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We're always looking for more:

• Monthly comic submissions
• Poetry and short stories
• Photographs you've taken

Send us something monthly, and it could end up here! [email protected]

Who is The Scribe's Mascot?

Seshat is an ancient Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. She appears as a woman wearing a distinctive headdress featuring a seven-pointed star or flower and what resembles horns or antlers. As the divine scribe and record-keeper, Seshat fulfills several important roles in Egyptian mythology.

She serves as the goddess of writing, record keeping, accounting, and mathematics, making her the patron of scribes, libraries, and archives. Seshat is considered the inventor of writing and is responsible for recording the reigns of pharaohs and their achievements.

READ MORE ABOUT SESHAT AND THE OTHER EGYPTIAN GODS! the-scribe.org/gods

Our Office Has Moved!

Our office has moved, and our new mailing address is as follows:

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Any mail or donations sent to our old mailing address will be returned to sender. Please update your records.

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Apollo Press

"Fire Hydrant" - Andrea Clarkson

The Scribe™ is a monthly arts publication that is created and published under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Apollo Press.

It is the first Ohio-wide visually-designed arts newspaper! Stocked in locations without paywalls for our readers, The Scribe™ makes Ohio art visible and accessible to the public.

SUPPORT THE SCRIBE!

The Scribe™ needs your support to showcase Ohio art! Consider stocking, donating, or sponsoring this publication!

Jeffrey Darah President and Editor 419-470-9489 [email protected]

Dylan Sarieh Manager and Editor 567-277-5659 [email protected]

Audrey Johnson Community Partner

Olivia Mitchem Volunteer

Jessica Malone: Capturing Beauty

By Sheila McLaughlin

Who is Jessica Malone?

"I've been through transformations that shaped me into the photographer, educator, and human I am today," says Jessica. She began experimenting with self-portraits in 2009 and soon booked her first wedding shoot. After earning her master's in education in 2015, she moved into teaching and public speaking. In 2026, she will take the stage as a keynote speaker at WPPI, one of the world's largest photography conferences in Las Vegas.

Her goal will be to educate other artists on becoming monetarily successful despite the cliché that a career in the arts means a life of struggle. "I'd like to eradicate the phrase 'starving artist' from our lexicon in society," Jessica explains.

Chasing What Inspires

Jessica's ability to inspire feels wholesome and grounded in truth from a path she's walked personally. "I was an accidental light bulb moment didn't happen. I just followed what lights you up. That's your compass."

For three seasons now, Jessica has produced her "40 over 40" project, a collection of portraits and interviews encouraging women over the age of forty to exist in the media, in photos, and in their community. After capturing over 120 women, she has found women share a general belief.

"It gets better with age. I believe life really begins for women in their forties. You hear stories from the world that once in your forties, you're put out to pasture. You've had your wedding photos, your maternity photos, now you're hiding behind a belly and family.

When do you allow the photos of just you? The truth is, one day people are going to look for photos of you... The truth is, the photographs is not only from a vintage appeal, but the raw beauty we hold despite what life has thrown at us.

Framing the Future

Three years in the making is her eighteen-card tarot deck shoot. Portraits are conducted in representation of various tarot cards. A project she is hoping to complete by this October. She also has another "40 over 40" project projected for the spring of 2026. Jessica's plan is to expand her studio and business, downtown Gallipolis, Ohio to a space capable of hosting workshops and courses meant to inspire and educate other photographers.

[Advertisement: Quick Scroll - Photographer highlighting women's stories beyond forty, redefining beauty and success. jessicamaloneportrait.com]

Artistic Freedom: Marilyn Shaker

Bringing Nature's Depth to Life

For more than 40 years, Ohio artist Marilyn Shaker has been passionate about paintings, applying her craft and creativity in painting these stunning works of art. Her work is a vibrant expression of nature's depth of color, light and texture; created to take the eye beyond what is seen and to draw out the hidden colors in nature; colors that give her work vibrancy and beauty.

Marilyn's floral paintings are a natural transition from a successful career in commercial and residential floral design after training under renowned designer Bill Hixon. Her hands-on work has allowed her to paint with much depth and detail.

Beyond her floral design career, she studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, and The Lighthouse School of Art in Florida. She attributes much of her inspiration to her longtime mentor, Charles Gruppe.

Life as the Artist Sees It

While residing in Jupiter, Florida, Marilyn was captivated by the light, color, and sifting layers of sky and sea. Her seascape paintings are an expression of this natural beauty.

Her work has appeared in many East Coast galleries and earned awards in juried shows. From private collections to corporate spaces, Marilyn's art is valued by collectors and admirers alike.

QUICK SCROLL

From arrangement design to paintings, this Ohio oil artist captures the light and natural beauty of flowers.

🌐 marilynshaker.com

Artomatic 419 Returns to Toledo's Erie Street Market

An Open Canvas for Toledo

Step inside Erie Street Market this September and you'll find more than one hundred artists transforming the space into something entirely their own. Walls will be covered in paintings, stages filled with live performances, and corners buzzing with experiments that defy easy labels. Artomatic 419 has never been about polished perfection. It thrives on giving creators room to take risks and connect with people who may be seeing their work for the very first time.

Admission is free for audiences, and artists participate without fees in this non-juried exhibition. Creatives of all experience levels are able to take part, from those showing their work for the first time to those with many years of practice. A committee of over twenty local artists, advocates, and enthusiasts help organize the event and keep it rooted in Toledo's creative community.

The Partnerships That Make It Possible

Behind the scenes, the Arts Commission works with a wide circle of supporters to ensure the doors stay open and the admission remains free. The Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts provide essential cultural and financial backing, while local partners such as Owens Corning, KeyBank, Lucas County, the City of Toledo, The University of Toledo, The Toledo Free Press, mADE Architects and IBC Properties contribute the resources needed to bring the event to life for the Toledo community.

Thanks to this support, the Erie Street Market becomes a hub for new art and new relationships. As artist and committee member Amy Beeler explains, "The event and the atmosphere it creates are inspirational and lively, filled with the passion that each artist shares with their community."

THE BULLETIN

Easy exposure. 200+ venues. Thousands of eyes.

Your space to share your artist calls and opportunities! No design needed! | First come, first served Some listings are unpaid. Placements noted. Names/logos used for identification only.

Call for Artists

• 2025 Euclid Art Walk
• Massillon Community Arts Council
• Deadline: September 6, 2025
• $35 booth fee
• Artists, musicians, and creatives

the-scribe.org/euclid 216-289-8154

Call For Art

• CHROMA Vol. 2: A Showcase of Color
• White Rabbit Galleries
• Deadline: September 10, 2025
• All mediums and subjects accepted, originals preferred

the-scribe.org/chroma

Your Announcement Here!

• Who are you looking for?
• What location?
• Eligibility? Fees?
  • Extra info? Add it here!
  • Deadlines?
  • Anything else?

yourwebsite.com 419-555-1234

Call for Exhibitions

• National Collage Society
• 41st Annual Juried Exhibit
• DL: September 15, 2025
• Fee: $15

the-scribe.org/collage

Call for Entries

• Tri-C
• The Community Art Show
• DL: September 15, 2025
• 2D works 24 in. or smaller

the-scribe.org/tric

Put Your Call in 200 Locations Across Ohio!

Share your call for artists, gallery event, or community art opportunity with a statewide audience. No design required, just send us the details and we handle the formatting.

Standard Listing - $65

• Up to 4 lines of text
• Clean, simple layout
• Included in print + digital editions
• Great for quick calls, classes, or simple announcements

Premium Listing - $150

• Up to bold 6 lines of text
• Stand-out placement and coloring
• Included in print + digital editions
• Perfect for top visibility: major calls, juried shows, and top exhibitions

Limited space available, reserve early at [email protected]

Heather McCormick’s “Big Big Energy”

Art and Life: Both Messy and Full of Color

Heather McCormick is a lifelong Cleveland native who discovered her artistic calling through personal adversity. She lives with her adult daughter Claudia, who works as a woodworker and textile artist, and her senior cat Serendipity.

Entrepreneurial Journey

In 2019, Heather opened a family center in Northeast Ohio on National Make a Friend Day. The center featured original curriculum and music from local artists, with a mission to create employment opportunities for single mothers. During its brief operation, she successfully hired two single mothers and served over 1,100 children and families before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure after just one year.

Healing Through Creation

Following the loss of her business, Heather McCormick found healing through art. She works primarily in mixed media and intuitive art forms, including intuitive henna. Her approach to creation is uninhibited and physical, often sitting directly in her work and embracing the messiness of the creative process. She describes her style as creating “like a cavewoman,” with each piece infused with what she calls “Big Big Energy.”

[Image Caption: QUICK SCROLL Native Clevelander helps others smile with art, color, and joy through her life. @kindmindart O kindmindart.com]

SESHAT'S CALENDAR

View our online calendar at the-scribe.org/calendar

Want your event highlighted here and online? Get featured for only $75! - Sponsored Events Send us your event info: [email protected]

TOLEDO

September 8-13 @ 20 North Gallery Waxing Philosophic Exhibit

September 11, 5-7pm @ River House Arts Intersection of Art and Industry

September 13, 3-8pm @ Toledo Museum of Art Block Party

September 13, 3-5pm @ Just Toledo Visible Mending Workshop

September 27-28 @ Glass City Metropark Muddy Maumee Book and Art Festival

COLUMBUS

September 1 @ Northam Park Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival

September 4-28 @ Short North Stage

September 12 @ Goodale Park Screen on the Green

September 21 @ Makoy Event Center Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

CLEVELAND

September 5 @ Maltz Performing Arts Center Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons

September 5 @ Cleveland Museum of Art MIX: 90s Homecoming

September 6, 12-5pm @ Storer Ave & 50th Street Art Garden Festival

September 6-27 @ Connor Palace Theater The Notebook

September 20-21, 12-5pm @ Lincoln Park Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival

CINCINNATI

September 9-21 @ Aronoff Center Back to the Future

September 12-20 @ Wash Park Art Gallery The Kaplan New Works Series

September 12-14 @ Music Hall Troupe Vertigo: Cirque España!

Thru September 21 @ Cincinnati Art Museum Farm to Table: Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

September 27, 7-11pm @ Contemporary Arts Center Talk Low Music Festival

Creating Joy: Liz Raymond

Wild Beauty in Resin

Liz Raymond creates mixed media artwork under the brand Wildflower & Flora. She specializes in non-toxic resin pieces that preserve real Ohio wildflowers, transforming them into wearable art and wall displays. Her work includes earrings, necklaces, hairclips, bolo ties, and badge reels.

Art of Foraging and Preservation

Liz forages flowers from gardens, roadsides, ditches, and common areas throughout Ohio. She presses the flowers herself using watercolor paper and cardboard. This watercolor paper helps absorb moisture better than traditional methods and reduces mold risk.

Each resin piece requires a week to complete. The flowers must be layered carefully to prevent them from sinking or floating before the resin sets. Every arrangement is unique, creating what she calls "Flower Joy" for her customers.

Connection, Passion, and Creativity

Liz discovered her artistic passion later in life but now feels she has found her calling in creating art. She aims to provide viewers with a unique experience through her flower-based artwork, connecting people through the natural beauty of preserved wildflowers.

QUICK SCROLL

Ohio floral artist displayed at Global Gallery (Clintonville), Salt Fork Crafts & Arts Festival (Cambridge), and The Sauerkraut Festival (Waynesville, Oct 10-11 2025).

[@naturallyliz11]

M. Chappuies Conversations Through Paint

Martin's Life Beyond the Canvas

Martin Chappuies works as a painter creating representational art in watercolors and oils. He maintains a day job as an Interventional Radiology Technologist at a local hospital in Toledo, where he assists physicians with medical procedures. Chappuies lives in south Toledo near Maumee's Side Cut Metro Park on the Maumee River. This location provides him with landscape inspiration, while downtown Toledo offers architectural subjects for his urban paintings.

Shaped by Mentors and Memberships

Chappuies holds signature memberships in the Ohio Watercolor Society and Whiskey Painters of America. He also belongs to the Toledo Artist Club. His artistic education began with classes at the Toledo Museum of Art and The Common Space of Toledo, where he studied under nationally recognized Laura McCreery Jordan.

A Philosophy of Light and Form

Over thirty years of painting, Chappuies has developed a focus on nature and architecture, using light and shadow to guide viewers through his compositions. He applies traditional elements and principles of design while interpreting scenes in his personal style. His goal is creating paintings that convey peace and invite viewers into what he describes as a conversation with the artwork.

QUICK SCROLL

Hospital technologist paints watercolor landscapes and architecture, earning signature memberships and national recognition for over thirty years.

the-scribe.org/martin

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Catching back up with previously featured artists!

DEANNA TAYLOR - 10th Edition - IG: @dtaylorsart

I've been working on using more specialized paints with effects, alcohol inks and some more florals to add to all my nature themed artwork. In this piece I'm sharing with you today I used metallic golds with beautiful blue colors to bring some white roses to life. I wish it showed better in a photo. I used paint bubbles (fun to create) on this piece to create a unique background effect. Just one of the new things I'm trying in my paintings. I love taking new techniques and trying them out in my style. I have some pieces in Gallery 317 in Bryan, Ohio as well as All Art Works in Grand Rapids, Mi. You can also contact me directly on my facebook or instagram sites at DTaylors Art.

JILLIAN RENEE - 6th Edition - IG: @jillianreneeart

Toiling away in my home-studio making tiny paintings, I've been expanding my art business into full time work and it has been an exhilarating journey. This past October I held my first-ever solo exhibition at Blockfort Gallery; the exhibition was titled ‘Small Moments’ and included 103 of my original tiny paintings in handmade frames (ranging from 1-inch paintings all the way up to 7 inches). I'm incredibly honored to share that I was one of 19 Columbus-based artists selected for the Emerging Artist program with the Columbus Art Fest this year!

I had the best time meeting new friends, collectors and fans of tiny art! I also participated in the Worthington Arts Festival and in September I will have a booth at the Upper Arlington Labor Day Art Festival. I currently have representation in downtown Columbus with Hammond Harkins Galleries. This past year has taught me that even tiny art can make a huge impact; I'm looking forward to more opportunities to share my art and help make life a ~little~ more colorful.

Ben Young: Moments on Canvas

A Painter Shaped by Emotion and Memory

Benjamin J. Young began painting in late 2023, with only a single middle school art class behind him. Watercolor quickly became his main medium, with occasional ventures into oil. His style often moves toward narrative realism, and many people have noticed echoes of Andrew Wyeth in the work.

For Young, technique comes second to feeling. A painting matters most if it moves the viewer in some way. Drawing on personal memories and difficult experiences, he uses atmosphere and detail to shape images that tell stories without words. Each piece creates a moment where emotion and resilience meet on paper.

Stories in Paint, From Humor to Solitude

Benjamin J. Young often turns his own history into subjects for his paintings. Some carry lighthearted moments drawn from family life, while others recall the discipline and frustration found in competitive sports. He also creates quieter pieces that lean into solitude or change, using tone and atmosphere to suggest the emotions behind each scene.

Since starting to paint, Young has exhibited in juried shows across Ohio, including with the Ohio Watercolor Society, Summit Artspace, and the Massillon Community Arts Council. His work has already earned honorable mentions and featured artist recognition.

[Advertisement: A section with the title "QUICK SCROLL" and text describing a realist painter from Appalachia, Ohio, who transforms memory and resilience into vivid watercolor scenes. It includes social media handles and a website.]

Kim McAninch's One Passionate Vision

Ohio Roots to Florida Studio

Kim McAninch was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and grew up in Bay Village. She studied Surface Pattern Design at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she met her husband. For 17 years, she designed wallpaper and fabric for Imperial Wallcoverings in Beachwood, creating everything from vinyl tablecloths to carpet. The couple moved to Pittsburgh in 2012, then to sunny Sarasota, Florida in 2018.

Art That Travels the Globe

Kim is an award-winning member of the National Association of Women Artists. Her paintings have been featured in major solo exhibitions at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Pennsylvania, Preservation Hall in Massachusetts, and the Alliance for the Arts in Florida. Collectors worldwide purchase her work through online platforms like Saatchi Art.

Paint, Passion, and Process

Working with pencil, oil pastels, ink, acrylic, and oil paint, Kim creates landscapes both real and imagined. She uses the horizon as her organizing tool while keeping scale and location mysterious. This freedom allows her to use color in unexpected ways. Her work moves between realistic and abstract styles, inspired by artists Milton Avery and Pierre Bonnard. She focuses on creating inviting spaces that encourage viewers to enter her painted worlds.

QUICK SCROLL

Award-winning designer turned painter creates imaginative landscapes, exhibiting globally from Pennsylvania museums to Florida galleries.

kimmcaninch.com

Amy Draper's Abstract Energy

Finding Freedom in Paint

Amy Draper discovered her passion for art at six years old when she received her first easel and paint set for Christmas. Although she later spent many years drawing, a high school assignment to "paint something real" redirected her path. Unhappy with her first attempt, she carried the canvas home and used her stepfather's brush to cover it in loose, energetic strokes.

The finished piece looked like a tie-dyed shirt, and creating it left her exhilarated in a way she had never experienced before. Her classmates loved the work, and one even asked to buy it, but the teacher gave her a poor grade for not following instructions. That moment set her on the course of abstract painting, a style she has continued to pursue ever since.

Color, Community, and New Directions

Amy Draper paints with acrylics in bold, layered colors, drawing inspiration from Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo. She has exhibited her work locally at Georgette's Coffee Shop and the Maumee Library Gallery. For two years in the Arts Commission's Art in Public Places program on a signal box downtown. Now launching Soleil Lune Artworks, Draper is expanding her practice to include paintings, prints, and hemp jewelry, with a Facebook page and a booth planned at The Thrifty Hippie in Maumee.

QUICK SCROLL

A Toledo artist creating vibrant abstract paintings that blend bold color with energy and a strong sense of community.

@aymee.renee the-scribe.org/soleillune

Folk Art to Fine Art: Jane Vargo

Early Creative Roots

Jane's endeavors in art began in the 1970s while being a stay-at-home mom. She ventured into several local oil painting classes through the Oregon Clay School system and neighboring artists. Throughout the 1980s, while raising three sons and working full-time, she and her husband created crafts which they sold under the name of Folk Art (her last name at that time) at the Country Gathering craft shows held in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Her husband crafted benches, shelves, quilt racks, and numerous small items, while Jane painted them all using acrylic Folk Art and Toledo Artist methods.

Balancing Family, Career, and Art

As she raised her sons and worked full-time as an administrative assistant for The Andersons, Inc. and Aeroquip Corp. Through the 1990s and into the 2000s, youngest son left for college, she returned to painting as a hobbyist, focusing on watercolor. For five years, she created many works, often with floral subjects and Santa Claus themes. In 2021, she studied painting fundamentals under artist Paul Brand at the Toledo Artist Club, continuing her artistic growth.

A New Chapter at the YMCA

In 2022, after retirement and years of helping raise six grandchildren, Jane began water therapy at the Wolf Creek YMCA, where she discovered the art program. She joined a drawing class, then acrylic painting, and eventually the advanced art class. Under instructor Heather Nel, she refined her camaraderie and lasting friendships. Today, Jane continues painting at the YMCA, combining creativity with community.

QUICK SCROLL

Stay-at-home mom turned folk artist evolved through decades of creative growth into accomplished fine art painter.

Karen Miraldi's Artistic Awakening

Roots of Creativity and Early Inspirations

Karen Miraldi discovered art as her primary form of expression during childhood, using color and texture to explore the world around her. At seventeen, a transformative year in Kenya set her on a healing journey that would shape her artistic and spiritual path for decades to come.

From Law and Family to an Artist's Calling

Before becoming a full-time artist, Karen worked as an attorney and took time to raise two children who now pursue creative careers. She eventually transitioned to her true calling, establishing an art studio overlooking Lake Erie while training as a transformational life coach.

"...intuitive artwork designed to generate light and expand consciousness"

A Layered Process of Color, Intuition, and Light

Karen creates abstract, intuitive artwork designed to generate light and expand consciousness. She works primarily with water-based media, collage, and encaustics, maintaining a free and layered creative process. Her pieces draw inspiration from global travels and experiences in Kenyan coastal villages and the French countryside.

HEARTFULLY LIVING®

Through her branded practice, Karen combines artistic creation with intuitive painting, energy healing, and transformational coaching. She facilitates experiential workshops and Soul Circles that blend art, spirituality, and personal development. Her mission focuses on helping others reconnect with their creative abilities and live authentically.

QUICK SCROLL

Transformational artist combines abstract painting with energy healing to help others reconnect with their creative power. @karenmiraldi karenmiraldi.com

We Make Art Visible

The Scribe is the first Ohio-wide, visually-designed arts newspaper!

Each month, 4,000 public copies reach over 200 libraries, galleries, cafes, and businesses across Ohio without paywalls, subscriptions, or gatekeeping.

Art connects, inspires, and transforms. Help us make it accessible to all.

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Join our growing list of sponsors and partners!

Toledo Museum of Art

THE PORTAL

Martin D. Porter Gallery

In Retrospect: The TSA Years Lydia Horvath September 5 - September 26 Reception Event: FREE September 19 | 6-8pm

Glass Studio

Scan the code below to register for one of our fused glass studio sessions.

Who is "The Head"?

Atum was one of the most important creator gods in ancient Egyptian mythology, particularly in the religious center of Heliopolis. According to Egyptian creation myths, Atum emerged from the primordial waters of chaos, called Nun, as the first divine being. He was believed to have created himself through his own will and power, earning him the title "the self-created one." As the first god, Atum then created the next generation of deities by producing Shu (god of air) and Tefnut (goddess of moisture) from his own body, either through spitting, sneezing, or other bodily acts depending on the version of the myth. These two gods then gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), continuing the divine family tree.

Atum was often depicted as a man wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, symbolizing his role as a universal ruler.

He's above all the other Ancient Egyptian Gods!