Artist Bill Hinsch unveiled a painted rendering of Ohioans in Space in the Ohio Statehouse today. The image is the artist’s study for a large oil painting he will create to hang permanently in the Rotunda next year. This small version of the painting was revealed to the public in the Rotunda.
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) commissioned Hinsch to paint a 9-foot by 12-foot oil painting which will be installed in the Rotunda area in 2024. The artwork will recognize the accomplishments of Ohioans in space travel and exploration.
The smaller rendering displayed today measures 30 inches by 40 inches. It shows several Ohio astronauts and their spacecrafts. The Earth, Moon and Mars are included along with an image representing the support staff who make space travel possible.
The painting pictures four of Ohio’s 25 astronauts who achieved real firsts. John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth in NASA’s Mercury Friendship 7 capsule. Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Jim Lovell is the first to fly into space four times, and the first to fly to the moon twice. He was commander of the Apollo 13 mission. Judith Resnik was part of the first NASA astronaut group to include women. She was a crew member on Space Shuttles Discovery and Challenger. An image of Flight Director Gene Kranz of Toledo represents the Ohio engineers and scientists who are integral to achievements in space.