Fri 10/4 @ 6pm
By Josh Usmani
The massive changes taking place in Collinwood’s historic Waterloo Arts District are evident as soon as you drive down Waterloo – itself in the middle of a dramatic makeover. Many new businesses are springing up or moving in from other cities; with more on the way. Arts Collinwood recently re-branded itself as “Waterloo Arts.”
With millions of dollars in art-centered grants, Collinwood’s Northeast Shores Development Corporation has been facilitating an arts-driven renaissance on Waterloo through opportunities specifically for creatives – including special housing programs just for artists. In fact, another million-dollar grant was just announced. A “Pocket Park” and the Waterloo Sculpture Garden have recently opened thanks to similar grants.
The two newest art galleries in Collinwood are the Maria Neil Art Project and Gallery 160. The Maria Neil Art Project is owned and operated by John Farina and Adam Tully. Farina is the President of SPACES’ Board of Directors. SPACES is rumored to be looking for a new location with Collinwood near the top of the list. Gallery 160 is owned by Cleveland-based photographer Bryon Miller. Miller’s past clients have included Cleveland Magazine, Alternative Press, Scene, Cleveland Free Times, Inside Business Magazine, High Times and more.
Farina and Miller took time to discuss their origins in Collinwood and their vision for the future of Waterloo.
Cool Cleveland: Can you discuss how you both first became involved with Waterloo and what led you to open your galleries?
John Farina: Adam (Tully) and I moved to Collinwood in January of this year. An art gallery is something that we have been wanting to open for quite a while. We are collectors that have about 300 pieces in our collection — the majority of which is Cleveland-based artists. We started the Maria Neil Art Project in January of 2012 as a way to get under and unrepresented (and under-shown) artists exhibited in non traditional spaces. Our first exhibits were at Dragonfly in Ohio City. We currently also show at Honeycomb Salon in Detroit Shoreway. We needed a gallery as a home base to continue that work and as a place to do additional exhibitions. Waterloo made perfect sense given our personal investment and the growth that is happening in the neighborhood. The Maria Neil mission is to represent and promote Cleveland artists, to encourage collecting and to make art financially accessible. We ensure that every artist we work with includes inexpensive works along with their other work.
Bryon Miller: I grew up in the area as a kid. My Grandmother used to tell me stories about Waterloo, and how great it was when she was younger. I ended-up living on E.156th in the late ’90s: it was a lot different then. It was right before the Beachland opened, and the street had definitely seen better days. I had my eye on the current space for a few years before I finally decided to make the move from my former studio on E. 40th. I thought “Hey, this place has a lot of potential.” There’s a great sense of community on Waterloo. I think everyone is here for positive reasons, to really try to make it a great place to live, and to visit.
Both of you are at transition points, Gallery 160 is changing names and becoming a solo project and Maria Neil is moving to a new location. What can the public anticipate moving forward?
BM: I opened the Miller-Schneider Gallery in January 2013, along with Dott Schneider. I wanted to continue where I left off with my old spaces (Miller-Weitzel Gallery & Parish Hall Cleveland), with the purpose of bringing great art to the city of Cleveland.
Dott left the gallery in August and I’ve since transitioned into Gallery 160. Not much is going to change, other than having full creative control over the gallery programming. I mean, the space is there for the artists. You can name it whatever you want. It’s about bringing people out, getting them to visit Waterloo, to spend time here. There’s so much amazing art going on here, it blows my mind at times.
JF: You can expect us to use the gallery as a place to not only show artists in a more traditional way, but also a chance to have gallery talks, educational programs, lectures, seminars and other community oriented programming. We also will do our part to be a significant part of the neighborhood.
Have you filled your exhibition schedule for the year? What kind of shows can we expect?
BM: Yeah, I’m pretty proud of the upcoming shows. I’ve tried to book all of the artists I’m really into right now. Artists I believe are doing really great things. I’m not really sure how these shows will define the gallery, I’ve never really thought about it. I think I’m bringing some really great things to the table though. But I guess you should ask me again in a year.
JF: We have not filled our schedule yet. We are working on a holiday oriented show for November and December that will feature multiple artists and work that would be good for gift giving. ‘Don’t give boring, give ART’ will be the tag line. We are in talks with some exciting local artists to fill the next few exhibit slots after that.
Bryon, you’ve already hosted a number of concerts in the gallery and the connected Waterloo Sculpture Garden. Any big shows coming up? Will those continue to occur regularly? Are you planning to host any other types of events in the gallery and/or garden?
BM: Having bands play in a gallery setting is great. It’s more intimate. Having the sculpture garden directly adjacent to the gallery gives people a great place to see a show and hang out at the same time. It’s a win-win. I’m planning on making it a regular thing for sure. I think as things get rolling, I’ll definitely be hosting more events outside of the monthly openings.
Lastly, Collinwood is going through some major changes currently. Obviously, you’ve invested in the city as an arts district. One of the current issues being discussed within Cleveland’s art community is gentrification. Areas like Tremont and Ohio City are becoming too expensive for artists and galleries to maintain a presence as boutiques, bars and restaurants move in. Do you have any thoughts on what can be done to keep art thriving in Collinwood moving forward?
JF: Northeast Shores is very committed to ownership. Their focus for artists, businesses, and residents is all about helping people own the place they are in. I think that focus will help keep Collinwood accessible. Sure, prices will go up as the neighborhood changes, but I believe there is a very strong commitment to keeping Collinwood a place that is open to everyone. Artists are always on the frontlines of community growth. They seem to be the first folks to discover the next cool thing. Collinwood hopes to keep that energy in check, but inevitably there will be some folks who get priced out.
BM: To me it’s apples and oranges. Tremont and Collinwood are two very different places. I wish I had a crystal ball, but we’ll just have to see what happens. So far things are looking pretty good on Waterloo, and I’m excited for what’s next. Change is going to happen regardless, it’s how that change happens that matters. So I guess we’ll all see.
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Clearly, the future of Collinwood is in good hands with such positive additions to the community. For this Friday’s Walk All Over Waterloo, be sure to stop by both Galleries. The Maria Neil Art Project will offer another opportunity to see the work of local award-winning artist Michelangelo Lovelace. Gallery 160 will host the Waterloo Alley Cat Project’s latest fundraiser – featuring cat houses decorated by local artists and a concert by Rainy Day Saints.
Both galleries and all related events are FREE and open to the public. This month’s Walk All Over Waterloo is Fri 10/4 from 6-10pm.
http://MariaNeilArtProject.com
Josh Usmani is a 27 year old local artist, curator and writer. Since 2008, his work has been featured in over 50 local and regional exhibitions.