CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found a local artist closing his gallery and selling all of his work due to crime.
He recently had a showdown with a teen at gunpoint, and he told us that was only the latest brush with danger.
“There’s no turning back. I’ve seen enough now and it’s time to go,” Jerry Schmidt said.
We found Schmidt with some paint, touching up his work and getting ready for the big sale. Everything must go.
Schmidt has decided to sell his property and all of his artwork. He plans to leave Cleveland’s Waterloo section because of crime.
“Everything must go. It must go because I’m starting a new life,” he said.
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Last month, we showed you a teen running from Euclid police ran into Schmidt’s gallery. The kid pulled a gun. So, Schmidt pulled his gun. He found himself in a showdown at gunpoint.
Schmidt tells us he’s had other incidents involving crime. He wants this to be the last. The latest incident started with teens in a stolen vehicle ramming a police car.
Schmidt creates abstract art. He’s been doing it for decades. He tells us his dad was an artist too. Now, everything must go, including his favorite pieces.
He showed us one, and said, “this is one of my favorite pieces. This took me about six months to do.”
About another, he said, “this is rebar that I brought back from Lake Erie and brought down here.”
He showed us another, saying, “this is a piece that my father had done in the early, early 70s.”
But, no more looking back. In fact, Schmidt wonders about seeing that teen with a gun he confronted when the teen gets back on the streets.
We checked juvenile court records. Two suspects from the case have been held in the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. Two have been released on house arrest. Another hearing in the case should take place next week.
A few weeks ago, we watched Councilman Mike Polensek try to convince Schmidt to stay, but it was too late.
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He plans to hold an open house at his gallery next weekend.
He gave us some final thoughts about Cleveland, crime and a new start.
“I think the mayor is allowing a lot of things to go wrong right now,” he said. “I need to go. I need to clear my head. I need to be with my grandkids.”
You can find Jerry Schmidt’s Studio and Gallery at 15315 Waterloo Rd. in Cleveland.
He’ll hold his open house Aug. 9 and Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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