Community conversation planned on public art in Vermilion

VERMILION — Cities are built with roads and neighborhoods, places to go to school and shop, doctor's offices and parks. But they can also be fertile spaces for art, say the organizers behind the Out In The Open, a community conversation hosted by Public Art Vermilion on May 14 at Ritter Public Library. Public Art Vermilion chairwoman Marilou Suszko said the focus of the event is to discuss what public art is, how it comes to life and what role it can play in shaping a community. "Public art is evolving in Vermilion, and it's relatively new here," she said."We thought it seemed like a good time to create a panel discussion to invite the community to talk about what art can do for our city, so they can better embrace and better understand. We've never had a broad conversation about it." Since Public Art Vermilion, a program of Main Street Vermilion, began, it has taken on public art initiatives like Aboard, the schooner-like sculpture that overlooks the Lake Erie shore at Main Street Beach, the buoy tree that adorns the Fulper Lot downtown, Tiny Art Galleries and the Postcard Project, larger-than-life reproductions of historic postcards from Vermilion's heyday as a beachfront vacation hamlet displayed throughout town. "Public art does a lot of things besides add beauty," she said. "It creates identity, it's an economic driver, it creates conversation, creates places for people to gather. Look what Vermilion In Bloom has done for Vermilion. People like to come to town to look at Vermilion, not only for the enjoyment of the flowers and how nice it looks, but then they enjoy the rest of it, too. Then they're shopping, they're dining." A four-member panel will speak about their experiences bringing art and its benefits, to their communities: Joan Perch, founder and director of FireFish Arts in Lorain and a dedicated arts advocate Joe Lanzilotta of LAND studio, a Cleveland-based nonprofit focused on creating vibrant public spaces McKenzie Spriggs, senior director of Destination Management for the Greater Sandusky Partnership, specializing in placemaking through art Lauren Cieslak, Public Art Vermilion advisory board member, Tiny Art Gallery curator, and art therapist "They're all going to be talking about the art experience for Lorain, Sandusky and Cleveland," she said. The evening will begin with a free, hands-on art activity for those who wish to participate from 6 to 6:30 p.m., with the panel discussion from 6:30 to 7:30, with the panelists and Public Art Vermilion volunteers and advocates. The library is at 5680 Liberty Ave. For information about Public Art Vermilion, visit mainstreetvermilion.org. Contact Rini Jeffers at rinijeffers@gmail.com.