Vintage paper art
Some of it is nostalgia, some is Cleveland pride, some is an appreciation for the art. But no matter where Paper Cutz owners Shari Escott and Cathy Strauss show their vintage paper collages, the reaction is the same. "People just stand there and stare," says Escott. They look deep into her skylines, landmarks and figures - searching. They're trying to find the Higbee's, Halle Bros. Co. and May Co. names that Escott has clipped from matchbook covers or vintage editions of The Cleveland Press, Cleveland News and The Plain Dealer. But they're also tracing memories. "They're like, Oh my god, I remember this," she says. "Everyone has a story." Escott and Strauss do too. The best friends have been crafting together for years. When they attended the Cleveland Flea last November, they brought book-page wreaths, paper flowers and about 20 original collage designs. They only had one Cleveland item, though, a skyline created on a whim. "People were just insane over it," she says. Now, Escott makes an original 40-by-19-inch skyline ($350) for every show. Using tiny scissors, tweezers and old-fashioned glue, she's also recreated the West Side Market, Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Euclid Beach Park. Those now sell as prints ($20-$27). "We had no idea people were Cleveland crazy," says Escott. "We're just two moms." 216-965-4014, papercutz.co
