Well-known Cleveland music community member and DJ Gregory Hovanec Jr. — AKA DJ Hovaround — passed away suddenly in August of 2022 at the age of 49.
In honor of his memory Gallery 818 in Tremont will be displaying Hovanec’s vast collection of music poster art which he had amassed for the past 20 odd years, proceeds from which will go towards benefiting his family and preserving his massive and impressive record collection.
Barb Merritt, owner operator of 818 and close friend of Hovanec’s, will be providing this unique opportunity to view a wide range of work within the colorful genre of poster art. The opening reception for this exhibition is Friday March 10, 2023, from 6-10 p.m. and is part of the monthly Tremont Walkabout event.
With regard to the title, Merritt shared that Greg was very proud of his collection.
“Greg loved funk, yacht rock, metal, rap, hip hop, classic rock, alt rock, classic country, psychedelic rock and on and on,” said Merritt. “He'd play the songs that would make the room buzz. Somehow, he knew how to get people dancing and singing and talking about music. When people started dancing, he knew his mission had been accomplished.”
Hovanec was a long-time concertgoer, music fanatic and collector of not only records but also tour posters. 818 will have on display 130+ examples of poster art that Greg amassed over the years, many of which are multi-color, limited-edition serigraphs that are out of print and signed by the band or the artist.
“Every chance he got he went to some show,” said Merritt. “He was open-minded about all kinds of music. He continued going to concerts up to the very end. Even when he could barely walk due to a severe back injury. The last show he went to was Peter Hook and the Light in Detroit, two days before his death. Greg felt at home at shows. He loved the communal feeling and pure joy that comes from sharing a live show with others. You know that excitement that permeates an entire crowd all happy and like-minded about whatever band was on stage. This is where he was in his true element.”
Greg’s Ultimate Super Fantastic Poster Show will showcase graphic artists including work by: MunkOne, John Hicks, Jermaine Rogers, Phil Guy and many more. Bands featured in this collection include Ween, Pixies, Dead and Co., Black Keys, and Modest Mouse, to name just a few. Included in the exhibition will also be original works by local artist Jake Kell,y who Hovanec was a big fan of.
“After moving to Cleveland, he quickly became friends with people from a wide range of social circles,” said Merritt. “He was an easy person to get along with and always believed in the power of music. Music created friendships for Greg. It was at my studio above the bank where I dubbed him Hovaround because he played music at one of my openings while wheeling around in an office chair the whole night. He instantly loved the idea of being a DJ and almost immediately started doing sets at Duck Island and Edison’s. This endeavor brought people together and formed lifelong friendships.”
Hovanec grew up in Berea, OH and was the oldest of three kids. He attended Ohio University where he studied Molecular Biology before moving to Cleveland from Athens, Ohio. He DJed all over Cleveland. One of his rules was that he’d play a song for you for a dollar but if you gave him five dollars, he’d stop playing a song.
“For the people that knew Greg, I want them to hold on to the feeling they had when they were with him at a concert or DJ gig,” said Merritt. “I want the best part of Greg to be remembered, and for people to know that it was always about the music for him. For newcomers I want people to see the poster art genre. I want to bring awareness to this unique free form art, and work that is often a pro bono passion project by artists who strive to combine visual art and music effectively in one image. I also want to mention that this is fundraiser event and proceeds go to his family in order to continue to safely store his massive record collection, which was Greg's pride and joy.”
The closing date for this show is TBD but it will only remain on view for a limited time.
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