LISBON, Ohio – When Mark Hamilton opened Source Gallery on the square four years ago, it was part of an effort to have a long-term impact for both artists and the community.

“The whole idea was to start developing the arts in Lisbon,” Hamilton said of his “retirement” project. “I always said when I first opened this, I want it to become a destination for the area.”

The Source Gallery currently features more than 50 mostly local artists, crafters, jewelers, sculptors and other makers, giving them a place to showcase and sell their work.

Paintings in several mediums, sculptures, photography, steampunk creations, ceramics, woodworking and textile arts are among the many artistic endeavors found in the shop.

Hamilton also offers professional custom framing for those who already have a treasured piece but want to display it. Framing is a skill he learned early in his career.

He said he is satisfied with his return to the art field from a varied career that included historical reconstruction and website management, as well as corporate work. 

Hamilton renovated a building he already owned to create a gallery people might expect to see in a larger city.

Despite not always living in the Lisbon area, Hamilton has a lifelong connection to the local arts community. He has brought the work of talented friends and newly discovered artists into the Source Gallery.

He meets additional artists by networking at gatherings in the Mahoning Valley, such as the Youngstown State University Festival of the Arts and events at The Butler Institute of American Arts. And though there are other art galleries between Lisbon and Lake Erie, they support – rather than compete against – each other.

When he finds time, Hamilton travels throughout the area visiting other galleries, and he said people come from a 50-mile radius – Akron, Canton and Pittsburgh – to see the artists on display in his shop.

But not everyone in the Lisbon area has the opportunity to travel to see art, and Hamilton believes incorporating the arts into the community is important to economic and population growth.

A study was done a few years ago on how to develop Lisbon, and Hamilton said one of the takeaways was that while issues such as infrastructure, jobs and housing are beyond the control of many of those looking to bring about change, a focus on the arts, outdoor recreation and the history of Lisbon was actionable.

The historical brick buildings in Lisbon and the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail passing through the edge of town attract visitors. Hamilton and others hope the arts also will spread throughout the community.

To that end, Hamilton said a nonprofit group – the Lisbon Arts Initiative – has been formed to create several events to foster a love of the arts in the area. The initial offering is the launch of Art Building Community Developing Expression from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 28 at the New Lisbon Presbyterian Church.

The ABCDE workshop will give students in grades K-5 a chance to learn and expand their experiences in the arts as they participate in experimental workshops taught by local artists. A dance workshop will be taught by Christine Martin, owner of Leap of Faith Dance Studio at the Trinity Playhouse and a choreographer for productions by Stage Left Players in Lisbon. Paul Dahman, Stage Left’s master teacher, will orchestrate the improv class.

Debbie Fonner, retiring music teacher at Lisbon’s McKinley Elementary, will lead a music class, and Barbara Schmidt, a retired art teacher from East Liverpool Schools and owner of Warm HeARTs Studio in Columbiana, will teach visual arts.

Hamilton said the inaugural initiative is sponsored through the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that works to strengthen the arts in local communities.

Events like ABCDE are a way to get more children exposed to the arts, help them find their artistic voice or medium and cultivate a love of the arts. More events are planned in the area to bring those who love the arts into Lisbon.

Hamilton would like to see chalk drawing artists working in the square, which is the site of a farmers market held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays during the warmer months.

The Lisbon Arts Initiative also plans to sponsor an artists contest at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in September.

Lisbon Mayor Peter Wilson said the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce also held its first Concert on the Square this past weekend, which included a motorcycle event sponsored by Youngstown Cycle and Speed. But there is a long list of events upcoming in Lisbon this summer.

Additional concerts will be held June 21, July 26 and Aug. 16. On July 3, Lisbon will have a public fireworks show for the first time in more than 50 years at an event at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds. That celebration will include bands, entertainment and games.

The Columbiana County Fair, which annually draws crowds from across the county and beyond, is slated for July 28-Aug. 3 this year.

And in neighboring Columbiana, Hamilton is helping with Art in Her Heart – the Idabelle Firestone Fine Art Show and Sale planned for Aug. 23. Artists are eligible to display their 2D and 3D work within tents at Firestone Park.

Hamilton also designed a large sculpture for the new pollinator garden added at Firestone Park, and he collaborated with Zachary Strong of Welding Improvement Co., who created the design of birds, bees and butterflies out of metal.

Pictured at top: Mark Hamilton, owner of Source Gallery in Lisbon.