PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN

Saturday, September 6, 2025; Art Garden Festival, W. 50^th and Storer Avenue: During the celebration of the festival, artist Ariel Vergez works on a mural on the side of a building on the Southeast corner of W. 50^th and Storer. This past year Vergez has been working with 10 youths in their teens and twenties to create murals and sculptures in the area between Lorain and Denison avenues stretching from W. 25^th to W. 65^th.

By Chuck Hoven

   (Plain Press October 2025) While artist Ariel Vergez painted a Sunflower mural on the side of a building at W. 50^th and Storer Avenue, area residents enjoyed music, dance and festivities across the street at The Art Garden Festival held on Saturday, September 6^th, 2025.

   The mural and the festival are some of the planned parts outlined by an Ariel Vergez initiated Transformative Arts Fund proposal that “aims to revitalize the West Cleveland communities by integrating art, mentorship, and community collaboration.”

   The plan calls for the building, on the southeast corner of W, 50^th and Storer Avenue that Vergez is painting the Sunflower mural on, to be used as a “creative arts hub.”  In partnership with the MetroWest Community Development Organization, the blighted property is being “repurposed as a community space for workshops and mural creation.”

   The project also partnered with Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana’s office to “facilitate engagement with local residents and organization,” and to “provide advisory support on permits, policies and community initiatives.”

   Vergez’s “vision focuses on using art to foster economic opportunities and enhance the cultural landscape of the neighborhood.” To this end, Lead Artist Ariel Vergez joined with Artist Jonathan Henry, and 4K Specialist Coly Puzzuoli, to form the BlackBrain Group to lead the project, manage the creative process and mentor young artists recruited for the project while delivering high quality art projects to beautify Storer Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods.

   The goals of the project include creating economic opportunities for the young artists participating in the project as well as creating “a cohesive Art Garden District that includes green spaces, resting spots, and public exhibitions that celebrate the culmination of artistic communal efforts.”

   Through one of the projects components, the No Pressure, No Diamonds artist apprenticeship program, young neighborhood artists in their teens and twenties engaged under the direction of the BlackBrain Group in designing and creating murals and sculptures. The youths improved their skills as artists while helping to beautify Storer Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods.

   Vergez says the mural locations, while focusing mainly of Storer Avenue, also include locations in the surrounding neighborhood in the area from Lorain Avenue to Denison Avenue and from W. 25^th to W. 65^th. The murals not on Storer Avenue include a mural on the water tower at the Menlo Park Academy (the former Joseph and Feiss factory) that says, “Read More Books”, and a mural at Twinkie Lane on the back of the Zubal Books building.

   Part of the vision of The Art Garden project is having a creative hub in the former warehouse building on W. 50^th and Storer Avenue where new art projects can be designed while mentoring young artists and continuing to add artworks throughout the surrounding neighborhood. With the assistance of MetroWest and Councilwoman Jasmin Santana’s office, plans call for The Art Garden Festival to be an annual ongoing celebration in the community for years to come.