Mount Vernon Creates

By Meredith Hines-Dochterman/The Gazette

Steve Maravetz likes to keep busy. It was his need to have a project that launched “Mount Vernon Creates!” - a website that celebrates the community's creativity - in February.

“One Saturday my wife and I stopped in the Lincoln Cafe to eat lunch, but it was busy, so we sat at the counter,” Maravetz says.

There, Maravetz struck up a conversation with Dave Miller, who is known around town as “Farmer Dave.”

“I said ‘There are a lot of creative people in town' and Dave agreed, naming several people,” Maravetz says.

None of the people Miller named were people Maravetz knew.

“I said that I was thinking about so and so and so and so, and they were people Dave had never heard of,” Maravetz says.

Intrigued that a town of fewer than 5,000 people could have so many creative types that two people wouldn't name the same person twice, Maravetz decided to create a website to celebrate Mount Vernon's talent.

“I went home and bought the domain that day,” he says.

Six months later, “Mount Vernon Creates!” contains the profiles of about 60 creative personalities, from painters and photographers to writers and musicians.

And don't forget the foodies. Recognizing the creativity that comes in growing and preparing food, Maravetz included culinary creators, too.

“In planning this, I was trying to avoid talk about art,” he says. “I wanted to focus more on creativity.”

Dale Beeks, a musician who books acts for the Lincoln Winebar, agrees with Maravetz, calling the term art subjective.

“Mount Vernon is somewhat of a unique community and it really took someone like Steve to put a website together to show that,” Beeks says.

Maravetz says he had no expectations when he launched the website, but then word got out and creative works, in all forms, arrived in his inbox.

“I received work from people I've never heard of,” says Maravetz, who has lived in Mount Vernon since 1995. “It was an eye-opener to me of the talent we have.”

Rebecca Wirfs agrees.

“I knew Mount Vernon had an art-rich community,” says Wirfs, one of the visual artists featured on the website.

But her only personal connection was Stephanie Abresch, an artist who also is featured on the website.

“She had stuff on there, so I submitted my work to Steve and it was up the next day,” Wirfs says.

Wirfs says her profile allows her to share her work with a broader audience, as well as connect with like-minded people.

“You don't know who your network is until you're on the site,” she says. “It can lead to opportunities where someone says ‘Hey, on this day we're going to do this and you're welcome to come.' That feels great.”

“I think things will bloom from the website,” Beeks adds. “You can't force it, but it might be something where people get together to play music or share techniques.”

Maravetz says that's already happened for several photographers in the community.

“In May, we had a reception for all of the people on the website at Fuel,” he says. “We served wine and food, and people just showed up and started to get to know each other.”

By the end of the night, Maravetz says the photographers were huddled in a corner, deep in conversation. The group has since met regularly.

“It's just great to know that there are so many talented people in our community,” Wirfs says. “Everyone is creative, whether they think they are or not, and this gives people the opportunity to share their creativity with others. It opens up an opportunity for our community to come together.”

Online

Find out more about Mount Vernon's creative residents at Mountvernoncreates.com