Kelle Schwab, a Cleveland-based artist, offers a compelling account of her professional journey, shaped by a diverse background in education, personal relationships, employment, and community involvement. She is the founder of Kelle Schwab Studios and the co-founder of Artzilla, an arts initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and public engagement. Originally from Pennsylvania, Schwab has lived in both San Francisco and Ohio, experiences that have significantly influenced her artistic outlook. In her reflections, she underscores the importance of public art as a means of fostering community connection and expressing shared values. She also discusses her recent mural at Progressive Field, which incorporates historically significant symbols to honor the cultural heritage of the region.

Schwab, Kelle (interviewee)

Kanewa-Mariano, Makialani (interviewer)

Community-Based Public Art

"Kelle Schwab interview, 01 May 2025" (2025). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 455002.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/1394

Kelle Schwab [ 00:00:02 ] Hi. I come to visit.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:00:05 ] Today’s date is Thursday, May 1, 2025. My name is Makialani Kanewa-Mariano with the Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection at Cleveland State University. Today I will be interviewing Kelle Schwab. Thank you so much for meeting with me today, Kelle.

Kelle Schwab [ 00:00:19 ] Hi. Thank you.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:00:21 ] For the record, could you state and spell your name?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:00:23 ] Kelle Schwab. K, E, L, L, E. Schwab. S, C, H, W, A, B, as in boy.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:00:30 ] Where and when were you born?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:00:32 ] I was born in New York, Schenectady, New York, in March 27, 1973.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:00:41 ] Where did you go to high school? Did you stay in that area for high school?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:00:44 ] No. So we moved from New York when I was like three or four to a little town called State College in Pennsylvania. It’s the only thing there is Penn State, and that’s where I went to high school.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:00:57 ] Where did you go to college, if you did go to college?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:01:00 ] So my first degree, I went to Penn State University and I finished my upper credits at Berkeley, University of California at Berkeley. And then about 10 years later, I went back and got a second degree in design.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:01:16 ] And do you primarily live in the Cleveland area now?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:01:18 ] Yes.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:01:19 ] How did you end up in Cleveland?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:01:21 ] So I came here for a job when I went back for my second degree. So my first degree is in sociology with a focus on philosophy. And then I spent my 20s traveling around, being a fine artist and traveling and exploring and just using travel as a way to learn about culture and people.

[ 00:01:41 ] And by the end of my 20s, I was getting a little tired of living on ramen noodles, so I went back to school for design. And then when I got out of school, I came here to Cleveland to work at American Greetings, which was my second job out of design school. And I was there for almost 15 years.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:01:59 ] What did you do there at American Greetings?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:02:02 ] So I was a designer, illustrator, and art director. And we created brands, did a lot of social expression products, which is cards, but also lots of things related to cards, whether it was tote bags and stuff like that or branding experiences.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:02:22 ] And what’s your current occupation now?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:02:24 ] So now I left and I went out and I’m full time doing my own thing. And that’s when I created Kelly Schwab Studios, which was. I started about seven years ago, freelance. But I officially over Covid went full time. And now I am, I would say, an artist. I a muralist. I would say an artist and a muralist. But I also do sculpture and lots of different types of art. But it’s mostly painting and murals.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:02:52 ] When did you first realize that you had an interest in art?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:02:54 ] As a little, little kid. My grandmother was a painter and she made sure to teach all of the kids. Every single one of her grandkids had to spend a summer with her and learn how to paint. She felt it was so important. So I’ve been drawing since I was really ever since I can remember. I’m very lucky to have creative people in my family to encourage that. A lot of artists, you know, end up or, you know, have a family who doesn’t necessarily understand the creative spirit and maybe encourage you to, you know, get a degree in something reasonable, which I completely understand. I completely understand wanting, you know, and have what can be seen as a more stable job. But I was lucky in my family to have a family that really encouraged anyone to be creative or to follow an artistic career. Although I think me and my sister are the only ones in my whole family who did that.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:03:51 ] What medium of art do you specialize in now?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:03:54 ] Specialize in paintings and murals.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:03:58 ] And what themes or styles does your art encompass?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:04:01 ] So the themes would be probably, well, feminism, myth, rebellion, empowerment, especially around women, girls and people who identify as women. That has been the main themes I’ve been working on with my personal paintings. With the murals, it’s about storytelling, the bringing community together, having a place for people and culture to be seen, bring people together, make people feel love, you know, that kind of thing. [ 00:04:39 ] In terms of styles, my paintings are a blend of probably pop surrealism influenced by comic books. That’s. I think that’s another one of the questions. That’s how I got started. When I was little, I would do comics and comic books and zines. But yeah, my style would probably be called pop surrealism. I kind of mix for the faces in my portraits.[ 00:05:02 ] I study the old European master methods, which is. Sargent is probably one of the most, the most famous artists or one of the artists that I follow his styling. So I’m trying to figure out a way to bring that traditional style in like a modern or contemporary way. So I love that juxtaposition of like an old timey looking face with like bright pops of flat color around it. [ 00:05:28 ] Most of that is because the collection of art I’m doing right now is bringing attention to very interesting women in history, that feels like almost hidden. Like no one knows about these amazing women in history. So part of my reason for bringing in that pop culture feel or pop surrealism is to make it like, interesting and attractive to young people today. [ 00:05:49 ] So they’re like, oh, you know, Sometimes when people hear the word history, you know, they think, oh, so boring. It’s a bunch of old books. [ 00:05:57 ] Which obviously, that’s amazing. We love that. But, you know, I feel like some young people, everyone’s just, you know, so glued to their phones and digital world or their devices, and, you know, sometimes history gets a bad rap. That is not interesting, but it’s actually the most interesting thing. And I think what we’re seeing right now going on in our world is a lot of that is a lack of education of history, because people don’t realize what’s going on. [ 00:06:27 ] And so they. You know the famous quote, when we don’t know our history, we repeat it. And, you know, we’re dangerously close to something like that right now. So I’m trying to make art that’s, like, interesting and new and feels fresh and modern so people see that history is something that affects us and can help us in modern day.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:06:48 ] You brought up comic books and some designs that you used to do. Is that what inspired you to become an artist and kind of begin this journey with the Kelly Schwab Studios?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:06:58 ] I think so. I mean, when I was. When I was a kid and then in high school, yeah, I was, like, making zines and comic books. And I think cartoons were the very first art I did as a little kid, you know, just drawing cartoons and funny little creatures, which now, looking back, I think the reason I was attracted to that then was because there was humor in that. [ 00:07:21 ] There was humor in those cartoons. And I think humor is, like, one of the most beautiful things that humans bring. And it’s an incredible form of healing. And the collection of paintings I’m working on right now, really, at the base of it, it’s all about healing, healing ourselves, healing our communities, healing the world. [ 00:07:40 ] So I think that’s how I would connect to what I’m doing now, to what I started when I was a kid doing the cartoons. But, yeah, then zines, it was all, like, the cool, fun thing to do because I was kind of in and out of the punk rock culture and movement. So zines were always, like, a really fun and rebellious way to express yourself in a really approachable way. [ 00:08:02 ] All you need is, like, a folded piece of paper and a pen to do it. And I always liked that approachability and accessibility of it.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:08:10 ] So you brought up using art sort of as a way to ignite a love for learning about history and learning about the world around you. Was that the original goal for yourself as an artist or what was your original goal?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:08:23 ] I think my original goal, like when I first started being more serious about art, which was during my first degree and then when I lived on the west coast and was traveling in my 20s, I think my first intention. So the art I was doing at that time was elder people, especially elder people in indigenous communities. [ 00:08:45 ] And I think at that time it was a way to bring attention to cultures that, you know, cultures that we don’t give enough attention or resources to. So, yeah, it is very connected. So this is just kind of an iteration of that which this collection is about, bringing attention to interesting women in history with a big focus on diversity and indigenous communities. [ 00:09:11 ] So, yeah, I guess my art has always been rooted in activism in some way.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:09:19 ] And who else contributes to your work? Do you collaborate with other artists or do you work primarily alone?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:09:23 ] So this is an interesting question because as an artist, you do spend a lot of time working alone. But whenever you do public art, it’s always part of a team. With non profits or even with business, you’re always part of a team. So that I would say is the collaboration and public art can come from a range of people bringing you a very specific idea. [ 00:09:46 ] Like, we want this exact thing. Can you give your spin to it? Or how can we improve it? But we want this vibe of it to stay the same all the way to. We don’t care what you do, just do whatever you want, you know, just pass it through the team and, you know, let us know why you made the decisions you made. [ 00:10:03 ] So there’s always collaboration with public art and then with your private art that you’re making, the art you make for yourself or for. From a fine art perspective, I would say the collaboration comes with kind of your people that you surround yourself with, like your friends who are artists, basically how you network and bring them in. [ 00:10:25 ] I have two really good friends right now, Lisa Klein and Stina Aleah, who are unbelievably amazing, talented artists here in Cleveland. Muralists and painters and illustrator, Lisa’s illustration and typography and design and murals. And Stina is. She’s a portrait artist too, and muralist and public speaker. We created like a little. It’s almost like a support group.[ 00:10:48 ] It’s just like a group text. And we text all day long, like, oh, my gosh, I’m frustrated with this client because of this, or I’m stuck on this design because of this, or I’m not quite sure how to approach this challenge that I’m having with either a piece of art or a mural. [ 00:11:04 ] So I would say with collaboration like, as a solo artist, you kind of can’t do it without your community, without whatever that community means, whether it’s family, friends, even, like, online communities that help support you. So I would call those collaborations, because even just their energy supporting you is part of what helps you to make your art.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:11:28 ] Just to talk a little bit more about some of the public art. What inspired you to want to be involved in community or public art?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:11:36 ] I think so. So many. I have, like, so many answers to this. So what inspired me to want to get into public art? I love that. I love the approachability and the accessibility of it. I think art is a hugely, hugely integral part of being human. We. And so I love that public art can be for anyone, and there’s no cost, and there’s no any of those kind of invisible walls that might keep people away from art. [ 00:12:08 ] Like, going to a museum is amazing, and everyone should be able to go to a museum, but some people might not feel welcome or comfortable going to a museum for whatever reason. And so if it’s out in the world and they can just, like, come upon it or it’s in their neighborhood, that’s a beautiful way to connect them to art and then get them interested in seeing how important art is, how it makes them feel. [ 00:12:33 ] But, yeah, I think art is a huge part of being human. You know, we’re in this space right now where our culture almost feels like art is disposable. It’s always like the first classes that they let go of in elementary school or high school or college. And really, art is. It’s seen as disposable. [ 00:12:53 ] It’s really one of the most important parts of being a human, because art goes back to the beginning of when we were humans. We’ve been, like, connected with it. It’s almost part of our DNA, part of our spirit, part of what connects us to other people, connects us to our history. It’s incredibly healing for people to do art for themselves, for the people around them, for the community. [ 00:13:15 ] So it’s an integral part of being human. So having it out in public brings it to more people, which is a beautiful thing. In my ideal world, the world would be covered with murals and public art. Like, think of that. Think of a world where just all the buildings are covered in artwork, or there’s these beautiful statues and sculptures and public art everywhere. [ 00:13:39 ] And all museums were free. And the people who worked for the museums were paid very well, as opposed to just barely being paid anything. All of that. If it was just full of it. I think the world would, people would be able to connect with each other more. I think. I honestly think it would help with xenophobia. [ 00:13:59 ] It would connect people. It would be a beautiful thing.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:14:05 ] So I want to talk a little bit about Artzilla. What is Artzilla and what were the missions of Artzilla?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:14:10 ] So the missions of Artzilla were two very good friends of mine. Well, one was a good friend of mine and got to know the other. Sarah Hoover of Small Screen Studio and Hannah of Snakes and Aceys. They both have shops there in Little Italy. And their families go back many generations in Little Italy. [ 00:14:29 ] And they had pulled me in because they really wanted to. Their original goal was to cover Little Italy in murals. And they knew it was a muralist. And we all are very like minded. They wanted to make. Give a feeling of welcoming, like they wanted to give more of a strong feeling of being welcoming and inclusive in Little Italy. [ 00:14:53 ] And they thought a way to do that would be have it in murals, have it covered in murals. So we’ve done two murals. The first one says Ciao tutti, which means welcome to all. And it’s when you’re entering Little Italy, it’s a big colorful mural when you’re coming into Little Italy from University Circle. [ 00:15:12 ] And then the second one, it’s a dual mural on either side of an alley. And one is kind of like old timey flowers and it says in Italian that love is immortal. Then the other side is more contemporary flowers and herbs and plants. And it says love for all in English. And we have it covered in like all Italian based herbs and plants and flowers. [ 00:15:43 ] And it’s supposed to show the bridge because it’s on either side of an alley, kind of like union and a bridging between generations, showing like respect for the elders and showing a connection to the newer generation. And it’s just about community, connection and pride and showing that it’s all about love. In the end.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:16:06 ] Do you know what years those murals went up?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:16:09 ] Oh, my gosh. I think. I think like those two murals, we did them a year apart. I think it was like four and five years ago or maybe three and four years ago. It’s been a while. Maybe two and three years ago.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:16:23 ] Are you guys planning on doing more murals in the area?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:16:25 ] We do right now everything is paused because we were trying to get grants and there’s a lot of amazing people with a lot of amazing art ideas for art in Cleveland. So there’s a lot of competition for those grants, understandably. And with everything going on with politics right now, everyone who’s working. Connected to Grants is mega paused right now.[ 00:16:51 ] So we’re paused to see what’s happening with our politics in our country and to see what’s happening with Grants. And then we’ll go from there.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:17:02 ] Taking it back a little bit to your childhood in the community that you grew up in. Were there any works of public art that you can remember?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:17:11 ] So I would say the. So kind of two things. So growing up five miles from Penn State, which is. So they had the. Their logo and their mascot is the Nittany lion, and they had a statue of the Nittany lion there. And it seems there was just so much energy around this statue. [ 00:17:36 ] Like, if you go, everyone, when someone comes to visit, you go get a picture of you sitting on the lion. I can’t tell you how many homes you go into. And everyone’s family, especially, like family reunions or special events, everyone goes to the lion sits on the lion. Everyone sits around it. And that always stuck with me in terms of how powerful public art can be. [ 00:17:55 ] Even for something, to me, in my mind, it’s like, oh, something as, quote, silly as the Nittany lion. It’s not like, you know, it’s not like, you know, the road. You know, it’s not like these famous pieces of, you know, public art. It’s more of, like, comes from, like, a branding and sports thing, which doesn’t seem very arty, but it is art. [ 00:18:19 ] It was made by an artist, and it is absolutely just as valuable as any piece of art, especially when it comes to how it affects the community. Like, it really brings people together. It’s a way to connect people, whether you’re from a variety of different cultures or places in the world. There’s lots of people who come to school at Penn State, and then they bring their families and other families, and everyone has a picture with a lion. [ 00:18:47 ] So I always thought it was such an interesting way that art can bring people together and kind of show the commonality that we are as humans. I would say that would be the biggest. Yeah. Because I don’t actually think there was really any other public art when I was growing up, because the town was very little at that time, so.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:19:04 ] So how do you think that shaped the work you do today, whether it be the lion or maybe a lack of public art in the community.

Kelle Schwab [ 00:19:12 ] Yeah. How it shapes would I do today? I would say, I think, you know, whenever I create a mural, you know, I’m always thinking in the back of my head, like, how. How can this express this space in the community for the people where the mural resides. How can it make folks feel seen in that space? [ 00:19:36 ] And how can it be a space that makes people feel proud of where they are? I really love doing murals in neighborhoods that are under resourced and underserved and deserve the love to be there. The color and the murals, and it’s like, how can this be a space to bring people together and have a place of pride? [ 00:20:01 ] So I think that’s how that would affect how I approached my murals now.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:20:05 ] Outside of your current occupation and your artwork and your work with the Kelly Schwab Studios, do you participate with any other organizations?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:20:15 ] I think, you know, I try to attend as much stuff as I can. I think after Covid, we got a little bad. I’ve had this conversation with so many of my friends, muralists and artists and friends in town. Like, we used to go out and support other people more. Going to art shows, going to. [ 00:20:33 ] You know, we just went to Cleveland. Destination or destination Cleveland’s annual event. You know, going to those things, supporting what people are doing, your friends having shows. Those are all really, really important things to do. And we kind of got away from it since COVID So we’re trying to make, like, a very, like, dedicated effort to get out more, which that can. [ 00:21:00 ] You know, that can be hard. I understand a lot of people have social anxiety. A lot of people are introverted. That can be very scary. But I think that’s a really important thing to do, and I’m trying to make sure I do that more, too.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:21:15 ] So based on your experiences, how has your work or the work that you’ve done within Artzilla kind of encouraged a sense of community?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:21:24 ] So I think how. Wait, say that again.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:21:28 ] Either just the work that you do with the Kelly Schwab Studio studios or with those of Artzilla, how do they encourage a sense of community?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:21:36 ] Encourage a sense of community? I think I would say I’m trying to think of a good example. I think what’s. I don’t know if this is the right. The right example to give, but when I was doing. I did a mural for Destination Cleveland and Graffiti Heart in Slavic Village, and it was part of this murals across the city. [ 00:21:59 ] They did, I think, six different murals in six different neighborhoods around the city. And it was an amazing, amazing project to kind of bring attention to each of those communities and what those communities that they’re there that have all this beautiful history around them, because each of the murals kind of dipped into a little bit of expressing the space and the community that was there. [ 00:22:22 ] I think that’s a really beautiful way to show the connection between the communities. For me as an artist, almost every mural I’ve done or almost every art show I’ve been in, where someone comes up to tell me what they see behind the painting. When you experience how someone connects to your art and you connected to it very differently, it is, like, one of the most beautiful, I would say, almost spiritual experiences. [ 00:22:49 ] So, like, for example, the mural I did in Slavic Village, you know, I was working on the mural, and you end up meeting a lot of people in the community. People come up and talk to you and, like, you know, tell you thank you, and everyone comes up with stories and stuff like that. [ 00:23:03 ] And something that really struck me with that was there was a woman who was working in a laundromat across the street, and she said she’s worked there for, like, 35 years. And she came up to me crying, and she was like, this is so. You have no idea how beautiful and how much it means to me that when I come to work now, I see this big, beautiful, colorful, hopeful, you know, mural. [ 00:23:26 ] It gives me something to look at. And Slavic Village has had some really, really dark, challenging history and years. You know, I’ve heard a little bit about this, but she was telling me about there’s all these missing little girls all over Cleveland, but especially in Slavic Village, missing children and how. I just can’t imagine how that would feel, knowing that every day you’re going out and, like, so many missing kids have been there, have gone from, are gone from that community. And for just a piece of art that is color and subject matter that I put together can help just bring a little bit of hope or a little bit of just, you know, a little bit of a spirit space or grace away from the challenges that someone is experiencing. [ 00:24:19 ] Like, that is, like, incredibly moving as an artist, to know that artists can do that. And it kind of goes back to how healing art can be. But, yeah, that would be an example of how, you know, it connects with the community.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:24:34 ] So what are your hopes for the future with being a muralist and a fine artist?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:24:41 ] Hopes for the future, I think, you know, seeing more murals in Cleveland, more opportunities for artists. There’s a lot of amazing artists in Cleveland. You know, more murals, more opportunity for artists, more grant money coming into the city, which Bibb has been doing an amazing job getting more grant money coming into the city, even outside of the. [ 00:25:07 ] Well, I think that was before the challenging of our. The challenges of our direct politics going on right now. But, yeah, seeing See more art in the city and more opportunities for artists.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:25:19 ] And are you currently working on any projects or collaborations or murals?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:25:24 ] Yes. So I just finished a mural. It’s in Progressive Field, and it was a multi. It was three murals on three different walls. And it was expressing a little bit of the history of Cleveland and the guardians. And the mural I am starting next week is for the Canal Basin northern trailhead, which is in the Flats. [ 00:25:46 ] And that’s working with Canalway partners, the City of Cleveland, and Firewatch. So those are the ones currently in the works.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:25:57 ] Have you ever worked on other projects outside of the Cleveland area?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:26:02 ] Yes, I’ve worked well outside the Cleveland area. I’ve done some design and. And murals in Columbus and then green, like south. You know, the greater Cleveland area. But when I lived in California, I did lots of murals there, mostly graffiti. I was into the. You know, I was mostly learning about graffiti and doing a lot of graffiti when I lived mostly in San Francisco, I would say mostly that’s where I did it. And then also there’s a lot of people. Part of the culture out there is a lot of people live in vans. And so I would like, paint the sides of vans for people. And that was always fun. [ 00:26:42 ] It was mostly for a bunch of surfers and hippies and stuff like that. But those were my very first, I would say, public pieces of art and murals I did was a bunch of surfer vans and graffiti in the San Francisco area.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:26:54 ] Do you have a favorite one from the past? Favorite mural or artwork from your past work?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:27:00 ] From the past, past work.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:27:01 ] Just. Yeah, up until this point. Any of your favorite ones?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:27:04 ] Oh, up until this point? Well, I don’t know. It’s hard to pick favorites, like picking favorite kid. But I would say the one that comes to mind was when I lived in San Francisco, I was making a line of paintings, and they were all on cardboard because I was trying to make kind of a point of the impermanence of just the idea of impermanence. [ 00:27:26 ] It’s not gonna last forever. And I did one painting, and I was focused on elder indigenous communities at the time. And I did this one painting of this very, very old man. And he was kind of glowing and kind of coming out of the. Out of the cardboard. And I had a show, and this man came up to me, and he was just completely white, like, shook, you know, and he said that he was a sailor, and he said he was sailing out, you know, in the Pacific somewhere. [ 00:27:57 ] He’d been a sailor his whole life. And he almost died. Like, something happened with the sail and, you know, some sort of storm and all the things. And he thought he was going to die. He thought he was going to. He thought he was going to die. And he saw the man of the Sea. [ 00:28:13 ] And this is. I had never known about it before that, but apparently when sailors feel like they’re about to die, you’ll. They’ll see like an apparition of a man. It’s called the man in the Sea. It’s always like an old looking man with like hair. And he said my painting looked exactly like the man of the Sea. [ 00:28:29 ] And he, and he survived the sailor. So I was like, you know, in that moment, I’m like, you can, you must have this painting. I don’t want any money or anything, you know, you have to have this painting, you know, and you know, it’s when you have moments like that. And like I’ve, as an artist, you get those moments with your art, your public art, your murals, your paintings, you get those moments and it’s just like magic. [ 00:28:53 ] It’s complete magic and it fuels you on to do more of that. So that was definitely one of my favorite paintings because of his story. I mean, I loved that painting. But then you hear that story and you’re like, oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Or like even. I had some art in Little Italy a couple years ago and I had brought a bunch of paintings and prints and I had like one extra thing that I was like, oh, this is like, I put no effort into this. [ 00:29:17 ] I don’t even really care about this, like, painting, but I took it anyway. And it was like kind of this woman’s face and she was holding kind of like a swordish kind of thing, and there was like all this cut paper flying around her head. And I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it, but I took it anyway. [ 00:29:31 ] And then this woman comes and she’s this huge jujitsu champ, like national champ. And I met her and she was saying she felt like it was a woman breaking through like walls, like breaking through the glass ceiling, like breaking through something. And so that was so beautiful that she saw that in that piece of art and I didn’t. [ 00:29:51 ] I wasn’t even like thinking about that. I mean, looking at my collection with warrior women and stuff, it kind of makes sense that I would just kind of subconsciously make that kind of feeling. But for someone to see that in a piece of art that you make. And in my mind I’m like, how beautiful is that she’s thinking about breaking through the glass ceiling, breaking through barriers. [ 00:30:12 ] You know, that’s just such a beautiful, beautiful thing. And I can’t even, I don’t even know how to explain that or articulate how cool that is for someone to have that experience with art.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:30:24 ] So focusing on one of your more recent murals, the one at Progressive Field, do you want to tell me a little bit more about that? What made you want to get involved in that?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:30:33 ] So they, I think they approached me. There’s the company Rise that helped with the remodel or who, you know, managed and did the whole remodel of Progressive Field. They approached a bunch of local artists. So there’s a bunch of us who did not only the murals, but a bunch of paintings as well. [ 00:30:54 ] So I did six paintings for them. They’re in the admin building, so they’re not public accessible, although we’ve hinted that we think they should do tours because a lot of other local artists had their art in there as well, which is Stina Aleah, Lisa Quine, Isaiah Starbeing, Glen Infante. There’s a bunch of artists who have their art and murals in that field and in the admin buildings. [ 00:31:22 ] And the mural I did was all about the Guardians and the history and just like giving kind of just that celebratory vibe about, you know, being in that space and celebrating the Guardians. And they also had me do four paintings and they were about barrier breaking moments in the Guardians and baseball history. [ 00:31:46 ] And it was really, really cool. It was about four different men. Like the first one was Larry Doby and he was the first African American player to be in the American leagues. And that was with the Guardians, which is like the coolest thing ever, you know. And then there was other men like Luke Easter, Frank Robinson, he was the first African American man to manage a Major league baseball team. [ 00:32:11 ] And then we had a painting about transitioning the logos from the Indians logo to the Guardians, which is a very, very sensitive thing. That one was very tricky for me to think about because there’s so many different opinions on that. And I just think it’s the coolest thing ever that the Guardians are the. [ 00:32:32 ] I’m pretty sure, unless I’m wrong, they’re the first Major League baseball team to, you know, transition from a logo that, you know, you know, the indigenous cultures did not feel was respectful. Some, some disagree with that, some don’t. But, you know, if something feels disrespectful to anyone, then listen to them and then change it. [ 00:32:56 ] You know, work with them to change it. And I just think it’s the coolest thing ever that, you know, in my mind, Cleveland Guardians did that when, you know, there’s just so much. So much around logos and how important they are and, you know, how important it is to approach them in a respectful way and done in the right way. [ 00:33:17 ] And if someone doesn’t feel like it’s respectful, then change it. Like, it’s. I don’t. You know, it’s not a big deal. You know, it’s important to do not a big deal in that. Why There would be pushback on it. That’s what I mean.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:33:30 ] So do you think creating art in public spaces helps the community grow?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:33:35 ] Yes, absolutely. 100%, a thousand percent. It absolutely helps the community grow. It brings people together. It gives something. Sometimes, you know, communities. We’re in a space right now where there’s so much polarization that community is being threatened, I guess is the right way to say it. Community is kind of always being threatened.[ 00:34:01 ] It takes a lot of energy from people to keep a community together and to.

[Recorder Pause]

Okay.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:34:12 ] So do you think that creating art in public spaces helps the community grow?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:34:17 ] 100%. Yes, it absolutely helps the community grow in so many ways. It, you know, it gives a space for people to connect. You know, we’re in a space right now where we are so polarized. Our culture, our culture, you know, American culture, world, global culture. Like, we’re so polarized, and everything’s about difference. [ 00:34:41 ] You know, everything’s about how someone’s different from you or how this community is different from you. But, like, really, like, there’s way more that we all share and have in common. Like, you know, it’s. Some public art can be a space where people can come together and kind of find common ground. Whether it’s. [ 00:35:00 ] You just live around there, whether you. You both like the color in it, or you both, like, there’s a butterfly in it, or you both, like, you know, the Guardians baseball team. You know, it’s a way to bring people together and find that common ground. And that, as humans, is one of the most important things we can do.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:35:20 ] I know you talked a little bit about your studies and some of your travels. How do your interactions with your. With the community around you, how are they represented in your work? Are they impacted by some of these studies and the travels that you’ve done?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:35:36 ] Absolutely, for sure. I mean, everything impacts me. I would say all artists, but I’ll speak for me, everything impacts me, from the people around me to my travels, to my studies. Even if it’s just like a feeling or A vibe that can affect a painting or a mural I’m working on for me because I love to travel so much. [ 00:35:57 ] My first degree was in sociology. A lot of that was anthropology. And as an artist, I love culture. I love, I love seeing culture and how it can bring people together, whether it’s through language or art or style or even like body language. It’s the most beautiful thing that we can do as humans. [ 00:36:17 ] How we find ways to connect with each other, even like hidden messages within, like how you, you know, what you wear, how you adorn yourself, the language, the words you use. There’s like little ways to find, like, your people and connect with people. I think that’s really beautiful. So, yeah, all, all of that influences my art. [ 00:36:37 ] Everything influences my art.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:36:44 ] Do you have a favorite example of how your own personal story connects to a place that you’ve created public art in?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:36:51 ] My own personal story. I mean, you kind of put, as an artist, you put yourself into everything you do. I would say maybe this is an example of that when I was putting myself. But it’s also connected to putting the community into a mural. Was so one of the alley murals I did in Little Italy when I was working on that, you know, we wanted to have lots of Italian based herbs and foods and flowers and plants. [ 00:37:21 ] And of course I had to have figs on there. And the woman, Hannah from Snakes of Snakes and Acey’s, who has a shop there, we were working on it together. And she was telling me that her dad, you know, her family goes back, I think, four generations in Little Italy. And I think it was four generations ago, someone from Italy, you know, a great, great, great, great family member brought over a fig, a fig plant, you know, or a fig tree or a fig to grow. [ 00:37:48 ] And this family has been growing from that, that fig tree since then. And she was saying that her dad’s prized things were his figs. And he had pictures. His whole camera is filled with pictures of his beloved fig tree and his figs. And she showed me one of those pictures. So I hadn’t finished the mural yet, so I updated the mural and where I had the figs, I completely replaced it with the exact figs and colors and layout from one of his pictures of his prize figs. [ 00:38:16 ] And we did it to surprise him. I wasn’t there, but she showed him and he was just brought to tears. That. And he, you know, in his words, like, now his family is immortalized in Little Italy. And his prized figs are part of this mural in Little Italy. And like all the people you Know, there’s lots of communities and cultures where fig trees are a very important part of their culture. [ 00:38:39 ] And he was just so touched by that. There’s a picture of him in front of the mural, and he’s got, like, tears in his eyes. And that, to me, was like, oh, of course I’ll put his figs in the mural. It’s like, a fun thing, but, like, the depth of meaning that that meant to him.[ 00:38:53 ] And he felt like this connection in Little Italy today that goes back and connects his ancestors going back generations to that space through art, through color and subject matter, is a beautiful thing. And how it affects me personally. As I saw him. Hannah had a shop party, and I saw him two weeks ago, and I pretty much begged shamelessly. [ 00:39:15 ] But he’s gonna give me a sapling of his fig tree because my husband is Lebanese, and fig trees are very important in his culture. We always wanted to have a fig tree in our garden. So now I’m actually gonna get one of those fig trees that goes back generations and connects the cultures, and that’s a cute little example of how that can happen.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:39:35 ] Where in the community can I find your art?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:39:39 ] So Progressive Field. So it’s in the terrace. That’s the one I just finished. It’s in the Terrace Garden Brew hall. It’s on the fourth floor on the left field of Progressive Field. In downtown Cleveland. Another mural I did, I think, was last year. What is in Slavic Village that was part of Destination Cleveland’s murals Across Cleveland. [ 00:40:03 ] Murals in Little Italy. I have a mural on Green Goat, which is downtown. It’s cafe. And the mural I’m starting on next week is. It’s in the canal. It’s the Canal basin, northern trailhead. So it’s in the Flats Canal basin along the towpath. And I’ll be starting that next. It should be done end of May.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:40:26 ] What advice would you give to artists who wish to design creative spaces in their own communities through public art?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:40:32 ] Just start where you are. Just start doing stuff. Just make it happen. Artists, well, all creative people. All people suffer with a lot of imposter syndrome thinking they shouldn’t or can’t start. But you just have to start. Make it happen. Whether you find a free wall, there’s actually a. There’s a thing online you can find it. [ 00:40:57 ] They show where free walls are around the country if you want to do murals. I think the world, it. It just advertises free walls that you can go and paint or you can paint on. Like, my first paintings were on cardboard, you know, My first collection for my first show was all paintings on cardboard. [ 00:41:14 ] You know, if you have a big piece of plywood, you can start playing around with the paints. [ 00:41:18 ] That’s one way for me. The first mural I did in Cleveland was with Artzilla and I did it for free. You know, sometimes you have to, you know, I. All artists, all creatives should be paid. They should be paid, you know, so much. Doing free stuff, you have to be very careful about that because everyone approaches artists for free stuff all the time. [ 00:41:39 ] But if it’s gonna get you, if it’s a cause you believe in and it’s gonna be great marketing, you know, then it’s worth it. You have to like do that balancing act. But yeah, just basically make it happen and keep drawing. That’s the biggest thing with artists. Keep drawing. Have your sketch pad and keep drawing.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:41:57 ] Is there anything else that you wanna add before we wrap up the interview? Any final thoughts, experiences or advice that you think is important for people to know you or about your work?

Kelle Schwab [ 00:42:07 ] I don’t think so. You asked such good questions. I think I was. Yeah. I think the questions were so well thought out and well rounded that, you know, I think I expressed everything, you know, in the right way. So.

Makialani Kanewa-Mariano [ 00:42:19 ] Great. Well, thank you again so much for meeting with me. The time is now 12:56pm I’m going to stop the recorder completing this interview with Kelly. Thank you so much.

Kelle Schwab [ 00:42:28 ] Thank you.