Why She’s Interesting: Lukacsy-Love sees opportunities in overlooked and sometimes grimy places: vacant storefronts, bus shelters and trash piles that wash ashore Lake Erie beaches. But this artist and architect turns her discoveries into public art that highlights issues, such as her Lakefront Literacy Project that encourages parkgoers to read books from a colorful mobile library or the Phone Gallery that uses an abandoned pay phone booth to call attention to budding and established artists.
Move It: Her 13 Bus Stop Move wraps displayed on shelters in five Cleveland neighborhoods have workout instructions from MetroHealth physicians so commuters can exercise in plain clothes while waiting for the bus. Although some people rock squats, most travelers do shoulder rolls and leg lifts to reduce stress and boost energy. “They’re all very simple, almost invisible moves that you can do to just overall improve your health.”
Walk This Way: In September, the city of Euclid community projects manager hosted the suburb’s inaugural art walk. The street became an art show with vacant storefronts getting a lift from 30 window clings made from photos chosen in a local #ThisIsEuclid social media contest. “This art walk was an economic development project — maybe even changing the way people feel about a place. Art can do all of that.”
Cap It Off: During beach cleanups with Adopt-a-Beach volunteers, Lukacsy-Love fills 5-gallon buckets with plastic cigar tips and makes them into art to raise awareness. In 2013, she created a beach scene for Rooms to Let, an art installation in abandoned or foreclosed homes in Slavic Village, by covering the floor in blue cigar tips. Many found it gross, but that was the point. “You recognize that this is problematic, then people are engaged.”
Surf’s Up: Lukacsy-Love and her husband, who own a house in North Collinwood, are always dragging their inflatable kayak down to Lake Erie for a dip. “If I could go to Lake Erie every day, I’d do it.”
Whiz Place: Quirky art is one thing, but urine art? After learning the effects of pee on the patina of metals, the tinkerer — or tinkler — tried it. Lukacsy-Love painted a canvas with 15 percent real copper paint and tinkled. She cut the canvas into dinner plates and silverware and showed it at Waterloo Arts under the aptly titled, You Pee What You Eat. “If your diet is really high in potassium, you can get these beautiful turquoisey colors [on the canvas], but if you eat horribly, like burritos and french fries, you’ll get black.”
Most Interesting People 2017: Allison Lukacsy-Love
The artist and architect keeps us guessing with works using anything from cigar tips to urine.
