Justin Michael Will’s new exhibit at Maumee Valley Country Day School’s Wolfe Gallery is the simply titled 15 Years of Color and Shape.

But there’s nothing simple about Will’s artwork.

During the decade-and-a-half that covers Will’s vibrant exhibit, the Cleveland-based painter has proven himself to be a master of — yes, colors and shapes. But it runs deeper than that. There’s an undercurrent of positive mental health messages that surround each painting, making Will’s showcase a deep and inspiring collection of artwork.

“I want to do art to make myself happy,” said Will. “There’s a big theme of mental health awareness and reminders to stay in the moment. We all have different things going on in our day and we get pulled in different directions and it distracts you from just enjoying yourself and the life immediately around you.”

Will did his first northwest Ohio exhibit in 2023 at Tiffin University and the Maumee Valley exhibit will run through April 18.

“Will’s work is recognized for its bold colors, humor, and accessibility,” the South Toledo school said in a notice about the exhibit, which noted that Will is a well known figure in the Cleveland art community. “His art has been featured in galleries, murals, and commercial projects throughout the region, including collaborations with Noble Beast Brewery, Motogo, Nubeigel, and MoCA Cleveland.”

Kristin Kowalski, an instructor, department chair, and the director of the Wolfe Gallery saw Will’s work and loved it and subsequently invited the painter to do a show at Maumee Valley Country Day School.

“The Wolfe Gallery’s main mission is to engage our student body and community first and we also see it as an educational space [because] we have ages 3-18,” Kowalski said in an interview. “His work can be engaging for all ages.”

Kowalski said that certain aspects of Will’s work will stick out to the students that will be viewing it.

“It’s bright, colorful, it’s fun, it’s playful. It’s exciting and the kids are going to connect with it one way or another,” said Kowalski.

Will said he’s been painting full-time for the last three years, but spent 25 years doing his art as a side gig from his day job working in retail. He grew up in Portage County in northeast Ohio and met his partner Nancy in Columbus. Nancy, a teacher, had family in Cleveland so the couple settled in her home city.

Will got his artistic start in childhood, influenced by the Saturday morning cartoons and comic books that he loved.

“I was raised by a lot of cartoons. I’m about to be 45 this year, so think about cartoons like The Smurfs, Gummi Bears, The Simpsons, Nickelodeon stuff, comic books. It’s a conglomerate of all that. I went to school for illustration and design and that helped me bridge that gap, going from the fun and frivolous to fine art,” said Will, who attended Columbus College of Art and Design from 1999 to 2002.

In 2009, Will became a store manager at a Blick Art Materials store, which he managed for 14 years, a position Will said helped him meet the Cleveland art scene.

“[The Blick Art Materials job] helped me connect the dots and get connected with the community,” said Will. “I started meeting more artists in the Cleveland area and I had some friends who ran a gallery and I started helping them out at their gallery and hanging stuff in shows, and that was the start of me getting serious about creating for a living.”

Will said the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 was a life changer for him. It was then that he realized he was burned out on retail and decided to pursue art as a full time occupation.

“I needed a mental health break after being in retail for 30 years,” said Will. “The pandemic changed a lot of things for everybody so I just found myself not enjoying helping people out the way I used to. I kind of jumped in and had a couple of big gigs like mural projects, and I’m fortunate enough that my partner Nancy has been a teacher in Cleveland for 15 years.”

Will’s paintings in the 15 Years of Color and Shape carry positive mental health messages that he said were inspired by seeing a therapist.

“I started going to a therapist and realizing after working 60 hours a week for 30 years I had some stuff to think about. Connecting with people about simple stuff like that is just great,” said Will.

An artist reception will be held Thursday from 5-7:30 p.m. at the gallery. The gallery is open during normal school hours but the school recommends coming before 3 p.m. for your best chance of entry.

First Published March 13, 2025, 11:59 a.m.