Size: 18"x14"x1.5"
Medium: Mixed Media Collage
Artist: Tamara Jaeger
Inspired by: "Untitled" Jaunyla from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $835.00

"I liked the imagery of the poem, with all the different colors and animals. It gave me a lot of good material to choose from that would work well with my typical subject matter (animals) and style."

The process of creating art helps me to restore balance and to regain my center.

As a child of two biology major parents, I spent a great deal of time outdoors at parks and nature centers, while at home I was surrounded by a huge assortment of pets. Because of this, I have always found nature in general and animals in particular to be restorative and inspirational and this is reflected in most of my pieces.

My current work concentrates primarily on torn paper collages, linocut printmaking, oil painting, and 3D mixed media pieces. My primary working style, which has been a mainstay throughout my career, focuses on combining numerous small fragments into a larger whole.

This style currently appears most prominently in my torn paper collage pieces. I create these by gluing tiny fragments of catalogs and magazines to a paper substrate. My torn paper collages have recently started to evolve to incorporate different types of materials, typically sourced from discarded items-trash, really-that I find around my neighborhood. In the process, these works are also transitioning into more three-dimensional, almost sculptural pieces.

The 'collage' medium appeals to me not only because of the intricate, detailed working process, but also in a conceptual way: useless items-the catalogs, plastic bags, and other pieces of 'trash'-obtain a greater meaning and become something more than they were before. Through this process, the ephemeral becomes permanent; the worthless becomes valuable. In a way, this transformation can be seen as mirroring a person's personal journey through life: each small experience builds on previous experiences, eventually resulting in the depth and richness of a fully-formed individual.

Buyer MUST be present at event (cannot be shipped or picked up in the office)

Size: 24" x 12"
Medium: acrylic, polymer clay, dried sculpture acrylic and resin
Artists Name: Katherine Check
Inspired By: "Colors" by Fatou from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $300.00

"The poem "Colors" immediately grabbed my attention as the author's love of color is much like my own. Using bold, vibrant, and sometimes abstract color to convey energy, joy, and love through my compositions is a key aspect of my work.

My goal is always to have others experience my artwork in a joyful way. It is my hope that my work sparks a love of art within the viewer. The poem that inspired this piece felt like another artist expressing the same sentiment through a different format."

Katherine Check is an artist and licensed art educator in the State of Ohio. Her formal training came as she studied Visual Art and Education at Cleveland State University, with a concentration in sculpture. She has taught art in schools in Northeastern Ohio for over a decade, and run an art education company that works with people to develop their own artistic skills. Her mission is to foster a non-judgmental environment that allows ALL people to feel successful and accomplished in the field of art.
Creating and being immersed in the art world has always been her greatest passion. Her work includes compositions in paint, pastel, alcohol ink, collage, and several different sculpture mediums. Diversity within her artwork allows her to challenge herself, develop her technical skills, and keep her work fresh. Use of bold and vibrant colors, combined with texture experimentation is typical of her pieces.

Size: 10" round (framed)
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Stephanie Stewart
Inspired by: "Colors" by Fatou from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $150.00

"As an acrylic artist, I LOVE bright and brilliant colors. I was attracted to this poem because of the urgency communicated for the use of color and diversity among our communities."

My name is Stephanie Stewart from Akron, OH. As an artist, I try to leave the world a little bit brighter as I go. My works are known to capture the strength and beauty of the Black American Woman and culture. My preferred medium is acrylic, but I have a few mixed-media pieces. I am the owner and artist of P31 Art & Design LLC - a fine art business. I am a registered Teaching Artist with the Ohio Arts Council and am actively teaching workshops with local organizations for groups of all ages. As an active member of my art community, I participate in activities and events hosted by several art groups including, BE Arts Collective, the Women's Art League, Akron Black Artist Guild, Cleveland BAM, and the Artists of Rubber City. My works have recently been juried into shows such as Summit Artspace Fresh 2023, Women's Art League Annual Shows, the Cleveland State University's People's Art Show 2022, Summa Hospital Art Gallery Black Artist Show, Weathervane Theatre, and the East Ave Gallery. I have had public art installations in Waterloo Arts District in Cleveland, OH, and the City of Akron's Kerr Park (installation pending Spring 2023). I firmly believe the gift of creativity is within all of us, so it is my mission to get together and share it, spread, and cultivate it!

Size: 22"x22"
Medium: Wood, resin, pressed flowers, Fiber
Artist: Joy Ours
Inspired By: "Untitled" by Jaunyla from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $700.00

"Nature has always been a sense of joy and comfort for me. My love for nature and color is what inspires most of my artwork. The very first time I read the poem "Colors" I knew immediately that was the poem for me. The way she uses nature to describe colors was simply beautiful and it inspired me to create a piece as colorful and inspiring."

Joy Ours is an Ohio-based, custom handmade fiber artist creating unique, inspiring, and beautiful pieces for your homes and other spaces. Raised in Wooster, Ohio she is a mother of three whose art is inspired by nature, colors, and personal life experiences. A self-taught and now master of macramé, Joy can visual, design, and create a wide variety of macramé pieces including incorporating fiber art into the woodwork and other natural elements.

Size: 15" round
Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas
Artist: LaSaundra Robinson
Inspired by: "We are Sisters" by Angela from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $350.00

"I chose this poem because it really connects with the themes of sisterhood and connections in my work."

LaSaundra Robinson is an artist living and working in the Cleveland area. She studied fine arts painting at Ohio University. She has a studio at Artful which is located on the Coventry Peace campus. She works mostly in oil and acrylic. A lot of her work is figurative or portraits of black women. Her work is about finding yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. Letting your inner self and a light show through. She feels a lot of people hide their true selves and stereotypes keep us from reaching our true potential. She lives her life wearing a lot of fake faces, and her art helps her to uncover them. The women are a reflection of themselves. The flowers give us growth, beauty, and Mother Nature. The lines and patterns in her work simply represent finding your way. She wants to make paintings that allow you to feel the person you want to be.

Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Mixed Media
Artist: Diane Fleisch-Hughes
Inspired By: "We are Sister" by Angela from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $300.00

"The poem 'We Are Sisters' spoke to me due to its theme of sisterhood, support, and advocacy of sisters, friends, and teammates."

Diane Fleisch Hughes is a nationally board-certified Art Therapist and licensed Clinical Counselor. She works with special needs children to allow them to express themselves and tell their stories through visual art. She is also Adjunct Professor in the graduate Art Therapy and Counseling program at Ursuline College. As a working artist, Diane uses her art to express her feelings, whether it is about what is happening in her own environment or as a response to what she witnesses through therapy with clients.

Diane is a non-representational figurative artist. She allows the setting of her subject to dictate the color and texture of her mixed media paintings, including naturally found elements and various art media. Her work has been included in national and international exhibitions, featured in Spotlight magazine and Studio Visit magazine as well as included in Renee Phillips, Manhattan Arts articles, "Women Arts Who Help Others Heal Through Art "and "Artists from The Spirit of Resilience Exhibition Who Are World Changers."

Diane has participated in the 2019 Wildacres Residency - one-week residency in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Little Switzerland, NC as well as the 2018 Drawing Marathon, a two-week residency at the New York Studio School in New York City. She participates in service learning trips around the world and has painted murals that hang in places such as El Salvador, Japan, and South Dakota.
Diane works to provide a showcase for other artists by curating exhibitions and facilitating a bi-weekly life drawing session at Stella's Art Gallery in downtown Willoughby.

Size: 16" x 19"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Gabrielle Alicia Lawrence
Inspired by: "My Dear Future Self" by Princess from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $200.00

"We all have things that we want to provide for our future selves. This includes the hopes of who our future selves will be."

Gabrielle Alicia Lawrence did not start within the art field but instead pursued experiences to provide depth and new meanings. Now, Gabrielle is focusing on art to create meaningful images. The medium changes according to what works best to portray the image. Thus, Gabrielle's paintbrush may be loaded with watercolor, gouache or acrylic paint. Training hasn't been limited to one specific school or instructor but rather taking advantage of instruction through various schools and workshops. This includes Rome Art Program, European Summer School, Cuyahoga Community College, and Case Western Reserve University.