Sponsored Bus Artwork Promotes Beautification, Community

An image appearing on local buses through support from the Mahoning County Land Bank advances the land bank’s emphasis on property beautification and community. 

The “Sunflower Field” photo by Canfield photographer Pattie Conti will grace WRTA buses through May after it was selected by the land bank as part of a local artist showcase. It’s one of 17 visual works chosen during the recent GoArt! initiative organized by Power of the Arts.   

“We were looking for a photo that could be representative of the people in Mahoning County,” said DEBORA FLORA executive director of the land bank. “This photo also speaks volumes to what the land bank is all about – the beautification and appreciation of land.

“And we later learned that this photo was the start of a friendship between the photographer and the subject in the photo,” said Debora. “That’s another parallel of the land bank’s work. We hope to create spaces for individuals in the community to come together and enjoy each other’s company.”

Pattie snapped the candid photo last year at a sunflower field near White House Fruit Farm in Canfield. The woman in the photo, Nancy Hawkins of Columbiana, is another local artist who enjoys painting outdoor scenes and is particularly drawn to sunflowers.

Pattie’s hobby began about five years ago and she prefers taking photos outdoors.

Nancy has been painting since high school and has had her work shown at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, the Hoyt Art Center in New Castle and the Mill Creek MetroParks Davis Education & Visitor Center.

“We were glad to support Power of the Arts with a fundraiser like this and are pleased to see the talent of local people displayed across our community,” said Debora.

Power of the Arts is a non-profit organization that promotes the arts in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.