• TARTA News

Customers waiting for their ride at the TARTA Transit Hub at 612 N. Huron Street in Toledo may have noticed some new scenery lately – a tribute a transit icon and the mother of the civil rights movement.

A new mural honoring the life and legacy of Rosa Parks is now on display on the rear wall of the public section of the Hub. This work was created by Toledoan Mercé Culp, also known as Urban Digitz, in collaboration with the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo.

“I want to thank the Arts Commission for their guidance on this project, and for helping shine a light on the honor, courage and legacy of Rosa Parks, whose impact on public transportation and our nation cannot be overstated,” said TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski. “Access to important destinations should be available to everyone, so that our entire community has a chance to raise their quality of life. Rosa Parks stood for those ideals and we are challenged to follow them.”

This work replaces a previous tribute to Rosa Parks installed at the Hub on Rosa Parks Day in 2023, which included space for visitors to share what Rosa Parks and her drive for justice meant to them. In February of this year, TARTA and the Toledo Chapter of the NAACP recognized Rosa Parks Day with an event where TARTA and City of Toledo officials and NAACP members read to children at Toledo Lucas County Public Library locations.

“The Arts Commission is honored to partner with TARTA on this public art project that pays tribute to civil rights icon Rosa Parks and honors her act of defiance on December 1st, 1955,” said Arts Commission Director of Art in Public Places Nathan Mattimoe.

“Mercé Culp’s vibrant mural captures Rosa Park’s strength and dignity and serves as a vibrant tribute to her unwavering courage and pivotal role in the fight for racial equality and justice. The mural also honors the vital service that TARTA provides to so many of our fellow Toledoans. We hope to continue this partnership into the future.”