The 2008 housing crisis shattered lives nationwide, and Cleveland’s Slavic Village was one of the hardest hit areas in the country. Keeping the conversation going around solving the neighborhood’s blight is the mission of Rooms to Let (RTL)—a program energizing vacant homes and storefronts in the historic Cleveland district since 2014.

RTL’s focus has shifted in recent times, from vacant homes slated for demolition to storefront businesses abandoned to the elements. Enlivening these spaces has brought much-needed attention to an ongoing crisis, says Krystal Sierra, director of neighborhood planning with the Slavic Village Development community revitalization group.

Rooms to Let has been energizing vacant homes and storefronts in the historic Slavic Village district since 2014..“It speaks to the fabric of the community and its history, while thinking ahead to what could be,” says Sierra. “What can we dream up in these spaces, even for a weekend?”

RTL has recently encountered a good problem—a shortage of abandoned houses to feature in the annual exhibit. The removal of 1,500 derelict properties in 2024 set the stage for another major change in the annual exhibition. This year’s program—scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7—will transform 12 vacant lots into temporary art enclaves.

Outdoor exhibition spaces in the Broadway Historic District, along with the courtyard between Broadway School of Music & the Arts and The Darl Center for the Arts, will feature work from 14 Cleveland-area artists and music groups.

Similar to past events, participants will have free rein to beautify spaces through their mediums of choice. Yet, while RTL previously illuminated the potential for community renewal within smaller interior spaces, this year's installations are bringing that concept to the great outdoors, notes Sierra.

“We’re bearing witness to some really talented individuals, who are communicating their vision in an open space,” she explains. “Let’s build leadership in the community, which is quieter work until you have advocates with the skills and passion to carry out some really cool things.”

Drawn together

Among the visionaries igniting the neighborhood are Stephanie Stewart and her daughter, Kyla Decatur. The mother-daughter duo are owners of P31 Art & Design, a faith-based company that makes purses, pouches, stationery, and other hand-crafted goods.

The Akron-based business is named after a biblical proverb that emphasizes how inner character and reverence for God endure, while outward beauty is fleeting.

The idea that became P31 began as Decatur’s senior capstone project at Akron Early College High School. With art a lifelong endeavor for both women, they say they saw no reason to not turn the vision into reality.

“Mom and I were sitting having coffee, and we said, ‘let’s make this into an actual business,’” says Decatur. “[We said], ‘Let’s share those talents and show how impactful they’ve been to us.’”

A former dancer, Decatur is currently a fiber artist focused on natural materials, dyes, and charcoal, while Stewart is an acrylic painter and bookbinder. Although occasional disagreements arise, mixing business and family has largely been a pleasure, they say.

“We have good boundaries—it’s been wonderful seeing Kyla grow into a savvy businesswoman,” Stewart says. “It’s like being a homeschooling parent, where you’re learning about your kids in a whole different light.”

Mother-daughter duo Stephanie Stewart, left, and Kyla Decatur are contributing giant cardboard crayons to RTL 2025.The duo has been a part of the Rooms to Let exhibition for four years, contributing to the event both as artists and as on-site vendors. Past installations include a giant Zine—basically, a homemade magazine—that inspired visitors to make their own DIY creations.

For this year’s display, the P31 proprietors are dipping into nostalgia through giant crayons made from cardboard, electrical tape, Styrofoam, and acrylic paint.

Similar to the Zine exhibit, the crayon installation encourages guest participation, inviting visitors to create their own colorful drawings.

“It’s a question of imagination, because crayons are cheap and readily available,” explains Stewart. “We’re challenging people to think of a time when all they had were crayons and [remember] the things they would make.”

The arts-centered entrepreneurs are also thrilled by the new challenge of taking work previously shown indoors into the outdoor realm.

“We tend to put ourselves in boxes by just creating indoors,” Decatur says. “It takes more to push ourselves and try something different.”

A change in the wind

Chimamaka Palmer, a Nigerian immigrant known in the art world as CHIMI, says bringing art to underserved areas like Slavic Village is a window into what’s possible.

Artist Chimi Parker, pictured here as part of an RTL exhibit in 2024, will encase herself in a cocoon as part of this year’s event.“It shows us what we haven’t paid attention to,” observes CHIMI. “It’s the job of artists to reflect on the times, whether personally or through the community. [RTL] is a manifestation of our times. We’re creating something precious from nothing that can change everything.”

As an artist, CHIMI draws on her experiences as an African woman in America, using those experiences to explore themes of memory, identity, grief, and faith. The daughter of two pastors, CHIMI says she is driven by a desire for African women to do more than just survive. She says she wants them to thrive instead, acknowledging that many don’t have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

During Rooms to Let, CHIMI will be the centerpiece of “Metamorphosis,” a wood-and-cotton cocoon from which the artist will perform live music. Though the concept is reflective of recent personal changes, it can symbolize how a neighborhood may change as well, she adds.

“You have to keep growing—nobody should be limited by their circumstances,” CHIMI advises. “Slavic Village is a good example of that.”

This year's Rooms to Let exhibit will feature the work of the following artists: David Biro with Midnight Art Club; Stephanie Stewart & Kyla with P31 Art & Design; Jimmie Woody with a collection of artists as Umoja; CHIMI and videographer Coly Puzzuoli work on “Metamorphosis;” Jasmine Golphin with Unbarrd Poetry Open Mic; Kid Tested; Lex Moda of Cellophane Jane; and Mansa Lamont Bey of Turbans and Fezzes.