GuitarMania Project

Artist Statement:

GuitarMania meets two objectives, to fund services for three Greater Cleveland nonprofit organizations and to create a public art project the entire community could enjoy.

National celebrities, including Peter Max, Yoko Ono, and Graham Nash, were among the first to decorate GuitarMania’s 10-foot-tall, Fender Stratocaster replicas. Other celebrities such as The Drew Carey show cast, Cleveland Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel, and rock musicians Joe Walsh and Michael Stanley also contributed their art talents.

For my design concept, I decided to combine duo themes of music and universal peace. This would be my small contribution to society in light of the recent 911 tragedy. The title of my design is “Hear My Cry for Peace”. Daytime and Nighttime cover the front and back of the guitar, which symbolizes time travel. The seven doves represent good luck and messengers of peace. The doves are carrying the message of peace represented by the musical notes. The ribbon is the bond that ties all cultures together through time. And the Renaissance building, which was a late addition, represents a new beginning.

I must say this was a challenging project due to the surface and size of the object being painted. I did enjoy the experience and feel that it was a privilege to create and display my work for the community.

I would like to thank my sponsors Firstar Bank, Grubb & Ellis Co., the Renaissance Center, and beneficiaries The Rock Hall of Fame and Museum, United Way Services of Greater Cleveland and Make -A-Wish Foundation for creating the opportunity.

Jerome T. White