Local artists Ron Copeland and Dave Desimone have been to cities like Buffalo, NY; Pittsburgh; Youngstown; Akron; Gary, Ind.; Detroit and Flint, Mich., all of which have endured the hardships of job loss, population decline and urban decay. It’s a pattern they know well. “When I was about nine years old, I witness the collapse of the steel industry … The once prosperous steel valley region deteriorated and rusted away with it tens of thousands of good paying jobs and a way of life for so many people,” Desimone said. Growing up around boarded-up houses and buildings, he realized and ...
