BUCYRUS—A collection of art to honor the city’s past is being showcased downtown Friday with newly-created pieces by several local artists.
The pop-up art show, which debuted in June, will again take place from 5 to 8 p.m. in the community room of First Federal Community Bank during the First Friday event.
About a dozen original paintings – acrylics, pastels, and more – are being displayed for the public to see. As with last month’s show, each one focuses on the rich history and culture of Bucyrus and the Crawford County area.
“It’s important remembering the past and thinking about this stuff before it’s gone,” said Peg Vasil, one of the contributing artists who was also instrumental in laying the groundwork for the project with organizer Elaine Gebhardt Naples.
As a tribute to the city’s German heritage, Vasil painted a traditional Bembel ceramic pitcher surrounded by apples.
She’s also done pastels of gleaming copper kettles, the renowned Rosedale house, and the former Miller’s Drive-In in town.
Denise Corney has created three pieces for the event, which pay homage to the Speak Easy. A mixed media on glass features Al Capone and his wife, while two others also on glass depict neckties of the time and a girl gazing in a compact mirror.
Sharon Weaver is back again with a retro rendition of the old drive-in as well as a painting of Bembel pottery and apple wine. Vasil said other artwork pays homage to residents who housed slaves back in the 1880s, including a watercolor by Carolyn Kelley.
The pop-up show is the brainchild of Naples, a former Bucyrus resident who served last year on the city’s Bicentennial Commission. She and Vasil collaborated in March to fulfill her vision of preserving the past and boosting business in her hometown.
Vasil said that eight pieces exhibited in June sold within hours, and many didn’t even carry price tags.
The rest of the collection has been temporarily turned over to the Pickwick Place north of town, where they will be displayed in the “Stalls” building.
“It was just fun. It was constant people the whole time we were there,” she said. “It couldn’t have been nicer. They all came asking questions. It was just so exciting to see everybody so interested.”
