HELM: His Final Works

HELM, Youngstown Graffiti Artist and Tagger, died recently at the age of 23  as a result of a fall from a bridge while painting. His work illuminated the grim corners of our city. These photos of his paintings were shot in my neighborhood near downtown Youngstown, Ohio.  

To read more about his life click HERE.

  6 x15 feet

  5 x 15 feet

 6 x 20 feet

 5 x 22 feet

5 x 12 feet

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HELM Dead at 23. Youngstown Mourns.

HELM, the notorious Youngstown graffiti artist and tagger is dead at the age of 23 as a result of a fall from a bridge while painting. He is being mourned across the city by skaters, artists and lovers of Youngstown street culture. Facebook is abuzz with sad sentiments from fans as I write this.

HELM's work can be seen throughout the region known as New Youngstown (the corridor between Gypsy and Belle Vista), in prime locations on bridges, vacant buildings and in alleys.  It is rumored that HELM's hideout was in an abandoned building in the upper Wick neighborhood. 

During the summer and fall of 2013 an infamous battle raged

between HELM and OG that grew ugly, even by Youngstown standards. As the months passed, the drama increased tremendously and there was community outrage. The police intervened, forcing OG to flee the scene and leaving HELM as the undisputed master of the streets and the Night.

Youngstown has thriving modeling and video production industries. Because of HELM's image quality and his choice of aesthetic locations, these industries have included his work in thousands of photos and dozens of video productions. Some of the most beautiful women from northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania have been photographed in conjunction with HELM's graffiti.

So to HELM, Youngstown bids you fond fair-well. May your next life be filled with artistic endeavors and may you find it as enriching as your life in our city. Even as the elements fade your paintings, they will still live on in our hearts and internet modeling portfolios for many years to come.

Photos Of HELM's Work

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Mural News

 The mural "Ohio Song" is 6x4 feet and is an acrylic on canvas.

During the Autumn of 2014 it was purchased by Columbia Gas for their new corporate headquarters in downtown Columbus, Ohio. 

Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, downtown Columbus, handled the sale.

 Ohio Song originated as a community mural project. A group of great kids helped me paint it at the John J. McDonough Museum of Art as part of the Town Hall Project in 2012.

 In the Autumn of 2103, the mural was a featured piece in my solo exhibition, "Feathers and Fenceposts" at Fresh A.I.R Gallery. State Representative Robert Hagan and State Representative Michael Foley attended the opening.

 The Summer of 2014 brought the inaugural opening of Nove Gatto Gallery (now 'M' Gallery) at the Erie Terminal building in downtown Youngstown with Ohio Song as a featured work.

As part of my ongoing advocacy efforts for artists with mental disabilities, Ohio Song graced the cover of the Spring 2014 Issue of NAMI Ohio Magazine.

State Representative Mike Foley and State Representative Robert Hagan. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery Opening. Downtown Columbus.

Ohio Song. Mural. Acrylic on Canvas. 6x4 Feet. 2012.

The new Columbia Gas corporate headquarters, downtown Columbus, where the mural now resides.

Ohio Song. Cover Art. NAMI Ohio Magazine. Spring 2014 Issue.

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Hilton Art Auction

  About a year ago my work was featured in a Gala Art Auction at the beautiful Hilton in downtown Columbus. The sale of the original woodcut titled 'Great Horned Owl' benefitted Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, a nonprofit art venue that exhibits the work of those that have been touched by mental illness and substance abuse.

 It was great night, with about 700 people attending.  The lovely and talented Ms. Courtney Waskin accompanied me.

 Participation in the Art of Recovery Gala Art Auction is part of my ongoing advocacy for mentally disabled artists. The next auction will be happening soon and I plan on donating a large oil painting to the event.

My woodcut on stage, up for auction.

Great Horned Owl. Hand Colored Woodcut. 20x16 Inches.

Ms. Courtney Waskin






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Nea Bristol Retrospective/Oakland Center for the Arts/Youngstown, Ohio

Once again, Nea Bristol presents Youngstown with a fine show of work, encapsulating nearly her entire career as a film and digital photographer. The work is cutting edge, both in content and technique. Thanks to the Oakland Center for the Art's Star Gallery for hosting this excellent exhibit. Show ends November 6th, 2010.

Guests enjoying the show:

Cinder/Susanne Slavick/ McDonough Museum

Once again, the McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown Ohio, brings to our community another outstanding exhibition by an internationally recognized, award winning artist. Entitled "Cinder", this show of work by Susanne Slavick is contemporary, cutting edge and profound. Dealing with issues of War, History and the clashes between East and West, Slavick's work presents complex and controversial issues with a sense of beauty and poetry through the combined use of digital photography and hand painted images.  

This is a very large show, filling 2 entire floors of the museum. The sizes range from the small and intimate to the extremely large and overwhelming. The largest work (approximately 6 foot by 9 foot) is a multi-panel image depicting a life size vehicle that is blast and bullet ridden.

The curatorial staff did a fine job of presenting this show. Having worked as a museum curator, I can attest that a show of this size and scope offers many challenges, and the staff certainly rose to the occasion. Despite the sometime harsh imagery and complex messages, I was able to digest all that was being offered without feeling confused or imposed upon.

I give the McDonough Museum a tremendous amount of credit for remaining a credible and relevant voice for the Contemporary Arts in our community. It is an asset that becomes even more valuable as our city receives international recognition. I would venture to say that no other art institution in our region is willing to take the risks that the McDonough has taken to promote the Contemporary Arts!

Click here to access the McDonough Museum website. When there click on "Exhibitions" to access further information on the Slavick show, including the Artist Statement and her website.

Click hear to read a great Vindicator article about the McDonough Museum and the Slavick Show.

Patrick Hyland at the Star Gallery

Patrick Hyland, long time favorite son of the Youngstown art scene, will be showing a body of recent work at the Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, in conjunction with the near sold out theater performance, "How the Drag Queen Stole Christmas".

The work in this show may not be quite what collectors of Mr. Hyland's work would expect. Known for his photographs of dramatic landscapes, this show, in contrast, features abstracted images of geological formations. Strange faces  and other body parts emerge from rocky surfaces, much in the same vein as a Rorchache Test. Nearly everyone who has entered the gallery is taken aback not only by the  bold images themselves but how their minds blatantly interpret what is being perceived. At the very least it makes for entertaining conversation. At the most, one is left with a profound sense of unease and self questioning. Without going in to great detail, let's just say that in some strange way, this show, with it's Freudian implications, certainly fits well with the gender bending theme of the theater performance.......!