The dark underbank of the Haymaker Parkway Bridge shines brightly with a mix of vibrant colors that quickly draw attention. The bold red letters captivate eyes to read the words that immerse them into the inner thoughts of Kent’s writers. 

Haymaker Farmers’ Market, in collaboration with the Wick Poetry Center, created the Market Stanzas mural to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the farmers’ market and reflect its culture. 

The project started back in Aug. 2022 and was completed this August.

For the Haymaker Farmers’ Market, community is a crucial value, according to its website. Its mission is to provide a connection between producers and the consumers of food, while also providing a space for people to come together. 

“At Haymaker, we don’t do all the work ourselves; instead, we bring everyone together. We wanted to continue doing that, so it was fitting for this project to be a community effort,” Andrew Rome, market director of Haymaker Farmers’ Market, said.

Back in 2022, when this project began, David Hassler, the director of the Wick Poetry Center, and others from the center spent two summers frequently going to the farmers’ market. They asked participants questions using prompts about their experience at the market to include in the “Community Poem.” 

Hassler decided to take this a step further by creating a website for individuals to write their own poems about their thoughts and experiences concerning the market. The website is called Market Stanzas, and it is still open for poem submissions. 

The mural depicts a collection of phrases from poems written by individuals in the community about the Haymaker Farmers’ Market.

It includes lines from individual poems that were combined to create what is referred to as the “Community Poem.” It is called this because the phrases shared intentionally represented the community and oneness within the community of Haymaker Farmers’ Market, Hassler said.

Hassler said everyone is capable of contributing to poetry and “the ’Community Poem’ can empower more individuals to participate in the power of poetry.”

According to Rome, the mural fulfills a vital part of the farmers’ market’s mission, which is to support the arts.  

“We believe it’s not just food that sustains our community — it’s art as well,” Rome said. 

The mural was designed by Alex Catanese, a principal designer at Each + Every, a design studio in Kent. His design was brought to life by Angelina Colasante, a senior interior design major, and members of the Kent community.

Colasante was responsible for painting the mural and working alongside volunteers to complete it. 

“The best part of working on the mural was the people who came by and thanked me for helping to create something so beautiful,” Colasante said. ”Not only was I empowered by what I created, I was supported by the community, and I hope this mural helps the community feel more joy and appreciation, just as I did while working on it.” 

To reach volunteers from the community, Rome posted a job opportunity to paint the mural on the United Way of Portage County, a volunteer website, so Kent locals could sign up to help.

The support of volunteers was vital to the creation of the mural. “They are what kept us on track for this project,” Rome said.

According to Colasante, Mary Blatnik, a local art teacher and Kent State University alumna, helped her stay on track during the project by showing up each day that it was worked on. 

The poems that were written for Market Stanzas are also a way to “celebrate and commemorate those who have passed away and the ongoing life of the market,” Hassler said.

One of the contributors to the “Community Poem,” Maurice “Uncle Mo” Drake, a beloved individual in the Haymaker community, passed away last year. 

His contribution to the poem was the line that reads, “ I come here for love.” Drake’s contribution to the mural celebrates his legacy and impact on the community. 

In accordance with this project being a community effort, it was funded by the community.

The project was supported financially by many local organizations, including: Kent State University Libraries, Woodward Foundation, City of Kent, Ohio Arts Council, Kent Rotary Foundation and the Wick Poetry Center.

 On Aug. 23, the Kent community gathered for a formal unveiling of the new mural. 

A representative from Congressman David Joyce’s office attended the event to present a Certificate of Congressional Recognition and Achievement to Haymaker Farmers’ Market in celebration of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The feedback from the community was great. It was very satisfying to see the community’s show of support,” Rome said. “It showed us that our goal of bringing people together was accomplished with the creation of this mural.”

Joi Sims is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].

Talia Milewich is a Kent Stater TV reporter. Contact her at [email protected].