Artist David Mueller is from Chicago, Illinois, and works in the Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, area. He studied at the American Academy of Art. The artist had worked on Christmas cards for the Voinovich family during the 1990s. He was then asked to do the official governor's portrait. The governor wanted to stress his connection with children and education, so they chose the bronze sculpture at the Statehouse to serve as a symbolic backdrop.
George V. Voinovich (b. 1936), a Republican from Cleveland, Ohio, served as mayor of Cleveland from 1980-1989 and Ohio governor from 1990-1998. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.
From the description of Painting [realia] : George Voinovich. 1998. (Ohio Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 432288936
