LOOP looks to capture day in the life Aof region
Trending
LOOP Youngstown is planning a second Day in the LOOP, a public art project capturing a day in the life of the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.
This year's event is scheduled on Sept. 25, and those living in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania are invited to document their surroundings that day through photography, video, writing or any other art form.
It's about a month earlier than last year's "day." Karen Schuber, LOOP's interim director, said the long-term goal is to change the timing annually so that the project documents the dramatic seasonal changes that occur.
Carrie Leonard, LOOP's director of communications and operations, said they received more paintings and drawings than they expected, and she was impressed by the stories creators shared along with their submissions.
"We ask for a caption for all of the visual submissions," Leonard said via email. "Last year, the captions with personal significance often felt more powerful than the ones that only described the location. So this year we're encouraging participants to briefly tell us the story behind their images."
Trumbull and Mahoning counties were well represented the first time, and organizers hope to attract more offerings from the other counties in 2026.
All entries must be created between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Sept. 25. A panel of local artists will evaluate the submissions and select the work that will be displayed and archived on LOOP's website. The 2025 project can be seen at.loopyoungstown.org/a-day-in-the-loop.
This year's curators will be Gail Trunick, a visual artist working in clay and mixed-media sculpture; Katie Passerotti, an educator, author and founder of The Scribbler's Den; and Vash Penn, a photographer and founder of NEUR NetWorks for Creative Entrepreneurs.
Last year's Day in the LOOP drew 75 participants. Leonard would like to double that this year, and Schubert would like to see more people document everyday experiences.
"A big dramatic hilltop sunset is wonderful, but so is a joke in the break room, a teen pulling breakfast from the toaster, a distressed tile mosaic or half-finished mittens still on the needles," Schubert said. "Graphic designer Jim Young created a poster from selected images, and I love how moved people are to see us reflected in this slice-of-life pastiche.
"We are going through some hard things, but we are also surrounded by urban and pastoral beauty, a dramatic landscape and the rich weave of immigrant families and their descendants. While our Valleys tell an American story, it's also uniquely ours."
Feedback from last year's participants was positive.
"So many people told us how much fun they had with this project," Leonard said. "Several people told me they thought it was an important opportunity to highlight the spirit of this community."
Community members are asked to pre-register by Sept. 23 at loopyoungstown.org. A Day in the LOOP is made possible in part by funding provided by The Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley.