Downtown Sharon History Walk, WaterFire July 18th, 2015
Sharon’s Historic and Artistic Charm to be Unveiled during WaterFire Sharon
By Alane Jewel
An hour-long historical walking tour of Sharon’s East Hill on E. State St. will be held at 2 p.m. during the WaterFire Sharon Saturday, July 18th festivities. The tour will be presented by Sharon Historical Society and Sharon Beautification Commission.
This approximate one hour tour will be narrated by local historians and members of the society. It will begin at the Community Library of the Shenango Valley on the corner of E. State St. and Sharpsville Ave. The tour will feature the large homes and historic buildings on E. State St., from Sharpsville Ave. to Oakland Ave.
Historical information and pictures will be provided on the Buhl Community Recreation Center, Buhl Mansion, the Whitla house and Whitla kidnapping, among other topics. The tour will be on a steep sidewalk grade.
Brian Kepple of the Sharon Beautification Commission shared the background of the historical tours. “This is the 10th Sharon Historical Walking Tour we have done in the city. It started out with the Sharon Beautification Commission sponsoring the tour to promote our Downtown Hanging Baskets, the work at Bicentennial Park and the new Streetscape project in 2012,” Brian said. “We are trying to tie in the new positive changes occurring in Downtown Sharon with its historical past.”
The walks are co-sponsored by the Sharon Historical Society. “I provide most of the narration with a majority of the historical information and pictures gathered by Bill Cowan,” Brian said. “Tony Molinari and John Zavinski have also contributed to the tours.”
The Sharon Historical Society will have a booth during the day’s event. Their booth will be located in the artisan marketplace near Gallery 29 and Never Enough Yarn on E. State St. The society will be selling water, old postcards of Sharon, and reproductions of photos taken by Carol Novosel of Sharon. They will also have collectible 1901 reproduction maps of Sharon for sale.
There will also be another collaboration to instill pride in downtown Sharon with help from the Sharon Beautification Commission. This project between the commission and a new movement of area artists will be showcased during WaterFire Sharon’s July 18th event.
A presentation of a ‘Gallery Garden’ will be held at 6 p.m. in Bicentennial Park. This will be an unveiling of a permanent art collaboration between the ‘Random Acts of Artists’ group, a locally based group of creative individuals from all areas of the arts, and the Sharon Beautification Commission.
Linda Brink and Terry Polonsky of the art group will introduce the 23 artists tasked with creating individual art pieces. These random creations will form a dynamic and interactive attraction to the park. The entrance to Bicentennial Park is located at the intersection of Connelly Blvd. and S. Water Ave. The display is a short walk along the Shenango River in the center of the park.
Random Acts of Artists Abandonment Project
The Random Acts of Artists group will also have a “Random Artists Unleashed Art Exhibition” located on second floor of the James E. Winner Jr. Arts & Culture Center, located at 98 E. State St. Most of the pieces of art are for sale. This show will be displayed beginning July 18 through August 15.
They have also organized an “Art Abandonment Project” for Saturday’s event. Area artists will be abandoning artwork in various places throughout town. Look for specially marked plastic bags labeled, “You found me now I’m yours.” When these bags with artwork in it are found by festival goers throughout downtown Sharon, the art inside the bags is for the finder to keep. The art group is asking those who use social media and Facebook to post the art finds on the WaterFire Sharon Facebook page.
Linda and Terry shared this statement regarding this art abandonment project. “We all know that you don’t have to be an artist to appreciate art, but we do believe that exposure to the arts is invaluable in helping everyone gain a deeper appreciation for what the artist contributes to society. As art abandoners we will be taking on a challenge to make a change, one piece of art at a time. For the individuals who find abandoned treasures, the art comes into their lives in a very direct and meaningful way. And for a moment they are reminded of the way that art can change lives. It’s a wonderful feeling when you sell a piece of art but art is also for sharing freely.”
