Through Tue 10/31
In little more than a decade, Dave Witzke aka the Sign Guy’s art has become well-known to Cleveland residents who started to look out for random pieces of his colorful cartoon-like artwork on wood, affixed to random fences, utility poles and walls around downtown and the near west side.
He actually began doing street art in the late 1980s as a graffiti artist, but in the mid 00s he began to transferred his rough drawings of flowers, cats, rabbits and especially his iconic birds to pieces of found wood and putting them up around town. Now his work has become collectible; he sells it online and at fairs and festivals.
Tremont has long been a hub for his work, so now seven local businesses — Fat Cats, La Bodega, Lava Lounge, Lincoln Park Pub, Edison’s, the South Side and Prosperity Social Club — are inviting people to explore the neighborhood via a four-month Instagram scavenger hunt through Tue 10/31.
Find a piece of his work, take a selfie and post it with the tag #TSGTremont. A $25 gift certificate will be awarded each month with a grand prize chance to win a gift basket with $60 in gift certificates and an original painting. Images can also be emailed to TSGTremont@gmail.com and Prosperity will share it for you.
“Dave Witzke’s distinctive outsider art is in keeping with this community’s creative spirit and has become practically synonymous with Tremont,” says Bonnie Flinner, owner of Prosperity where Witzke’s work is featured on the patio. “What Clevelander doesn’t look forward to the weather when they can escape outside with friends on a patio? His bold, playful designs make our little outdoor urban retreat that much more fun and colorful.”