18"x 24" Acrylic on Canvas
Artist: Adria Chavers
Inspired by: Jeralyis's Rainbow Sky by Jeralyis from Artemus Ward School
Suggested Value: $150.00

"This poem is written beautifully with descriptive language. I read the poem, it felt so positive and powerful which is something that the world needs more of."

15" x 17" - Clay
Artist - Todd Leech
Inspired by - My Dream by Paige from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value - $150.00

"I was drawn to this poem because I loved the dreams of the hopeful young woman. I thought I could make a complete piece using my crater glaze that has been associated with the surface of the moon. I always am amazed at the secret, subconscious world of the dream state."

Todd Leech is a full - time studio artist working in Cleveland. He has participated in more than 150 exhibitions. Career highlights include, residencies at Red Lodge Clay Center, Montana (2018), Medalta International Artists -in-Residence, Alberta (2014, 2008, 2005), Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Maine (2013), and Guldagergaard Ceramic Research Center, Denmark (2011). Most recently Leech has been accepted into the permanent collection of The Canton Art Museum (2019).

11"x 14" acrylic and latex on canvas - Framed (black)
Artist: Laurel Herbold
Inspired by: TikTok by Ahna'liece from Clara E. Westropp School
Suggested Value: $325.00

"Ahna'liece's poem TikTok reflects her love for dancing. The movement of my Wee the People works well to express the energy and joy experienced when the music moves us."

Laurel Herbold is a freelance artist exhibiting in Northeast Ohio and the surrounding area since 1994. She maintains a studio/gallery space at the popular West 78th Street Studios since March 2011.
Her stylized paintings and ink drawings of tiny silhouetted figures have expanded into a wide range of fine art as well as a growing line of merchandise and collectibles.

9" x 12", Acrylic and gouache on panel (2 panels)
(2 separate panels)
Artist: Christina Turner
Inspired by: Dark Dreams by Nyla from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $175.00

"I was drawn to Nyla's poem because she also learns from dreams, especially when something in the dream feels distinctly on way, and then that feeling shifts. I think it's a tremendous insight to recognize that our fears and uncomfortable situations can shift with our perception and that close observation changes the way we see the world around us."

Christina Turner is an artist and writer living and working in Ohio. Her abstract paintings explore color, structure, and relationships between forms. When Christina isn't drawing, she's reading. She works at a public library because there's no place she'd rather be, except maybe out on a trail or home with her cats.

14"x11", Digital Illustration -
Artist: Danielle Rueger-Miroweski
Inspired by: Annoying Pets by Mia from Holy Family Catholic School
Suggested Value: $250.00

"As much as we all love our pets, they can indeed be very annoying. The way Mia described her annoying pets very much reminded me of my own experience with my two fur babies: Emma (german shepherd husky mix) and Peekaboo (little black cat). It also reminded me of how interesting they make life and how much I love them"

Danielle is a Cleveland-based illustrator/designer who specializes in cute, fun, and colorful. When she's not working, she's out in nature, traveling somewhere new with her husband, or playing with her pets.

13" x 18.5" Watercolor/pen, ink, mixed media-
Artist: Don Jeffrey
Inspired by: Our City, Our Home by the Marion Seltzer Core Boys Team from Marion C. Seltzer School
Suggested Value: $125.00

"I loved how the boys from Marion Seltzer had pride in their city and I immediately thought about the various Cleveland signs that are positioned around town showcasing portions of the city in the background."

Born in Cleveland, Jeffrey grew up in Summit County, graduated from Stow High School and the University of Akron. He enjoys doing watercolor/pen and ink illustrations of local points of interest, buildings, and street scenes that remind people of their hometowns.

24"x31" - Ink Drawing, Framed (Black)
Artist - Cheryl Brickman
Inspired by: When I Walk Outside by Katie from Mound STEM School
Suggested Value: $185.00

Local Pick Up Only

"I found I felt the same way about how surroundings look, just as Katie wrote in her poem. I tried to illustrate my poem like a child would see it, with colors and objects used and noticed by a small child."

Cheryl has been an art student and artist since the first grade when she started to take art lessons at the Cleveland Museum of Art. She was an art major all through school and college, experimenting in drawing, sculpture, and photography. Her art has been accepted at many juried shows at numerous locations such as Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, BayArts Spring Show, Lakeland May Show, Farimont Art, Valley Art, Stella's Art Gallery, Ashtabula Center of the Arts and her art has won many awards.

14"X 18" X 1.5" - Collage (torn paper and found object) -
Artist: Tamara Jaeger
Inspired by: Pollution by the Mound STEM Core Boys Team
Suggested Value: $800.00

"I have an interested in nature and environmental issues, so the topic of the poem "Pollution," drew me in. The parts about trash in the ocean and on the floor reminded me of all the trash I see on the ground every day in the neighborhood. Tamara wanted to highlight the pervasiveness of trash in our everyday lives by using it as an art material."

Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from Albion College as well as several non-art-related degrees. She has always found nature in general and animals, in particular, to be restorative and inspirational. Tamara's current work concentrates primarily on torn paper collages, oil painting, and 3D mixed media pieces. Through her process, the ephemeral becomes permanent; the worthless becomes valuable.

8"x 10" on a 9" x 11" surface - Watercolor, pen, marker on watercolor paper - Framed (Black)
Artist- David Whiteman
Inspired by - Aliens by the Robinson G. Jones Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $300.00

"I chose this poem because I believe it touches upon emotions and issues many can relate to in today's world. My piece is an adaptation of the ugly duckling's concept. "We're Out There," references aliens, and implies that those who are different, are not alone. Many colorful beings live amongst the monotonous shades of grey. Ducklings are used to pay homage to the fact that this poem's thoughts and message come from the hearts of children."

David's work is about allowing chance and organic origins to inspire more controlled and planned actions. Color and line are meant to bring a meeting of both abstract marks and potentially recognizable imagery.

8"x 12" - Photography - Matted
Artist - Ilenia Pezzaniti
Inspired by - All About Hair by Katie from Mound STEM School
Suggested Value: $65.00

"I enjoyed the visual, the author of the poem, depicted and that she thinks it's important to celebrate culture."

Illena Pezzaniti is a visual storyteller and multidisciplinary artist living in Akron, Ohio.

22" x 37" x 2.5" - 3D sculpture in shadow box
Artist - Joyce Morrow Jones
Inspired by: I Am a Girl by the Artemus Ward Core Girls Team
Suggested Value: $399.00

Local Pick Up Only

"Young females are dually confident about the gifts and uncertain about their awesomeness. I think this poem, I Am a Girl, expresses both aspects of growing up and celebrating being female."

"I Am a Girl and so much more" is expressed in this multicultural representation of young ladies. Different hair types and clothes and even body build are featured. Some are glamorously dressed with others are just fashionable. While physical features are being enhanced, it is the motivational words and affirmations which I hope will inspire the viewer."

12" x 12" - Encaustic Wax - Framed (Grey)
Artist: Dawn Tekler
Inspired by: My Beautiful Tree by Kiera from Holy Family School
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I am currently exploring trees and nature in my personal work; so this poem was a natural fit."

Dawn Tekler earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Cleveland Institute of Art with a major in Photography and a minor in Video and Film History. You can visit her gallery at 78th Street Studios. Tekler is drawn to the idea of encasing the subject so it can be studied at a ta later date. This is a theme that is carried over from her voyeuristic approach to photography. Through the layering of wax, adding color and texture, Tekler aims to create an environment that allows the viewer to bring to it their own story and hopefully enjoyment of that journey. Also with anticipation invite the viewer back over and over again to find different elements not noticed in the original viewing.

18" x 24" - Acrylic Pain
Artist - Gabrielle Lawrence
Inspired by: Black Lives Matter by Naomi from Campbell Elementary
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I read the poem and the image came to mind." The image is made up of the names of those lives lost to police brutality.

Gabrielle Lawerence did not start within the art field but instead pursued experiences to provide depth and new meanings. Now she is focusing on art to create meaningful images. The medium changes according to what works best to portray the image. She has received training from European Summer School, Cuyahoga Community College, and Case Western Reserve University.

11" x 14" - Mixed Media Painting
Artist: Diane Fleisch Hughes
Inspired by: I am a Girl by the Artemus Ward Core Girls Team
Suggested Value: $250.00

"The poem I am a Girl celebrates the stereotypical versions of how society views girls but also, and arguably more important, it is the celebration of the empowerment the writer feels that being a girl brings to them. "I am the vote, I am the choice, I am the fight, I am the voice." This gives me hope for the future of true equity for women and inspires me to set the example for these young poets. My painting is a reflection of the freedom and responsibility that comes with being a girl."

Diane Fleisch Hughes is a nationally board-certified Art Therapist and contemporary working artist based in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Her work is primarily mixed media figurative painting but she likes to experiment with all media. The work is intuitive and loose, often combining realistic images with areas of emotional color. Her mixing of mediums and painterly mark-making creates visual excitement on paper and canvas. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally and is in many private collections around the country.

Necklace - 17 in Earrings - 3 in
Artist - Barbara Lockhart
Inspired by: My Blue World of Lapis by Alexander from Merrick House
Suggested Value: $40.00

"I loved many of the poems, but what drew me to Alexander's My Blue World of Lapis, is his imagination and description of the color. Instantly his poem painted a visual in my head of a beautiful Lapis Azuli necklace and so it came to life in my World of Lapis Jewelry Set!"

Barbara Lockhart is a handmade jewelry artist. She handmakes jewelry that empowers visionary women to go after their dreams, live a positive lifestyle, and overcome mental obstacles. She does this by using color psychology, inspiration wording, and symbolism from nature in her designs.

10" x 20" Acrylic Painting (4 separate panels)
Artist - Angela Novak
Inspired by - Colors by Haley from Artemus Ward.
Suggested Value: $250.00

"I chose Colors because I live my life with colors and the poem made me envision a little girl thinking about all her favorite colors."

9" x 12" Watercolor Painting- Matted and Framed (Black)
Artist: Emily Splain
Inspired by: Dark Dreams by Nyla from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I was inspired by the descriptions in this poem. I loved the falling in the water part of the dark dream."

12" x 15", Carbon Transfer on Paper -
Artist: Chris Oatey
Inspired by: Working Together by Ja'niyah from Wade Park School

Suggested Value: $1,300.00

"The simple positive message of Working Together was something I appreciated and is so important right now. I was drawn to the poet's use of concepts that are ubiquitous in our everyday life (space, air, stars) and how their scale and sublime nature makes them hard to grasp."

Chris Oatey's practice has been consistently informed by a cartographic sensibility. He produces a wide range of works from the intricately hand-drawn to the raw, immediate recording of his everyday surroundings. Chris skillfully documents surface textures in and out of the studio. His work highlights the unexpected and overlooked aspects of both materials and ordinary sites.

18" x 24" Watercolor-
Artist - Jordan Serpentini
Inspired by - My World by Mary from Marion C. Seltzer
Suggested Value: $222.00

"The correlations my heart had with Mary's poem were uncanny. I loved the free spirit, the no-ceiling mentality her words conveyed. It showed me, the poet will create the life she wants, no matter who tells her what to do and how to be. Much like a spider defying gravity to make a web, they hold the design in their mind's eye and don't stop until it's done in all of its geometric perfection. I took this to paper when coming up with my design. We are all artists of life, creating the life we want. This girl in this painting has created a most magical land of vibrant colors and fluidity."

Jordan Serpentini loves to inspire and help others get in tune with that endless world of inner creativity. "Sky's the limit this lifetime around, and a more beautiful world is here for us all to enjoy when we work together and ask how we can serve." She most gratefully does her best to put fun first and see where the wind takes her. Jordan has been into art since the beginning of her life and has since only expanded art off the canvas and into the ethers. She paints her life one affirmation at a time.

8" x 10" - - Acrylic and collage with made papers - Matted
Artist - Julie Cook
Inspired by - Winter by Jolianis from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $75.00

"I like making landscape paintings and I like winter. After reading the poem, I had a good idea for the art right away."

Julie Cook is a self-taught artist who mainly works in acrylics and mixed media. Recently she has done some altering of papers and collages with them for some of her smaller artwork pieces. Julie loves to experiment with paint and products and see what new textures or techniques she can learn or develop. Through the sale of her art, Julie help support a school in Thailand where her daughter and son-in-law work that helps at-risk children on the Thailand/Myanmar (Burma) border. She has had her artwork juried in several shows throughout NE Ohio. Her art has been at Hopkins International Airport and she has had several solo shows in NE Ohio.

Hear Jolianis perform her poem Winter -

18" x 12" Digital Illustration - On Canvas Framed (Black)
Artist: Kinsey Sandford
Inspired by - Untitled by A.B Hart Core Girls Team
Suggested Value: $100.00

"I was inspired by the poem Untitled because I really felt like it hit home for every girl/woman living in America. 'Sometimes being female is scary but you need to stand strong together, girls have power!'"

Kinsey Sandford always loved art since a child as she honed her craft she really started to enjoy drawing portraits of people and form there, animals, and then nature. Kinsey thinks our world provides enough unique beauty to create from and that's what really inspires her when she sits down to draw. She loves color and will use it as much as possible. She keeps things simple and true to form because every imperfection in this world is complete perfection in her eyes.

9"x 12" - Mixed Media on Paper
Artist: Barbara Bachtell
Inspired by: Neptune the Seahorse by Colton from Holy Family Catholic School
Suggested Value: $400.00

"This poem has a great story full of vivid description, a loving family, a fiercely protective mother figure, and a happy resolution that appealed to me visually and morally. It also has some great rhymes. It inspired me to challenge myself with conveying multiple events within one work of art in a cohesive way."

Barbara Bachtell is a Cleveland Heights-based artist who grew up in Hudson, Ohio, Pittsburgh, PA, and Alburquerque, NM. She has a B.A. in Visual Art from Wesleyan University (CT) and a B.F.A. in Painting from Cleveland Institue of Art. She has incorporated both text elements and organic forms into her work for many years and is a published poet and writer as well as visual artist. Her drawing and small sculptures have been exhibited throughout Ohio and Wisconsin, at several locations.

18"x 24" - Photography - Framed (black)
Artist- Besty Banks
Inspired by - Cleveland by the Newton D. Baker School of Arts Girls Team
Suggested Value: $195.00

"I was drawn to this poem because the team does such a wonderful job capturing a sense of place. With powerful use of rhythm, they created a tapestry that captures many of the unique places that - combined - make Cleveland home. They inspired me to create this collection of glimpses of Cleveland."

Besty Banks currently works in civic engagement at Case Western Reserve University, coordinating community-based educational programs that promote awareness, connection, action, and learning. She enjoys sharing the connection she feels to place through photography and serves on the Steering Committee of the Cuyahoga Valley Photographic Society, promoting Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the photographic arts through education.

17" x 11" - Photography - Framed (wood)
Artist - Jim Baron
Inspired by - My Beautiful Tree by Kiera from Holy Family Catholic School
Suggested Value: $85.00

"I felt the poem was well written and I also have a love of trees."

Jim Baron has spent over 30 years as a commercial photographer in Cleveland. He has photographed many of the people and places that make Northeast Ohio a great location to live in.

The Most Frightening Day of the Year
12.5" x 15" - Digital Illustration - Unframed
Artist - Quinn Bilson
Inspired by - Halloween by Grant from Wade Park School
Suggested Value: $80.00

"I read through all the poems but something about Grant's stood out to me. Just reading it gave me inspiration. I knew this had to be the one I would illustrate. I am very grateful to be able to participate in this event and hope the poet, Grant, likes my artwork."

Quinn Bilson is a student at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Quinn draws a little bit of everything but is fond of figure studies and portraits.

Hear Grant perform his poem Halloween -

24" x 34" - Digital Illustration - Framed (white)
Artist - J.B.
Inspired by - Virtual Reality by the Newton D. Baker School of Art Boys Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I have always been interested in tech and video games. I also use the computer as a means to draw my work. It was a fun experience to take a poem based around the virtual world and use virtual tools to create it."

14" x 20" - Ink, Charcoal, pastel on paper - Framed (Black)
Artist - Judith Brandon
Inspired by - Working Together by Ja'niyah from Wade Park School
Suggested Value: $850.00

"Ja'niyah sees the atmosphere and outer space as connected for humans. There is an understanding that together we can do more to break the barriers of Earth and Space. By taking big risks and going forward even when we may be fearful, is the only way to true freedom."

Storms, weather and infinite connections fascinate and inspire Judith. The geometry of a hurricane is the same spiral as a conch shell or sunflower. Galaxies look like our brain neurons. Through visual elements, spiritual practice and intuitive visualization Brandon explores that connection. Ink washes provide an abstract guide to the final composition. Layers of color build up depth and provide luminance. Brandon draws the final images with charcoal, pastel, and colored pencil to create storm clouds, ocean swells, and landscapes. Ultimately, the work is a visual representation of plunging into the unknown. Turning seemingly, lifeless materials into the vibrational current of imagery that moves people is the greatest experience.

18" x 24" - Digital Illustration - Framed (black)
Artist - Elizabeth Carney
Inspired by - Cleveland by the Newton D. Baker School of Arts Girls Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I was intrigued by all the components the author portrayed in the poem. My grandmother is a Cleveland tour guide and has been teaching me about Cleveland's history for as long as I can remember. I have always been fascinated with how much our city has to offer. Growing up and living on the west side, I identify as a Clevelander. I love this city and frequenting all the places the poem depicts made it easy for me to visualize my final art piece."

Elizabeth Carney is currently a junior at Bay Village High School. She has always been creative, but her interest in art really took off with photography when she was 11 years old. She has taken many art classes and explored art on her own using different mediums. she enjoys painting, color pencil, charcoal/graphite, sculpture/ceramics, and photography. She has received awards for her work at various art shows. This past March she started working digitally and this is the first time she has shared her digital artwork. After graduation in 2022, she plans to attend college majoring in art and/or art education.

16" x 20" - Acrylic and polymer clay on canvas -
Artist - Katherine Check
Inspired by - She is London by London from Willson school
Suggested Value: $150.00

Local Pick Up Only

"I felt London's poem was so strong, independent, proud, and full of love. She took that feeling of love and joy and funneled it into her composition."

Katherine Check is an artist and licensed art educator in the State of Ohio. Formally trained in visual arts, with a concentration in sculpture at Cleveland State University. She has taught art in several Northeastern Ohio schools for 13 plus years. She is the founder of Flourishing Flamingo Arts, a production and education company that works with people to develop their own artistic skills in a non-judgmental environment that allows ALL people to feel successful and accomplished.

11" x 14" - Mixed Media,
Artist - Tom Desko
Inspired by - Rising Above by Brooklyn from A.B Hart School
Suggested Value: $300.00

"I am often overwhelmed by the many turns my life has taken and I, too, feel the emotional struggles. While reading this poem, I felt shadows of myself and how it reminds me to keep pushing my boundaries, to keep moving forward, and to keep focusing on the positive."

Tom Desko has been painting for over 40 years and draws inspiration from his traveling adventures, as well as, the wonderful City of Cleveland. Each piece he creates, for himself or by request, is a unique expression of a story, "I would love to hear one of yours and maybe share one of my own."

20" x 16" x 1" - Oil Painting on Canvas
Artist - Barb Everett
Inspired by - When I Walk Outside by Katie from Mound STEM School
Suggested Value: $350.00

"Simplicity and hope are two qualities that I see in Katie that I tried to illustrate. I painted two faces, one with eyes open and one with eyes closed. The top painting shows what she sees with open eyes )while walking) and the bottom face has closed eyes and looks to what she wants to see. Katie's long hair unities them and four butterflies signify hope, innocence, and the outrage to make positive change in her small world."

Barb Everett is a relatively new artist. She never painted or drew until she retired. She is inspired by her grandchildren, architecture, fashion, and anything that she finds worthy of celebration. Her goal is to bring the viewer up close and cause a reaction. She feels successful when she completes a piece and feels that she captured her heart and soul on canvas. She mostly uses oil because she loves the color and textures. She loves to exaggerate proportions and color to convey a mood.

12" x 24" - Print of piece of marker on bleeding tissue background
Artist - Gwendolyn Garth
Inspired by - We Need to Change by Gregory from Newton D. Baker School of Arts
Suggested Value: $500.00

"As a community activist, I have come to believe that the change in the community must come from changes within our own selves. I believe that to improve the world we must start with self."

Gwendolyn Garth is a native Clevelander. She is an African American multimedia artist, graduate of Cleveland Municipal School District, graduate of Women in Transition Program (Tri-C), a certified Creative Arts Therapy Specialist (Tri-C), Neighborhood Leadership Development Program graduate (NLDP), founder and CEO of Kings and Queens of Art and a 501(c) Arts Organization. Garth's real work will always be about reinventing communities and perceptions about the people in those communities. Garth will continuously do so by employing the therapeutic value of art and by thinking and working holistically to engage with others through collaboration and transparency.

16" x 20" - Photography on Canvas - Framed (black)
Artist - Paul Giglia
Inspired by - My World by Zallie from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $75.00

"I enjoy floral photography and usually use a variety of processes to enhance the images. The poem I chose, My World, speaks of colors and flowers that made me think about ways to take a floral photo, isolate the flowers, and add texture to convey tranquility. I hope I achieved all this in my piece."

Paul Giglia is an amateur, but devoted, photographer who enjoys producing images of nature, landscapes, and also of Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs. While he practices this avocation for his own enjoyment, he also sells his work to stock photo houses as well as on various products. The fact that he can use his camera to help a worthy cause such as America SCORES Cleveland, gives him the most joy, though.

Bridges at Settler's Landing, The Flats
21.5" x 17.5" - Photography- Framed (Black)
Artist - Paul Giglia
Inspired by - Our City, Our Home by the Marion C. Seltzer Boys Team
Suggested Value: $75.00

"This wonderful description of Cleveland is so exuberant that I felt it needed a photo of a part of Cleveland where exuberance is always present: The Flats. The poem also tells of so many of the city's attractions. But because I couldn't fit them all in one photo I chose a spot where bridges spanned the Cuyahoga, representing how they connect different attractions, East and West. We're all proud of our city and representing it in a photo that shows it at its best seemed appropriate."

Paul Giglia is an amateur, but devoted, photographer who enjoys producing images of nature, landscapes, and also of Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs. While he practices this avocation for his own enjoyment, he also sells his work to stock photo houses as well as on various products. The fact that he can use his camera to help a worthy cause such as America SCORES Cleveland gives him the most joy, though.

32" x 36" - Applique Quilt
Artist - Ellen Giglia
Inspired by - My Bike by Christian from Mary McLeod Bethune
Suggested Value: $150.00

"The poem My Bike made me think of carefree days as a child. I wanted my quilt to show the fun of riding so fast that colorful flowers fly out of the basket."

Ellen Giglia is a crafter who enjoys the creative process using a variety of techniques and materials.

11" x 14" - Mixed Media
Artist - Daniel Gorman
Inspired by - Power by the Buhrer Dual Language Academy Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $175.00

"I am a comic book illustrator and the poem Power connected with him in a positive way as a creator. I intended to try and create his piece as a visual representation of the poem"

Dan Gorman is a trained Medical illustrator with his BFA in Medical Illustration from the Cleveland Institute of Art (1999). Dan began working as a Sketch Card Artist in 2010 and has since worked on over 150 Licensed Trading Card sets featuring properties that include but are not limited to Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Alien, and The Lord of the Rings. In 2012 Dan began his career as a Comic Book penciler and has been published by Dark Horse (Grindhouse), AC Comics (FemForce), Empire Comics Lab (Cemetery Plots), and Source Point Press (The Rejected, Kringle).

9" x 12" - Mixed Media - Framed (brown)
Artist - Allison Hennie -
Inspired by - Colors by Haley from Artemus Ward
Suggested Value: $500.00

Allison Hennie, AIA, NCARB, MA, has a passion for people, places, and the arts. Hennie currently serves as the City Architect and public art coordinator for the City of Lakewood, helping facilitate diverse solutions with a positive social impact. A Cleveland native, she has lived in two countries and twelve cities.

18" x 24" - Acrylic on Canvas
Artist- Mary K. Thomas
Inspired by - My World by Zallie from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I chose My World because it has a freshness and it seemed to be very whimsical with a light and airy softness that the author expresses through color and the natural world around her."

Enhancing the lives of others through inspiring, creative and fun use of art to heal and give hope to our community. Sharing my love and passion for the arts with the hopes of enriching the lives of others through inspired self-expression. Place keeping and placemaking art tell our stories. Art inspires, encourages and art empowers.

18" X 24" - Acrylic on Canvas
Artist - Mary K. Thomas
Inspired by - My World by Zallie from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I chose My World because it had a freshness and it seemed to be very whimsical with a light and airy softness that the author expresses through color and the natural world around her."

Enhancing the lives of others through inspiring, creative and fun use of art to heal and give hope to the community. Sharing my love and passion for the arts with the hopes of enriching the lives of others through inspired self-expression. Placing keeping and placemaking art tells our stories. Art inspires, art encourages and art empowers.

Migrant Boys, Cuidad Juarez, Mexico 2019
13" X 9" - Prismacolor
Artist - Mark Krieger
Inspired by - Speak Your Pain by Leeanna from Artemus Ward School
Suggested Value: $500.00

"I sketched this boy in the refugee ten camps in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico where his family was waiting to seek asylum in the U.S. He was exhausted, quiet and sad. The weather was cold, threatening snow. I took a photo to work from back in Cleveland. When I read Leeanna's poem I thought of him."

Born and raised in Cleveland, Mark Krieger earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his Masters from Tyler School of Art, Temple University. His first year of graduate school was spent in Rome and he returned twice to Italy to spend a year painting. In 1976 he moved to Newport, RI. While he was there he traveled frequently to New York where he developed the gallery connections at Allan Stone and Austin. His studio is at 78th Street Studios, where he works on abstract painting and portraits of children whose lives are compromised by forces beyond their control.

14" X 11" - Digital Illustration - Framed (wood)
Artist - Matt Labyk
Inspired by - My Bike by Christian from Mary Bethune
Suggested Value: $150.00

I was drawn to this poem, because as a child, I was drawn to the bicycle as my first mode of transportation and freedom. To this day I still ride bikes and that eventually transformed into a love of motorcycles. Pretty much anything with two wheels brings back that feeling I got as a child."

Matt Labyk is a graphic designer and artist currently living in Lakewood, Ohio. He is inspired by skateboarding, motorcycling, and cartoons, not in any particular order.

15" x 17" - Clay
Artist - Todd Leech
Inspired by - Through Sickness and Health by Savannah from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $150.00

"I was drawn to this poem because it took a vow typically associated with marriage; to be with someone through sickness and health, and applied it to a larger societal issue. An issue that came to a head in the tumultuous year of 2020."

Todd Leech is a full-time studio artist working in Cleveland. He has participated in more than 150 exhibitions. Career highlights include residencies at Red Lodges Clay Center, Montana (2018), Medalta International Artists-in-Residence, Alberta (2014, 2008, 2005), Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Maine (2013) and Guidagergaard Ceramic Research Center, Denmark (2011). Most recently Todd has been accepted into the permanent collection of The Canton Art Museum (2019).

16" x 16" - Digital Art, Wood, Plexiglass -
Artist- Daniel Likar
Inspired by - Our City's Hot by the A.B Hart Boys Team
Suggested Value: $250.00

"I have always loved Cleveland. In 2016 when I earned my BFA from Kent State my thesis show was titled "My Cleveland," and centered around my experiences in the city growing up. I love any opportunity to continue to make work centered around our Hot City!"

Daniel Gerard Likar grew up loving art and began drawing at an early age. He got his start in crafts at Garfield Heights High School, under the leadership of artist Jeanne Tiefenbach. Danny has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Jewelry and MetalSmithing from Kent State. His main body of work consists of jewelry that focuses on the ideas of bold playful colors and iconic shapes. In every piece of his work, Danny wants to bring out the inner child in the wearer and create a feeling of childlike whimsy. He strives to make usable art that appeals to anyone who encounters it. He wants his work to be worn often and loved well.

11" x 17" - Pencil and ink on paper
Artist - Thomas Masaveg
Inspired by - Aliens by Robinson G. Jones Middle School Team
This piece has an augmented reality aspect to it! See photos for how to activate the augmented reality portion!
Suggested Value: $200.00

"The poem resonated with me and the feeling of separation from reality. I thought my style of augmented reality art would lend itself to depicting another dimension of identity. As a public artist, I seek to portray the identities of places and communities as I relate to them. With this piece, I hope to shine a light on the beautiful part of the collective identity that we all have access to. The vulnerable part of us that this poem speaks of is the same part that makes us more than human."

Thomas Masaveg began his art career as a pencil artist who blended plants and people into portraits. From there, he started to meet fellow artists and network with the local art community. Thomas quickly gained an interest in public art that has led to consistent projects in partnerships with nonprofits for community development. You can find his mural work at Cedar Lee Theater and he's currently preparing an augmented reality tour in collaboration with Campus District featuring sites along E. 22nd street like the former juvenile court building and CSU.

24" x 44" - Mixed Medium & Botanicals
Artist - Mary Lou McPeek
Inspired by - Earth is Changing Around Us by the Artemus Ward Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $150.00

"My art is inspired by nature. I use natural materials and encourage everyone to notice the beauty of nature and repeating patterns found in nature to calm our days. I believe anyone who notices a tree in detail and promotes the care and preservation of all nature is doing a wonderful thing for future generations!"

Mary's love of botanicals began early in life. Her family owned a garden center/flower shop. As a child, she was always in the greenhouse. After design school, she was a floral designer there until her recent retirement. She now uses botanicals and natural materials in a new way. Instead of a vased design, she uses many of the same materials such as branches, moss, seed pods etc. but as a framed piece of art. Her pieces are made on the slate, driftwood, or repurposed frames. She believes a piece of art centered on nature can produce a calming effect on the viewer especially in a hectic office environment as well as a home.

20" x 26" - Photography -Framed
Artist - Lauren Pacini
Inspired by - Coming to America by the Thomas Jefferson International Newcomer's Academy Boys Team
Suggested Value: $1,200.00

"I had no idea that there is a school in Cleveland helping students transition to America. I am absolutely thrilled by that fact. Cleveland is a city that was largely built by immigrants, and their story is told in the Cultural Gardens and a book on which I have collaborated that will launch this summer. "

Lauren Pacini is an architectural photographer and local history author. He strives to tell the story of Cleveland through his photography.

16" x 20" - Acrylic on canvas
Artist- James Quarles
Inspired by - Power by the Buhrer Dual Language Academy Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I was drawn to this piece because of its strong imagery, and connection to superpowers. I'm also an avid comic book reader."

James Quarles is a local Cleveland artist who attended Shaker Hts. high school where he took art classes from both Keaf Holiday and Dan Whitely. After graduating in 2005, he then went to CCAD (Colombus College of Art and Design) where he majored in Fine Arts and Graphic Design. After graduating in 2009, he returned home to Cleveland to pursue his passion for art through painting, screen printing, drawing, and writing, working in multiple mediums, but primarily acrylic paint. He also focuses on color, illustration, and cultural icons whose work he has found influential, adding to the collective landscape and lore that is both familiar and new.

17" x 23"C - Mixed Medium with Seal Resin Top
Artist - Susan Riha Parsley
Inspired by - Earth is Changing Around Us by the Artemus Ward Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $299.00

20" x 20" - Acrylic on Canvas
Artist - LaSaundra Robinson
Inspired by - Jeralyis's Rainbow Sky by Jeralyis from Artemus Ward
Suggested Value: $400.00

"My work right now is really about inner light and beauty and I feel the poem I chose really goes along with that."

LaSaundra Robinson is an artist that paints women. She works mostly in oil and acrylic on wood panels or canvas. The process starts with finding a face that calls to her. LaSaundra's work is about finding yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. She feels a lot of people hide their true selves and stereotypes keep us from reaching our true potential. LaSaundra uses portraits of women and flowers, along with lines, colors, and patterns to help express her ideas. If you make it through the maze of fears and doubts we all have, you can transform into whatever you want.' LaSaundra's more recent abstract portraits are about the strength and beauty of black women, letting their inner light come through. She wants to make paintings that allow you to feel the person you want to be.

33.5" x 24" - Reclaimed wood and paint
Artists - Justin Seeker and Maria Varonis
Inspired by - Untitled by the A.B. Hart Girls Team

Suggested Value: $150.00

Local Pick Up Only

"We selected this poem (Maria Varonis and 1 -- she did the painting, I did the woodwork) because it was a poem about strength and growth. We loved the butterfly imagery because butterflies transform and soar -- which takes strength, despite how delicate they are. And they are unique in their design and beauty, which we felt represents all humans on this earth as well."

Justin Seeker is a local woodworker - he loves turning wood that would normally be discarded into something beautiful and/or functional. Recently he's begun turning wood into bowls and other rounded shapes which has been a really therapeutic and rewarding addition to his craft.

11" x 14" - Drawing
Artist - Shawny Walthaw
Inspired by - Girls that Rules by the Buhrer Dual Language Girls Team
Suggested Value: $120.00

"I am all for empowering young women and that poem portrayed what it's like for a young girl of today and I wanted to capture that."

Shawny Walthaw is an illustrator from Cleveland that specializes in traditional and digital art.

Hear the Buhrer Dual Language Academy Girls Team perform their poem Girls that Rule -

18"x 18" x 2" - Mosaic
Artist - Mark Yasenchack
Inspired by - Earth is Changing Around Us by the Artemus Ward Middle School Team
Suggested Value: $250.00

Local Pick Up Only

"In college, I was a biology major and still have a deep connection to and understanding of the natural world around me. The earnest and concerned voices of young people in this poem are what moved me to choose the poem and the mission at its heart."

Mark Yasenchack thinks of the glazed tesserae as gemstones, their color bright and shiny against the flat muted surface of the unglazed field clay tiles. Often tight ordered patterns in the stamped texture are disrupted with the addition of random glazed details and dots. Experimentation with this process yields unique batches of tiles, their individuality unrepeatable. Currently, Yasenchack concentrates on shape as much as a surface embellishment of the tiles, each batch or collection a shape to find a special place for in a mosaic. The clay tesserae and tiles are combined with glass, stone, metal, and other found elements. He uses the direct method to piece together these mosaics.

13" x 5.5" x 1" - Steel - Wall Hanging
Artist - Stephen Yusko
Inspired by - A Feis Day with Maeve by Maeve from Holy Family Catholic School
Suggested Value: $300.00

"Ruthie Coffey, my wife, is from Ireland, speaks Gaelic, writes poetry and was a very accomplished ballet dancer. It was a nice surprise to find a poem that shared so many of her interests. Incorporating characters from the ancient Irish alphabet called Ogham, my piece spells D-A-N-C-E. The letters in the Ogham alphabet are linked together by a solid line and are read from bottom-to-top."

Stephen Yusko's studio is located in Cleveland, OH, where he creates forged, machined and fabricated steel vessels, furniture and sculpture. Yusko has taught at several schools and universities, including Haystack School of Crafts (ME), Penland School of Crafts (NC), and SUNY Purchase, where he was a Windgate Artist-in-Residence; and served on the Board of Trustees for the Haystack School. He has exhibited his work widely including the Metal Museum (TN) and the Ruthin Craft Centre (Wales, UK) and has received three Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Excellence Awards and a Cuyahoga County Creative Workforce Fellowship Award.

11" x 14" (matted) - Digital Illustration - Matted & Framed (black)
Artist - Brooke Zelwin
Inspired by - Black Lives Matter by Naomi from Campbell Elementary
Suggested Value: $250.00

"This past year has been a pivotal year in the Black Lives Matter movement and I appreciated the chance to hear about it from the point of view of students who are directly affected by what I just see on the news."

Brooke Zelwin is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator living in Northeast Ohio. After earning a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2001 she worked as an in-house designer for Hallmark, Bonne Bell Cosmetics and Limited Too/Justice. Today her clients run the gamut from political campaign art for State Representative Phil Robinson to marketing and event invitations for the National Council of Jewish Women. This is the third time she has participated in Inspired Art and she enjoys the opportunity to create original artwork to complement the poetry written by gifted poet athletes.