Size: 12.5" x 10.5 " (framed)
Medium: Collage
Artist: Elizabeth Emery
Inspired by: "Untitled" by Jaunyla from Warner Girls Leadership Academy
Suggested Value: $400.00

"I love the use of nature and animals to talk about color."

Elizabeth Emery is a multidisciplinary artist working in various mediums and across genres. Her sculptures and paintings reference movement, gravity, and the experience of the body in chaotic surroundings. Her work has been exhibited at museums and galleries across the United States including Museum of Modern Art Cleveland, Hammond Harkins Gallery, and Bunnell Arts Gallery in Alaska. She has also developed several series of silkscreen monoprint collage drawings for public commissions in hospitals and a library.

Her work has been supported by the Ohio Arts Council, Rasmuson Foundation, and New York Foundation for the Arts, among others. Emery has been awarded residencies at Haystack, Jentel Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, and FRONT International. Her work is in collections including at The Cleveland Clinic, Progressive Insurance, American Greetings, Rockefeller Collection, Westin Hotel Cleveland, and Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art.

Emery is also the host and producer of Hear Her Sports a female athlete podcast.

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.

Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Mixed Medium
Artist: Daniel Gorman
Inspired by: Toxic by the 6th - 8th Grade team at Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $200.00

"I interpreted the piece in a way to try and convey the imagery suggested and the emotion of the poem."

Daniel Gorman is a trained Medical Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Published Trading card and Comic Book artist with over 25 years in the industry.

Size: 9"x12"
Medium: Mixed Media on Wood
Artist: Anna Arnold
Inspired by: A New Generation of Leaders, Let's Begin with Me
Suggested Value: $250.00

"I love the simplicity of Alivia's poem and I was drawn to the confident words in the message such as versatile, innovative, and desire.'

Anna Arnold, affectionately known as the Queen of Color, is the Director of the Florence O'Donnell Wasmer Gallery at Ursuline College, and a community muralist, painter, and educator, who lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. Anna has been one of America's most expressive, exciting, enduring artists and independent educators for over four decades. She is an advocate of lifelong learning and earned a master's degree in art education from Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies program. Anna Arnold earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and has exhibited in over 200 solo and group art exhibits throughout the United States. As an artist and educator, she believes she is a catalyst to inspire, uplift and change. Anna is recognized for her lush, exuberantly colorful expressive portraits, ceramics, masks, beads, and painted furniture.

Size: 36" x 30"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Laurel Herbold
Inspired by: "Untitled" by Dangelys from Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy
Suggested Value: $575.00

"The poem reminded me of when I was a young girl, and how much I loved and still love the beach."

Laurel Herbold is a Cleveland, Ohio based freelance artist exhibiting and providing custom art and mural services throughout Northeast Ohio and the surrounding area since 1994. Often in collaboration with interior designers, engineers, and architects to develop site-specific artwork, her process begins with conceptual design and results in skillfully customized artwork, murals and faux/specialty finishes for residential and commercial spaces. She has been commissioned for custom art and mural work in New York, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For nearly 10 years, she was the senior painter at Eikona Studios in Tremont, a small studio specializing in religious iconography, church design, and restoration servicing local, national, and international religious institutions.

In 2017 she returned entirely back to her freelance and mural, and in 2020 began designing a new style of mural art for Barrio Tacos in Cleveland as well as their sister partner in the New England states. Since March 2011, Laurel has maintained a studio/gallery space at the popular West 78th St. Studios and is always available for consultation and private tours of her gallery collection.

Laurel is also the creator of her well-known Wee People. These 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. The universal theme of unity and the whimsical nature of her work makes them ideal for many custom designs and public installations.

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: 11.25" x 15"
Medium: Ink, graphite on incised cotton paper
Artist's Name: Judith Brandon
Inspired By: "Kindness" By Yamilette from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $1,200

"I love how Yamilette associated kindness with the color pink. Pink has charm and tenderness but can be scary to use as a dominant color in art. I knew I could handle the challenge if I let Kindness guide me."

Judith Maureen Brandon was born in Indianapolis, IN in 1963.
She attended the Cleveland Institute of Art where she earned a BFA in enameling and drawing. She has been awarded numerous Best in Shows across the country for her large dynamic drawings as well two Ohio Arts Council Grants. She was included three times in the highly competitive National Weather Biennale international juried exhibition.
Upon meeting Judith Brandon you wouldn't imagine her to be the artist behind the large dynamic works on paper she creates. Standing at just five feet she has to be extremely inventive in how she manipulates the materials in her studio.

Size: 16" x 20"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Angela Novak
Inspired by: "Fall" by Marion Seltzer 1st - 2nd-grade team
Suggested Value: $245.00

"I too love the fall colors and it was a unique opportunity to create something representing the fall colors."

Angela Novak is an award-winning fluid, abstract artist from Berea, Ohio. Her medium is acrylics, alcohol ink, and resin.. she likes to embellish her art with crystals and other materials and is always challenging herself to try something new.

Fluid art is like life you can tilt the canvas anywhere you want to make it move, but like life, the paint will flow and it's on direction, like life it's beautiful and unpredictable and you just have to surrender to the process and see where it takes you.

Size: 16"x20" (framed)
Medium: Photography
Artist: Jim Baron
Inspired by: "Fall' by Marion Seltzer 1st -2nd Grade Team
Suggested Value: $125.00

"I enjoy hiking and photographing in the Fall and this poem fit for me"

Jim Baron has been involved with photography for over 40 years in the Northeast, Ohio area. He closed his downtown commercial photography studio last year and now enjoys taking photos during his travels with his wife Nancy.

Size: 10" x 15"
Medium: Pen, ink, markers
Artist: Gary Dumm
Inspired by: "My Cat is Fat" by Gabriela from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $300.00

"I like cats and thought the poem was fun & funny!"

Gary Dumm has loved cartoons and comics ever since he was a child. His mom taught him to read using comics as well as books.

And he learned that he could get attention from other kids in grade school by showing them his drawings. Later, in high school, he found that was also a way to draw attention from girls. The practice of drawing is who he is.

Combining words with pictures is a challenging but fun way to make a living. He has worked with a lot of talented writers, especially Harvey Pekar on his autobiographical comic series "American Splendor" and Scott MacGregor on our graphic novel "Fire On The Water." They've inspired him to hone his craft every day.

Telling a story with art is what he aims to do with every image he has created. More recently he has worked with his wife Laura on their series of large and colorful environmental and socio-political paintings. But he will forever continue to work on comics in glorious black-and-white.

Size: 20" x 20"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: George Kocar
Inspired by: "My Cat is Fat" by Gabriela from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: $500.00

"My wife and I have always had cats and are amazed by their different personalities. A few of our cats were fat."

George Kocar is a Bay Village resident. As well as being an artist and illustrator he was a adjunct faculty member of Ashland University. George has had over fifty solo shows. He has exhibited his work in over five hundred group shows across the United States, most notably numerous Butler Mid-year Shows in Youngstown, Ohio, and The Cleveland Museum of Art May Show. He has won numerous awards including a Jurors Award at the Butler Institute of Art in 1985 and 1998, and Best of Show at the Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus, Ohio in 1998. He is listed in Who's Who in American Art.
His illustrations have graced the pages of numerous newspapers and magazines including, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Esquire, Playboy, GQ, The New York Times and the Washington Post. His work has been included in several annuals, including AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION 2 and 3, and OUTSTANDING ILLUSTRATORS TODAY 2.

Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Watercolor
Artist: Allison Hennie
Inspired by: "The Blue Bunny" by the 1st - 2nd grade team from Artemus Ward School
Suggested Value: $250.00

"I enjoyed the whimsy of the poem! The spirit of the poem and reference to a bunny also made me think of Alice in Wonderland and the open-mindedness of children."

Allison Hennie is a Cleveland native with a passion for people, places and the arts. Hennie is a practicing architect who enjoys watercolors, climbing, and pie for breakfast.

Size: 11"x17"
Medium: Graphite on paper and ink
Artist: Tom Masaveg
Inspired By: "The Blue Bunny" by the Artemus Ward 1st -2nd grade team
Suggested Value: $200.00

"During this time in society, I felt uplifted by the innocence and whimsy of this poem. I wanted to create something less serious than what I normally create and be apart of that joy with a piece that is true to my style but influenced by an appreciation for the cute things in life that heal and offer peace."

Tom Masaveg has roots in Cleveland and has branched out to live for years in 3 Ohio forests during a transformative stage in his life that eventually led him back to the city to focus on a mission to connect urban people with the benefits of nature. His art is always emotional, often a bit dark though it doesn't feel that way as he creates it. Tom works to show balance between dark and light, often in the human form blended with plant biology. There are almost always archetypal themes hidden in his work due to his efforts to embed universal truth into drawings that he hopes people will find meaning from regardless of their space and time.

Size: 11" x 14" (framed)
Medium: Digital Illustration
Artist: Danielle Rueger-Miroewski
Inspired by: "The Blue Bunny" by Artemus Ward 1st - 2nd-grade team
Suggested Value: $95.00

"When I read The Blue Bunny, I could immediately see Bert in my mind and was excited to bring him to life. Life Bert, I also like to play and drink pop."

Danielle is a Cleveland-based illustrator/designer who specializes in the cute, fun, and colorful. Her greatest joy is illustrating children's books - she loves bringing characters and stories to life! When not working, you could probably find her out in nature, traveling with her partner, or playing with her pets - a rescue husky mix named Emma, a black cat named Peekaboo, and a tabby kitten named Olive.

Size: 14" x 14"
Medium: Acrylic and watercolor paint
Artist: Adria Chavers
Inspired by: "We Are" by Artemus Ward 6th - 8th Grade Team
Suggested Value: $120.00

"We Are, inspired by 'We Are', displays a student, looking up into the night sky, illuminated by the bright, shining stars. I loved the clear visualization of a young student, looking up, with hopes and dreams, and endless possibilities."

Adria Chavers, Owner/Artist of A.C.Creativity, is a lover of all arts. Her business began in 2020 as a platform for creative expression for all, and since then, has grown! She has been featured in VoyageOhio, Canvas Rebel, and Julia de Burgos.

Size: 28" x 28"
Medium: Fabric (Quilted wall hanging)
Artist: Ellen Giglia
Inspired By: "We Are" by Artemus Ward 6th - 8th Grade Team
Suggested Value: $150.00

"'We Are' spoke to me of the bright future ahead for these students. They know the path forward requires they remain focused, but they also know they are up to the task. I chose to use their words to create a wall hanging that reflects their powerful message."

As a retiree, Ellen Giglia enjoys spending her time quilting and pursuing other crafts. She tries to challenge herself to explore new techniques and processes.

Size: 15"x 19"
Medium: Photography
Artist: Paul Giglia
Inspired By: "We Are a Team" by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy Team
Suggested Value: $100.00

"Teamwork is one of the principal experiences being promoted by America SCORES Cleveland. The poem expresses the joy the kids get from working and playing within a team structure. I photographed ASC teammates celebrating, and then adjusted the photo to appear as a painting, with vivid colors, that exemplifies the joy of accomplishment."

Paul Giglia is a photographer and freelance writer living in the Cleveland area. He also volunteers his time and services to photograph soccer games and special events for America SCORES Cleveland in order to promote the organization. A portfolio of his work that can be viewed and purchased can be found at paul-giglia.pixels.com.

Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Colored Pencil
Artist: Sarah Raban
Inspired by: "Best Friends" by Ka'lehya from Wade Park School
Suggested Value: $240.00

"The poem inspired me by communicating the powerful feelings a good friendship can hold. I thought about my best friend from my childhood and how we are still friends now. I loved the use of star imagery in the poem, and thought about how the stars are forever, just as the poem was describing the friendship."

Sarah Raban has spent much of the recent past joyously exploring her idea of "Home" in as many colors of acrylics and oils as possible. A recent transplant to Cleveland from the mountains of Colorado, she is finding no end to the inspiration and opportunity available here. For her, painting is the vehicle to most thoroughly and consciously engage with the universe. Like lucid dreaming, through art, she reframes her relationship with the world. Painting allows her to communicate that new relationship with the viewer. She has been making art since Mr. Sketch black marker smelled of licorice, and took art classes in high school and college.

Size: 12"x12"
Medium: Fiber
Artist: Joyce Morrow Jones
Inspired by: "If I Could Change the World" by the Artemus Ward 3rd - 5th Grade Team
Suggested Value: $150.00

"Our children need to be affirmed in their ability to recognize their individual and collective gifts to make a difference in the world."

Joyce Morrow Jones is a mixed-media fiber and sculpture artist weaving the art of storytelling through her creations. She is Inspired by transformational stories of women in their journey through life, history, and cultural traditions.

Size: 11.75"x 13.75"
Medium: Mixed Media
Artist: David Whiteman
Inspired by: "If I Could Change the World" by the Artemus Ward 3rd - 5th grade team
Suggested Value: $350.00

"There are many things that can make changing the world seem daunting. Today's youth is faced with an overwhelming number of obstacles that can easily deter them from realizing and believing in their true potential. This poem has hope and expresses a desire to change the world for the better. The "If" in the title inspired me to create a piece that shows a darker world that is being changed for the better by the simple touch of a single youth. There is no "If", You Can Change the World!"

David Whiteman's work uses a multitude of pours and layered hand-painted marks, resulting in intricate images that are both controlled and organic in appearance. With strategic color choice and adjustment in density, he creates numerous layers that show depth. Another quality of his work, that ties in the more loose elements, is meticulous hand painting. This detailed work brings a dimensional, organic, and atmospheric presence to his paintings. By layering carefully painted lines and shapes the uncontrolled is tied to its opposite.

Size: 11"x14"
Medium: Ink on Bristol
Artist: Shawny Walthaw
Inspired by: "Girl Power" by Dike 3rd - 5th Grade Team
Suggested Value: $125.00

"What drew me to Girl Power was the strength of the words from the girls and what it meant to them. Their words inspired my piece in a fun, playful but powerful way."

Shawny Walthaw is an illustrator who specializes in making whimsical and abstract line art. Art is like therapy and creating and sharing her illustrations brings her such fulfillment. Besides her line work, she also creates digital illustrations and graphic design work. All her work in any of their mediums shows her unique signature style that's all her own.

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: 20" x 30"
Medium: Photography
Artist: Jeneen Hobby
Inspired by: "Recipe for Civil Right's Leader" by Garfield 3rd - 5th grade team
Suggested Value: $325.00

"I was immediately drawn to the poem, "Recipe for a Civil Rights Leader". It was powerful and full of inspiration, strength, energy, ambition, and uncompromising truth. The poem challenged me to step up to the plate and illustrate it with equal directness. I wanted to interpret the poem in a way that would leave it unadulterated, that is to say, with simplicity, clarity, straightforwardness, and power. The poem made me cry when I first read it. It still makes me cry. I want there to be many more civil rights leaders like these students. I look forward to hearing their voices."

Jeneen Hobby is a Cleveland-based fine art photographer. She exhibits her work and has won awards at juried fine arts festivals across the state of Ohio, in solo and group shows, in galleries, and online. Jeneen is represented by Heights Arts Gallery in Cleveland Heights, and by Something Different Gallery in Ohio City. Her work has been exhibited at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport, and other venues. In both 2021 and 2022, she won first place in the landscape category in the Cuyahoga Valley Photographic Society annual contest. She was featured in the Fall 2022 Show at The Nicholson B. White Gallery of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights.

Size: 19" x 15" x 2"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Maria Varonis
Inspired by: "If We were in Charge of the World" Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy 3rd - 5th Grade Boys Team
Suggested Value: $50.00

"I was inspired by the idea of how we perceive nature, and how trees specifically can heal us, motivate us, calm us, and enliven us. This piece of art is realism or impressionism. It depends on how you see the trees..."

Maria lives and writes in Akron, Ohio. She enjoys painting for fun and, it should be noted, she did use an advanced "Q-tip technique" that she found online to create the leaves of these trees.

Size: 21" x11" framed
Medium: Ink on Bristol Board (Comic Strip)
Artist: Terri Libenson
Inspired by: "Soccer is Life" by Robinson G. Jones 1st - 2nd grade team
Suggested Value: $250.00

"I love the connection between the poem's theme of teamwork and family "teamwork" -- whether encouraging participation, cheering each other on, or driving back and forth to sports events."

Terri Libenson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends kids' series (HarperCollins) and cartoonist of the Reuben Award-winning, nationally syndicated comic strip, The Pajama Diaries (2006-2020). Previously, she was a humorous card writer and illustrator for American Greetings. Terri lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, Mike. She is the proud mom of two daughters and a poodle, Rosie.

Size: 20"x24"
Medium: Print of Painting
Artist: Hector Vega
Inspired By: "Happiness/Felicidad" by Aracelys from Buhrer Dual Language Academy
Suggested Value: TBD

Celebrated artist-entrepreneur Hector Vega was born in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. A self-taught artist, his signature style-featuring bold colors and geometric patterns-is influenced by his cultural heritage.

For artist Hector Vega, the use of bold colors and geometric shapes that artist Hector Vega uses to craft his abstracts is by no means an accident. For him, many of the stylized elements that make his work so instantly recognizable, have a much deeper meaning.

Size: 16" x 18"
Medium: Photography, Mixed Media
Artist: Jamie Richey
Inspired by: "Soccer is Life" by Robinson G. Jones 1st - 2nd-grade team
Suggested Value: $250.00

"Nearly everyone all over the world has played or watched soccer. We are all familiar with the sport and as a rite t of passage from when we are little to becoming a 'soccer mom'. We learn so many things from the game: winning, losing, teamwork, perseverance, and friendship. Soccer is Life!"

Jamie Richey is a Cleveland-based fine art photographer, curator, and creative generalist. Raised in Northeast Ohio, Jamie earned a BA in film and photography from Elon University and returned to Cleveland to pursue freelance film, photography studio work, and commercial publishing. After returning to the South to earn her MA in Art History with a photography concentration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she pivoted to a teaching career in museum education in Savannah, GA, and Dothan, AL during which time she also curated art exhibits with an educational focus. Over the years Jamie has continued as a working artist and photographer exhibiting in various galleries and publications while also working as a production assistant on the occasional indie film or commercial. Firmly planted back in Ohio, Jamie has been steadily building her portfolio with a concentration in black and white photography in various genres including street, nature, travel, and mixed media.

Size: 18"x24"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Mary K. Thomas
Inspired by: "Ways to be Successful" by Wade Park Girls Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

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 art encourages and art empowers.

Size: 18"x24"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: Mary K. Thomas
Inspired by: "Ways to be Successful" by Wade Park Girls Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

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 art encourages and art empowers.

Size: 10" x9"
Medium: Hand painted laser engraved wood
Artist: Danny Likar
Inspired by: "The Park" by Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy 1st - 2nd grade Team
Suggested Value: $200.00

"The poem 'The Park' was just the right amount of silliness. It's about a deer named Mark who eats candy and Oreos. What's not perfect about that!?"

Danny has a BFA from Kent State in Jewelry/ Metals. His usual work is quirky and silly and just the right amount of crude that makes everyone from children to grown adult smile.

For this piece he wanted to make a more abstract representation of the poem that is pleasing to look at first glance but upon detailed viewing has every element of the poem represented. It's simple but really captures the essence of the poem.

Size: 16" x 20"
Medium: Acrylic paint, gloss medium, beads
Artist: Aiyanna Wallace
Inspired by: "The Park" by Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy 1st -2nd grade team
Suggested Value: $500.00

"I decided to choose "The Park" because of its simplicity. You can tell that Natividad has a great imagination. I wanted to convey how a child's imagination can turn something so simple like a trip to the park into something that's so much more exciting."

Aiyanna likes to go by Aiya for no particular reason other than it's her favorite shorthand version of the name she has heard. She is originally from Chicago but moved around a bit. To where isn't necessarily all that important. She attended Eastern Illinois University, but only for a year. She resides in Lakewood currently and works for a public media company full-time. She found art early in life but had a love-hate relationship with it. She explored almost every medium but painting remains her favorite. Outside of that, she is mainly spending time with her boyfriend and two cats.

Size: 16" x 24"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Artist: Tom Desko
Inspired By: "Snow is Coming" by Aramis from Artemus Ward School
Suggested Value: $450.00

"My choice of poem reminded me of the unpredictable Cleveland winter weather. The insightful, young poet effectively captured the sense of a snow warning."

Tom Desko is a Cleveland-based artist (originally from Youngstown, OH) and he has been painting for over 40 years. His paintings are mostly watercolor and acrylic still-life and landscape but he enjoys the challenge of creating abstract works. Each piece he produces, for himself or by request, is a unique expression of a story. He would love to hear one of yours and possibly share one of his.

Size: 14"x14"
Medium: Encaustic Wax
Artist: Dawn Tekler
Inspired by: "The Snow is Coming" By Aramis from Artemus Ward School
Suggested Value: $275.00

"[I liked] his honesty about winter in Cleveland."

Dawn Tekler (b. South Bend, Indiana) 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. Currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. You can visit her gallery at 78th Street Stuidos #113.

Size: 20" x 16"
Medium: Acrylic
Artist: James Quarles
Inspired by: "This is Not a Poem" by the Buhrer Dual Language Academy 6th - 8th grade team
Suggested Value: $400.00

"I chose the piece because I felt it was powerful, and spoke to the energy our communities are dealing with currently. The ideas, of despair, anger, and hope are wonderfully intertwined. While it is short, it holds extra weight by declaring itself not a poem, but living in a world today that is challenging. However difficult, stay determined to survive in it regardless of those who would antagonize our existence in it."

James Quarles is a Clveland artist, who focuses primarily on illustration graphic design, and painting. He graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 2005, then attended CCAD which he graduated from in 2009. Always including social, folk lore, and pop culture elements into his work to bring something new to the medium. While retaining aspects of the past for a full view of how he sees the world.

Size: 16" x 20'
Medium: Mixed medium on yupo
Artist: Susan Riha Parsley
Inspired by: "Creatures" by Araceyls from Buhrer Dual Language School
Suggested Value: $320.00

"Art can not only draw people together, but it can also inspire involvement of compassion for others."

Susan Riha Parsley was born in Chicago, Illinois. Now living in Vermilion, Ohio. She received her Bachelor's in Fine Arts Degree at Bowling Green University in 2019. She is a part of the Vermilion Art Guild in Vermilion, Ohio, and continues to serve her community.

Size: 18" x 24"
Medium: Mixed Medium
Artist: Gilberto Rivera
Inspired by: "Best Friends" by Ka'Lehya from Wade Park School
Suggested Value: $350.00

"What drew my attention to the poem was its honesty and the vision of two friends floating in the sky."

Gilberto is an artist, educator, director, and producer with over 15 years of experience in the film industry. He has produced work for a variety of clients, including Cuyahoga Community College, T-Mobile, Crime Stoppers, NBC, MTV, and Bandai. Gilberto has created and taught workshops at the Ohio Valley Arts Center and the Julia De Burgos Center, including his popular "Superhero in You" workshop. He now rebranded the art workshop into Narrative Boom, and his workshops have been featured in many Cleveland area schools, the Cleveland Public Library.

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.

Size: 22" x 28"
Medium: Photography collage
Artist: Mark Krieger
Inspired by: "Sensory Poem" by Garfield 1st - 2nd grade team
Suggested Value: $50

"This class poem by young students was so refreshing. I kept my project simple and concrete so that the kids could see their words directly translated into images. Visiting a 2nd-grade classroom at my neighborhood school, I photographed images that the writers of the poem would recognize and arranged them in a collage that included the text of the poem. The collage was then printed and mounted on foam board for display."

Born and raised in Cleveland, Mark Krieger earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his Master's 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, the second year, 1973-74, on a Fulbright Hays Fellowship. In 1976 he moved to Newport, Rhode Island where he worked as a graphic artist. While in Newport he traveled frequently to New York where he developed the gallery connections at Allan Stone and Touchstone galleries that culminated in a one-man show at Touchstone in 1978. That year he accepted a teaching position at The University of Texas at Austin and in 1980 returned to Cleveland where he took the position at the University School that he held until 2012. His studio is at the 78th Street Studios, Cleveland Ohio.