Kranz, which was held last Jan. 24 in the Statehouse in Columbus.
Ohio's 'Mt. Rushmore of Astronauts'
Measuring a considerable 9-foot-high by 12-foot-long, the large-scale oil painting was made by Ohio-born portraitist Bill Hinsch and was commissioned by the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF).
Such a tribute was the first to be instated at the Statehouse in over seven decades, succeeding a portrait of the Wright Brothers, who were also Ohioan natives.
Of the piece, CSF Chairman Charles Moses was quoted by Collect Space saying: "The first thing was to determine who is going to be in this painting, and after many conversations, it was pretty easy."
"We have the 'Mount Rushmore' of astronauts in Ohio," he added confidently.
Alongside NASA officials, family members of Armstrong, Lovell, and Resnik were also present during the painting's debut. Trevor Brown, dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University, acted as a stand-in for the Project Mercury astronaut's children.
Glenn and Armstrong passed away in recent years, 2016 and 2012, respectively. On the other hand, Resnik died during a 1986 mission aboard the "Challenger" space shuttle.
Lovell, whose video played during a formal dinner that preceded the ceremony, expressed her excitement about the inspiration, encouragement, and education that the painting will bestow upon would-be visitors of the Statehouse.
She added that the piece itself was an embodiment of the "importance of the past and future of the aerospace industry."
Hinsch, whose other artworks are displayed in the National Museum of the US Air Force and the Pentagon, also spoke of the painting and the opportunity it brought him during the ceremony, saying: "I'm just a boy from Hicksville, Ohio, so it's a little nerve-wracking for me to get up here."
According to him, he spent around "seven days a week" in the span of seven months to work on the piece, which is something he is really "proud" of, adding, "It was a supreme honor to do this painting."
