Toledo Artist Series
I've decided to do a
photo documentary project on
visual artists in Toledo. Ever since I moved back to Toledo after a 12-year absence, I've been impressed with Toledo's art scene. Toledo doesn't necessarily have the reputation as being a haven for artists, but surprisingly it is. Its low cost of living enables artists to commit time to making work, its proximity to large cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Columbus makes it possible for artists to market themselves, and the support of other artists and organizations like the
Arts Commission of Toledo creates a great community for artists.
But what really impresses me about the arts community in Toledo is its quality of work. I remember when I had first returned to town, I visited the Area Artists Show at the
Toledo Museum of Art. I had been living in New York and was a regular patron at galleries and art events there. But the art that I saw in the
Toledo Museum that day surprised me with how good it was, just as good if not better than a lot of work I had seen in New York.
The longer I stayed in Toledo, the more
artists I met and the more I was impressed with work that was being made in this town, a town that is not often associated with being an area for the arts. I wanted to make a documentary film about it, but since I'm not done with a
film I already started, I thought it'd be better to just stick with photography.
It's been fantastic getting to know
artists whose work I've admired, and learning more about their creative process and motivation for making art. For all those people, in Toledo and beyond, who think that nothing is going on in the city, I wanted to let them know about some of the great
artists that are working and living here in Toledo.
Here are some pics covering
Ivan Kende, the latest artist that I've covered in the
Toledo Artist Series.
Check out the full story here.
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