New arts group aims to support creativity near Hiram

Art enthusiasts in northern Portage County finally have a space to call their own.

Hiram Village resident Louann Mack is the force behind Hiram Arts, a month-old group dedicated to fostering creativity, promoting cultural awareness and community interaction, and providing a safe space for artistic expression. Now it has a home base at Hiram Christian Church, a Disciples of Christ congregation at 6868 W. Wakefield Rd.

So far, Hiram Arts offers Tuesday afternoon watercolor workshops led by Mack and her mom, experienced watercolorist Barbara Brooks. Hiram Village Council Member Juan Fernandez, an experienced comics creator (see https://juanjosefernandez.com/) heads up a monthly Saturday afternoon Kids Comic Club, which Mack describes as a creative space for kids aged 5-18 to artistically express themselves.

People may also attend weekly Friday evening open studio sessions “where people can come in and we can talk about and share whatever they're working on,” she said. “Sometimes it's helpful to get some advice from someone who has some experience because things don’t always work out like they’re supposed to or how you thought it would.”

Walk-ins are welcome, but Mack encourages people to sign up online via Hiram Community Arts on Facebook or by visiting hiramarts.com. That way, she said, event facilitators can appropriately prepare. Participants may be asked for a small donation to cover the cost of materials, and watercolor workshop participants should plan on providing their own paints and brushes.

Looking forward, Mack hopes to schedule arts demonstrations of some sort twice a week. Anyone interested in teaching a skill or a class should contact Mack at art@hiramarts.com.

Mack first floated the idea of an arts group on Facebook in November of 2025. She said the response was so strong that she soon formed Hiram Arts. Within a month, she’d organized two holiday greeting card painting sessions and an open studio session, all held in the church’s fellowship hall.

“There’s nothing available in this part of Portage County,” she said, referencing Hiram, Garrettsville, Mantua and Freedom. “There's nothing here. It’s very rural. I’m trying to make it a place where people can kind of come together and find each other and find a passion for the art that they love.”

Having early this year gained a $4,500 community grant from Disciples of Christ, Hiram Arts secured unused space in the church’s administrative building, across the parking lot from the church itself. Mack said the funds will help cover supplies, rent and equipment.

She envisions artists of all ages finding a home at Hiram Arts, where artists and crafters can work, display their pieces and take classes in all kinds of mediums. Already she’s fielded calls from people wanting to share their quilting, watercolor, cartooning, crocheting and knitting skills.

“It's not where you would have to have talent to do it, or you're a professional painter or anything like that. This is more about making connections in the community with people who are interested in sort of the same kinds of things and doing art of different kinds,” she said.

In her mind’s eye, Mack sees art displays someday gracing the church fellowship hall, available spaces in Hiram, Garrettsville or Mantua, or even outdoor murals enlivening buildings and other public structures.

“It’s a work in progress,” she said.

With Hiram Farm and Hiram College so close, Mack looks forward to exploring the possibilities of working with students and people of all abilities. 

“We want to do some outreach because I think art is such an important mental health activity,” she said. “It's so important for people to have some way of expressing themselves and have an outlet.”