Portrait honoring "As We Are" sculptor Matthew Mohr unveiled at downtown Columbus Hilton

Portrait honoring "As We Are" sculptor Matthew Mohr unveiled at downtown Columbus Hilton

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A new permanent portrait honoring the late artist Matthew Mohr is now on display in downtown Columbus, celebrating the creator of one of the city’s most recognizable public artworks.

The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority unveiled the portrait tribute to Mohr, the artist behind As We Are, the interactive sculpture that has welcomed visitors to the Greater Columbus Convention Center for years. Mohr’s portrait is displayed across the street at the Hilton hotel downtown.

Those behind the tribute said it celebrates Mohr’s legacy of creativity, innovation and human connection.

Central Ohio artist Mark Bush, who painted the portrait, described Mohr as supportive and upbeat.

“Very encouraging is the word I would use. Whenever I met him at art events, he was very encouraging,” Bush said. “He had this sense of like playfulness with his work and his personality. He had bow ties all the time that everybody knew him from. Just a very positive guy, very encouraging guy. You could tell he just lived and breathed art.”

As We Are was installed in 2017, and nearly 75,000 people have stepped inside the photo booth since then. The 14-foot sculpture is one of Central Ohio’s most photographed and celebrated pieces of public art.