Gdzie Idzies, Gdzie Bytes?

Gdzie Idzies, Gdzie Bytes?
Where are you going, where have you been?

I have great pride for the neighborhood in which I was raised – a community that, while founded in strong Polish roots, has developed into an amalgamation of culture. Growing up with a deep connection to my Polish heritage, as well as my pride in Toledo, has compelled me to introspectively question my identity, both as an individual and within my local community. These questions of self-identity vs. “identities within communities” have roots within topics of race, upbringing, social clubs, education, gender, and inclusivity.

Within my own neighborhood, one of the few remaining places where large bodies of citizens still gather to celebrate or create is the Ohio Theater, in the heart of LaGrange St. This theater was thee chosen spot to place a large-scale mural that was collaboratively researched by a list of resident artists and students from my neighborhood, and then created by myself. This collective “dialogue” between other community members and me plays out in the form of an abstract map of LaGrange St., highlighting the important ideas that make up our community identity.

In the creation of this mural, I hope to begin a longer discussion with my neighborhood community about our collective place in Toledo – how we can begin to understand each other and, eventually, work together to help achieve our own goals for bettering ourselves and the neighborhood at large.