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09/10/2019 04:03 PMVisitors to the Glenwood Plaza at 153 Glenwood Road might notice a new splash of color in the area thanks to a beautification project undertaken by a local teen.
Nicki Dakis, the owner of the plaza, said that she wanted to do something to spruce up the space.
“I was considering approaching the high school to see if they had a project and people kept recommending this one kid,” Dakis said.
The one kid was Logan Cummings, a senior at The Morgan School with a flair for artistic endeavor.
“I’m all about the community and doing things for the neighborhood,” Dakis said
Dakis said she briefly interviewed the student to see some of his art and what he was thinking for the area.
“I said go for it, it was just an empty space,” Dakis said.
Cummings decided to make his mural one that has a message.
“The mural is going to feature an octopus holding onto and being surrounded by trash. The trash is the kind that often ends up in the ocean (many plastic items, bottles, cigarettes, etc.) to draw attention to littering and waste,” he said. “I first got into contact with Nicki through a friend of mine. He’s her neighbor, and he had heard she was looking for some high-schoolers to work on a mural for the Glenwood market. He told me about it and gave me her contact information, and that’s how I got this opportunity.”
Cummings said that while he understands people who see the mural may not completely change their attitude, he said that he hopes it will give them pause.
“I took the route of the environment because it’s a hot subject today and the more reminders we have, the better. I don’t expect people to see this mural and become die-hard activists trying to clean up the ocean. It’s just to bring attention to the fact that the environment isn’t in a good place right now and we should be mindful of it,” said Cummings. “We should dispose of our waste properly, we should pick up our trash, and we should most definitely recycle—whatever it takes to keep trash in the trash instead of the ocean.”
Cummings said that the mural is only in the beginning stages now ,but he expects to have the painting done by October.
Art has been a longtime interest for Cummings, who said he began taking art classes in the 5th grade, though he didn’t seriously pursue it until high school.
“I had a friend who was an artist and people around school knew about her, and I found that I’d like to improve my art skills and have that kind of recognition,” he said. “I wanted to be known as a talented artist at school, I just needed to get my name out there and make more art. I made an art account on Instagram [@log.artwork] before my sophomore year. where I put all my drawings.”
Since the creation of his Instagram page, Cummings said he has steadily worked on different art styles and hopes to get an art education in college focusing on graphic design and animation.