“LOCKS of Love” finds new home
All press is good press. If you’ve been paying attention to the local news abuzz over the happenings in the Waterloo Arts District, you’d know that 2014 is a year of great press.
On March 7th, 2014 LOCKS of Love, from Waterloo launched with a free public event held in Mac’s Lock Shop on Waterloo Road. This event was made possible through the generous support of The Kresge Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, and Northeast Shores Development Corporation.
A large crowd flooded Mac’s from 5-9pm on an unusually warm late winter’s evening to hand stamp their initials, name, or other short message into the body of an outmoded, non-TSA approved luggage lock. These locks were then affixed to an expanded mesh and plaster sculpture, currently on display in Mac’s alongside an upcycled key mobile titled “Keys to the Street”.
A re-opening of LOCKS will take place during the next “Walk All Over Waterloo”, the monthly first Friday art crawl. Join neighbors and fellow artists at the new and final location: a chainlink fence down the street from Mac’s, in front of the Zaller Building and the Waterloo Sculpture Garden.
The unveiling of the completed lock sculpture created by dozens of people throughout March - including FOX8’s Kenny Crumpton who featured LOCKS on his morning show “Kickin’ It With Kenny” on March 24th, 2014 - will coincide with another opportunity to contribute to the art scene on Waterloo Road.
Stop by the fence at the corner of E160th and Waterloo Road from 6-8pm on Friday, May 2nd to view the lock sculpture and affix a lock of your own to the fence. Small painted luggage locks will be available to the first 50 people to draw or write a message. Locks and permanent markers will be supplied.
In addition, you are encouraged to bring a painted or engraved lock of your own creation and attach it to the fence on May 2nd or anytime (day or night!) thereafter. Any combination or padlock of reasonable size is permitted to be locked to the fence. Please refrain from inappropriate images or language as this is a public installation. Locks deemed unsuitable for display will be removed and scrapped.
Since the original event, LOCKS was featured on Cleveland.com and FOX8’s Morning Show. It also caught the attention of a shop in Brooklyn, New York which fabricates custom engraved “love” padlocks which are typically purchased as wedding or anniversary presents. “Make Love Locks” kindly donated over $700 worth of locks. Each of the twenty locks contains one letter boldly spelling “LOCKS of Love Waterloo”. Along with a locally fabricated aluminum sign, these locks will indentify Waterloo’s newest interactive public art piece.
The notion of attaching locks to a structure mimics a project started in Paris where lovers come to place locks on the Arts Bridge, symbolizing a permanent connection. It has been replicated around the world, but never in Cleveland. What better place than the Waterloo Arts District?
Be sure to digitally tag your creation on social media using the hashtag #lockslovewaterloo and #ThisisWaterloo. Visit our Facebook page, “LOCKS of love, from Waterloo” for more information and event updates.
Allison Lukacsy
Allison is a North Collinwood resident, artist, and neighborhood cheerleader excited to be part of the revitalization of the Waterloo Arts District.