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Fest draws on love for the arts
By BOB JACKSON
YOUNGSTOWN
Tim Sicafuse and his family got more than they bargained for Saturday afternoon when they drove downtown to pick up supplies for a home-improvement project.
After completing their shopping at Star Supply Bargain Outlet on Mahoning Avenue, the family was intrigued by small crowds of people walking and driving into the nearby Calvin Center Idea Incubator.
“We just saw this going on and decided to stop in,” said Sicafuse, of Poland. “This is a beautiful place, and my wife loves art, so I think we’re going to visit awhile.”
The family had found its way to one of the events taking place Saturday as part of the inaugural Mahoning Commons Fest, a celebration of the arts with displays by local artists and artisans. The event continues today.
The Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave., opened to the public for the first time Saturday as part of the fest, said facility manager Mary K. Farragher. She said building owner Sean Timms of Boardman wanted to have the opening in conjunction with the Artists of the Mahoning Commons’ regularly scheduled showing, which already was set for this weekend at the Ward Bakery Building, 1024 Mahoning Ave.
“Once we got on board with them, it seemed like others got kind of excited about it and wanted to get involved as well,” Farragher said. “It was a great community effort to get this thing together.”
Besides the Calvin Center and the bakery building, events also were at the B&O Station, Victorian Players, Star Supply and Rockview Christian Church, all on Mahoning Avenue; David Education & Visitors Center in Mill Creek Park; and the Lemon Grove Cafe on West Federal Street downtown.
Farragher said the Calvin Center is the former West School, built in 1901 by noted architect P. Ross Berry. She said combining efforts with the Artists of the Mahoning Commons brought needed exposure to the Calvin Center and to the artists and artisans who showed their wares there.
Lisa Zitello of Boardman, who was displaying and selling her acrylic paintings, said she’s excited at the prospects of having another local venue for area artists.
“It’s a way of having activity in this place that would probably otherwise have been completely empty,” she said. “It’s exciting to get everyone together in all these different locations. It’s like having a downtown crawl for art. It’s pulling people here to this area to celebrate art.”
A shuttle bus carried visitors between the various sites.
Dan DiPiero of Girard visited the event Saturday with his 5-year-old son, Dylan. DiPiero said he and Dylan regularly attend shows conducted by the Artists of the Mahoning Commons at the Ward Bakery Building, and he was among those who checked out the Calvin Center for the first time.
“I’m glad to see these older buildings being used for some really cool, creative stuff,” said DiPiero, a musician and artist. “It’s good to see them being used instead of abandoned.”
Jenny Amon of Girard and Christina Poe of Liberty were making their first visit to the city’s new arts district, although both said they are friends with artists who are involved with the Artists of the Mahoning Commons. Both women said they were impressed with what they saw.
“I didn’t know there was so much talent in this area,” Amon said. “It’s beautiful.”
Poe said the growth of an arts district shows how the city has grown culturally. She said the wide variety of works on display at the various venues can be looked at as a microcosm of the city’s cultural, architectural and industrial diversity.
“You have a little bit of everything that’s represented here,” she said. “From steel sculptures to little hand-crafted pieces. There is just so much diversity, you don’t know where to look first.”
Farragher said she and others in the arts community are hoping that, given time, Youngstown can develop into a midsize arts venue between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.