Trucking company president and assemblage artist open exhibit at Cyrus gallery
Joe Ostrowske found himself stuck at home like so many others at the onset of the pandemic.
Working remotely, the president of General Transport in Akron was in need of relief. So he turned to a longtime interest in art that he rarely explored.
With his children now adults, the 56-year-old Canton resident converted a bedroom into an art studio. Varying moods and passions flowed through his brush and the abstract imagery he painted.
"I believe you need to work both sides of your brain," said Ostrowske, a 1984 graduate of Lake High School. "I feel that I work a lot for the logical side at work, but you've got to work that creative side, and I feel if I work that creative side, I'm more creative at work."
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But the Canton resident didn't envision his artwork being more than a hobby. When he took paintings to Cyrus Custom Framing & Art Gallery in Canton for framing, he was surprised when owner Christian Harwell told him he had sold one of his pieces.
"It was the biggest surprise phone call I ever got," said Ostrowske, formerly of Akron.
Another of Ostrowske's paintings had been sold to a friend's interior design client. More surprise followed when Harwell approached him about a show.
Ostrowske's paintings will be presented at a joint exhibition from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday with Jo Westfall at Cyrus Custom Framing & Art, 2645 Cleveland Ave. NW. The artwork will be on display at the gallery through Jan. 30. Cyrus is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The business and gallery are closed the first Saturday of the month.
Light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served at the opening; a jazz trio also will perform.
"I was doing this as just a way to do something creative," Ostrowske said of his artwork. "And then it's a real escape for me."
"I was very surprised and very flattered," Ostrowske said of the exhibition. "And then also very nervous because I never dreamed this would happen."
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Ostrowske paints abstract pieces, although sometimes he incorporates nature scenes and urban architecture. Nearly 30 works will be displayed at the exhibition.
"When I paint I always listen to music," he said. "I'm inspired by music, and so whatever I'm listening to kind of influences what comes out on the canvas.
"When I have that blank canvas, it's as much a surprise to me what comes out as to anyone else."
Ostrowske dabbled in art following high school, inspired by Bob Ross' instructional painting television show on PBS. About 10 years ago, he became interested in art again and took lessons from local painter Wanda Montgomery.
"When I paint, I do it with a lot of passion and energy, and I think it's reflected in the paintings," said Ostrowske, who often opts for bright colors while using acrylics.
Robb Hankins, former president and CEO of ArtsinStark, said Ostrowske is an example of the vibrancy and broad reach of artistic expression.
"It reminds me that there are a lot of people who go home from their job each week and transform themselves into artists," he said. "But no one hears about it. They make wood carvings, photography, stained glass, windows, poems, photography, paintings, etc.
"And it makes absolutely no difference what they do for a living," Hankins added.
Ostrowske believes everyone has an inner-artist to tap into.
"And it's just letting it come out, and that's what I do," he said. "I have no formal training for art. I enjoy putting paint on canvas, and if you can put paint on canvas, in my mind, you're an artist."
Westfall's art is refreshingly unique and impressively eclectic
Westfall's woven assemblage artwork and paintings also will be showcased at Cyrus.
Growing up in Shenandoah, Ohio, the 43-year-old artist spends time in the Mansfield, Homeworth and Canton areas.
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Formerly a resident artist at The Hub Art Factory in downtown Canton, Westfall's style is refreshingly unique and impressively eclectic while exploring assorted mediums.
Creating art under the name of WestfallRefinery, she formerly made crochet hats and headdresses called "Brain Blankets," repurposed clothing called "Omnioutskirts," and patchwork stuffed animals called "Protopets."
At Cyrus, Westfall will be displaying her color-rich fruit and vegetable paintings, as well as her elaborate and intriguing thematic assemblages.
Transforming someone's 'box of junk' into art
Asked what inspired her to create assemblages, Westfall said "it was partly an effort to reduce my participation in global pollution and waste, and partly a lack of access to new materials."
So she began to source supplies through collecting discarded materials. "Sometimes I'm looking for a particular object, and I find it, only to find that it comes with 14 other objects that I have to deal with," Westfall admitted in a series of written responses to emailed questions. "Sometimes I inherit someone's 'box of junk.'"
Sorting through such collections and finding artistic focus is both challenging and adventurous. Either the items can be limiting or she becomes overwhelmed. What results is creativity.
"The fun of it for me usually starts with categorizing the objects," Westfall said. "Maybe that's what it all comes down to − playing matching games while simultaneously making up stories and trying to be clever enough to make the results aesthetically pleasing."
Project lengths vary, from days to months, depending on the scale of an assemblage, how many items are collected, and whether individual components require cleaning and untangling.
Memorable pieces include a music-inspired woven assemblage named "Running Sound" comprised of instrument cables and drumsticks. A loom was invented to accommodate heavy cabling, she said.
"I like that these objects carried so many songs before they were worn out and transformed into visual art," Westfall said of the finished piece, which will be displayed temporarily at the University of North Texas College of Music. "Many of the items came from friends, so that is special to me. Their energy is combined here like a bizarre new band that I masterminded."
'Coming together to celebrate creativity'
Westfall is excited about the exhibition in Canton.
"I want everyone to have fun," she wrote. "I still have a romanticized concept of art exhibit opening nights. The anticipation, the pizazz and fancy party treats, the music − it's a heightened atmosphere set aside to focus on art. I look forward to the conversations that will come from looking at objects and discussing craft.
"Considering and reconsidering things like telling each other our stories, the uses of/access to/alternative purposes of everything," she said. "I suppose it's an extension of ... coming together to celebrate creativity and leaving with a bigger sense of community and what might be built in the future."
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter: @ebalintREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton art show features abstract art, discarded items reimagined
