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AKRON, Ohio - What started as a thoughtful way to reach isolated seniors during the COVID-19 lockdown has become an art show in the Akron Municipal Courthouse.
 

What You Need To Know

  • The" Art of the Pandemic” exhibit runs at the Akron Municipal Courthouse through June 25

  • The exhibit features artwork designed as cards delivered to seniors in congregate care through Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer’s “Cards for Seniors” program

  • Stormer received more than 4,000 cards to distribute during the height of the pandemic’s lockdown last year

  • Also running in the courthouse is an exhibit by Akronite Danny Ratcliffe, who specializes in family portraits
“The Art of the Pandemic” runs through June 25, and features artwork originally designed as cards delivered to seniors living in congregate care through Summit County Probate Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer’s “Cards for Seniors” program.
 
When Stormer asked the community for the cards at the height of the pandemic’s lockdown last year, she received more than 4,000 pieces.
 

“Not only did we receive beautiful cards, some went above and beyond our expectations and were truly works of art,” Stormer said in a release. “We wanted to share this amazing work from these generous artists with others.”

​Much of the work now gracing the courthouse hallways is by retired seniors who were not artists during their careers — teachers, therapists, researchers, a guidance counselor and others. But they all wanted to share with other seniors their pandemic perspective in uplifting form and color.

“I literally looked at every card that came in to make sure that they were appropriate, so I got to see this art,” said Probate Court Outreach Specialist Lisa Mansfield. “We thought we'd get a couple seniors that might do some things with colors and cardstock, but we got real art, we got watercolors and art that was using cut paper and it blew me away."

Mansfield was able to not only count the cards, but her office send “thank you” cards to all who participated, she said. She then reached out to local participants to invite them to display their work in an art show.

“I said, ‘We're going to put a show together and we're going to do it exactly a year from when the pandemic started,’” she said. Many agreed to participate and wanted to contribute more than one piece for the show.

At the time, with everyone wearing masks, staying six-feet apart and sanitizing hands, touching surfaces was considered risky, Mansfield said, and with many of the participants seniors, the operation was slightly tricky.

“So, a lot of them I either picked up touchlessly, like off their porch, or they dropped it to me in front of the courthouse and I ran out and grabbed it, and we were masked,” she said.

Much of the artwork on display in the courthouse is for sale, with the proceeds going directly to the artists, she said.

Since the first request for pandemic art, Stormer's office hosted a second "Cards for Seniors" program for Valentine‘s Day. Her office received more than 3,000 cards to distribute to seniors as well as their caregivers in nursing homes and congregate-care facilities.

“Lovely humans, every single one of them,” Mansfield said.

Also running in the courthouse is an exhibit by Akronite Danny Ratcliffe, who paints in traditional/classical realism. Ratcliffe has said he takes inspiration from family, and according to his website, portraiture is his specialty.

Over the past few years, the courthouse has featured the work of other local artists through its “Curated Courthouse” program, a partnership between the Probate Court and Curated Storefront. Curated Storefront is a nonprofit that installs multimedia exhibitions in Akron’s downtown, to enliven the city and engage residents. 

Exhibiting art in the courthouse helps communicate that the courthouse is public property and is for everyone, Mansfield said. It also helps ease tension for residents who are waiting in the hallway for court appearances, or for important documents.

“So, a lot of times, instead of just getting on your phone, or doing something like that, they wander through the art and I think they're really surprised,” she said.

Much of the art is posted on Summit County Probate Court’s Facebook page, including a video Mansfield made of the “Art of the Pandemic” exhibition. 

The Summit County Court House is open to the public 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is located at 209 S. High St. in downtown Akron. Masks are required to enter.