Trending
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Retirement works well for Cindy Cunningham.
The former Poland Middle School art teacher has been out of the classroom since 2015 and spends much of her time enriching her life through color, artwork and travel.
"I'm a scavenger," she said during a recent interview at her home. She went on to explain that along with painting and drawing, she enjoys creating works of art with "upcycled" materials that have been repurposed.
One of her favorite materials to work with is Fiesta dinnerware, the colorful ceramic-glazed plates, cups, bowls and pitchers made by Fiesta Tableware Co., which got its start in East Liverpool in the 1800s and is now headquartered in Newell, W.Va.
Cunningham, 66, has three spaces in her home where she works and stores supplies. She calls her art Crackk'd Creations, and participates in area arts and crafts shows, where she sells her work. Other sales come from word of mouth, she said.
Cunningham, a 1975 Canfield High School graduate, said her dad was an engineer and her mom stayed home with her kids. Her brother, Allen Cunningham, of Youngstown, is also an artist, she said.
"My brother and I always had great imaginations," she said, explaining it was her mom who encouraged them to pursue their interests.
Cunningham graduated from Youngstown State University in 1980 with a Fine Arts degree and then pursued a master's degree in art education.
She said she's experienced a lot of loss, which she channels into her work. Her son, Jamie Gahagan, died in 2008 from complications of cerebral palsy. Her dad died in 2021, followed by her mom the next year.
Her husband, Moe Maurice, died at the end of 2022.
Cunningham calls her style of art "eclectic," "eccentric," and rooted in emotion. "I also call it very freeing," she said.
Other hobbies include gardening, reading, volunteering and travel. Countries she's visited include Kenya, Iceland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain. This summer, she's going to Alaska, and in September, Morocco.
"I always like to hit the museums when I go," she said, explaining her travel highlights include seeing the "Mona Lisa" in France, visiting the Vincent van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and seeing the "Garden of Earthly Delights," an oil painting by Renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch.
"I saw that in person in Madrid," she said. "That's one of the highlights of my life."
Cunningham, who has a dog, Benny, and two cats, Lou and Iggy, said she finds inspiration for her work in animals, nature and when she travels with friends.
She's also interested in photography and owns a potter's wheel, and said she'd like to buy a kiln for her pottery work.
Cunningham said her favorite colors are red and blue and her style of art can't be narrowed down as she doesn't follow trends.
"I just do what makes me happy," she said. "I find it very therapeutic to do this."
Cats are a common theme in some of her pieces, and she makes what she calls "voodoo cats," made from muslin that she paints with Gesso, a type of primer used to prepare surfaces for painting.
Cunningham usually participates in the Artists of the Rustbelt show at the B&O Station in Youngstown where she sells items, meets other artists and gets the word out about her creations.
She said she sources materials for projects from flea markets, garage sales and donations.
"Whenever someone gives me something, I'm so grateful and I turn it into something," she said.
To suggest a Saturday profile, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com or Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.