The perfect stocking stuffer for everyone this holiday season — cool (pun intended) refrigerator magnets custom-painted by Cleveland punk rock legend Floyd Longworth.
With Floyd’s enormous, unlimited subject selection and great price, you can find the perfect gift for a birthday, new dog, your first recording contract — for any occasion.
Floyd’s first career path was poetry — since everything he wrote rhymed, he decided to become a songwriter. His neighbour, a drummer with seminal punk bands Starvation Army and the Pink Holes, sagely advised Floyd to “start yer own band!” So the Floyd Band began its inspirational, illustrious, lugubrious career, playing gigs throughout the ’80s and ’90s — and it will be forever known as one of Cleveland’s premier punk bands. Their infamously cool recordings: an LP titled I Burped And Puke Came Out My Nose, a 1991 compilation CD titled Face Down In The Lap Of Luxury.
After the Floyd Band broke up, Floyd left Cleveland, taking up residence in North Carolina to raise his daughter. He wisely decided to leave behind bars, drugs and drinking to do the right thing for his daughter and for himself.
Floyd was looking for a creative outlet. He kept saying that he needed a hobby. His partner at the time presented him with paints, canvases and brushes, saying, “Here’s your hobby! Now shut up and paint!” So Floyd eagerly jumped into painting with all the creativity and energy he’d employed with his band. Some of his early canvases decorate the walls of his west side home, and they are wonderful, colorful, intricately sci-fi informed, neo-psychedelic pieces with amazing titles.
In September of 2018, Hurricane Florence ravaged North Carolina, demolishing Floyd’s house and necessitating his move back home to Cleveland. Ill fortune struck Floyd yet again on his way north. He was in an auto accident, losing his beloved dog as a result. Having discovered Floyd’s immense losses, his Cleveland friends stepped up, collecting furniture, dishes, etc. — everything he would need to set up a new home.
Being gobsmacked at his friends’ extreme generosity and wanting to do something special to thank everyone, Floyd initially decided to create small unique paintings for each friend. In the craft store, Floyd saw small canvases, then saw the magnets next to them — and inspiration struck. Floyd’s new art form was created.
Floyd’s fridge art covers a wide pop culture spectrum. The 900 magnets currently available for sale include TV stars, movie stars and posters, banned books, anime, horror, cartoons, political figures, artists and Cleveland icons. His biggest sellers are musicians and album covers from any music genre you could possibly imagine. He also does custom work, so if you have a particular fave rave in mind, just give him the picture and he’ll recreate it in miniature for you. (Cue up the Zappa song, “Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.”)
Floyd is honoring the artist/genre by painting his magnets of them and their work. But there are people and genres he will not paint: “no killers or other assholes.”
His magnets are 3” x 3” and 2.5” x 3.5”; he can also create a custom sized magnet (4” x 10”) which could contain all your favorite band members, or 4 anime characters. He estimates that he’s painted 6,000 magnets to date. Floyd paints every day, crafting magnets in his atelier/kitchen. He uses acrylic paint and paint markers, on wood squares with magnets glued to their backs. They are finished with a topcoat of Krylon matte finish spray. I’ve watched Floyd create a magnet, and I am truly amazed by his talent and skill, quickly translating a full-sized album cover to perfect miniature scale.
You can get your own Floyd magnets (one is not enough!) and/or commission a custom one at floydart OR Floyd Longworth on FaceBook OR www.Bonanza.com/listings/Floyd’s Memory Lane Magnets OR at one of his in-person events. Magnets are $20 each, three for $50; if you spend $100 total, you’ll get a free magnet, your choice. If you order magnets online, shipping will cost you $5; you can also arrange for pickup at Floyd’s home.
[Written by Donna Shimko]
Floyd’s December Shows:
West Side Flea Market, North Olmsted: Sunday December 8
St. Nick’s Craft Show, Seven Hills: Saturday December 14 & Sunday December 15
West 78th Street Studios Craft Fair Friday December 2o
Beachland Holiday Flea: Sunday December 22
Floyd’s magnets are Very Modern, adorning iceboxes across Ohio, and beyond. Nobody should ever have a naked refrigerator!
