Foreclosure in the Firelands

Foreclosure in the Fireland’s is about  Cleveland feeling the effects of the foreclosure crisis. Today we are responding to economic hardship by tearing down the infrastructure of well designed neighborhoods and historic homes due to blight from the foreclosure crisis. This mural is about the clearing away and passing on of our closed churches and abandoned houses.  We are all swept up in the motion of trying to conquer forces greater than ourselves.  The walls are being built, the mirror like images of tomblike empty homes are passed between generations. Today we are tearing down historic buildings for casinos, spending money on demolition, and search for some direction for our people.
This mural is the beginning of a set of murals I plan to create through out the Cuyahoga watershed of the near west side, taking sites that are rustic, and in need of redesign and looking to the larger meaning we can find from our ancestors response. 

Fishers of Men

 
The far left image in ‘Foreclosure in the Firelands’ of casting of the net into break walls that are falling down was the beginning of my exploration of the story of Simon.  St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on the near west side is a wonderful example of making fishers of men.   There is the Christian story of Simon casting his nets on the other side of the boat and beginning his path to being a disciple of Christ.    We have included this passage near the side door of the service center of St. Luke’s Church.
 
There is also a metaphor in the images of nets being cast out into the world to catch everything or nothing.  The courage to cast your net is the strength and wisdom I see in my students.  The stages of the story of Simon leaves each of the fishermen either casting, untangling, breaking or filling the nets.

Simon

The far left image in ‘Foreclosure in the Firelands’ of casting of the net into break walls that are falling down was the beginning of my exploration of the story of Simon.  St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on the near west side is a wonderful example of making fishers of men.   There is the Christian story of Simon casting his nets on the other side of the boat and beginning his path to being a disciple of Christ.    We have included this passage near the side door of the service center of St. Luke’s Church.
 
There is also a metaphor in the images of nets being cast out into the world to catch everything or nothing.  The courage to cast your net is the strength and wisdom I see in my students.  The stages of the story of Simon leaves each of the fishermen either casting, untangling, breaking or filling the nets.
 



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