Cleveland City Hall still doesn’t have a portrait of former mayor Dennis Kucinich, as Plain Dealer political columnist Mark Naymik pointed out earlier this month. In response to the news, Cleveland Heights native Yotam Zohar sent Kucinich a letter, offering to take over the commission, free of charge, from Akron artist Matthew Hunt, who’s had the assignment for years.
“I have been a great supporter of your ideas since even before I could vote,” wrote Zohar. “If it would please the committee responsible for the commission of this work, I would happily complete the portrait within a matter of months, asking in return only that my work be remembered as a testament to my support of your leadership and passion for upholding what is right in the human spirit.
“The history of American painting deserves without question to have your memory captured and preserved on canvas. Let’s get this done! Mr. Hunt’s fee could be put to better use enriching the Cleveland community, and somewhere in City Hall, there is an empty wall space that deserves to hold this important documentation of an American visionary.”
On Tuesday, Zohar told Scene that he hasn’t heard from Kucinich.
“When you’re doing this kind of thing, it’s part pipe-dream,” says Zohar. “But you have to be optimistic, because if not, you may as well never be optimistic.” — Damian Guevara
