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| Zijah Popaja and Snezana Popaja Tenhundfeld walking in their hometown park in Bijeljina, Bosnia |
The Midway District will soon be home
to a new business.
The former Heir of the Dog location at 1051 South
Fort Thomas Avenue, which shuttered unexpectedly and without explanation, is being transformed into Art Around the Park, an
art gallery featuring work by local artists.
Father-daughter duo
Zijah Popaja and Snezana Popaja Tenhundfeld are the masterminds
behind the new gallery space.
Opening a gallery together had been on
their minds for a while, but it wasn’t until the space became
available that they were able to make that dream a reality. Popaja
and Tenhundfeld are both former Fort Thomas residents, and are each
also working toward moving back into the city. Their strong
attachment for Fort Thomas is one of the many reasons why opening up
a gallery within the Fort Thomas city limits was important to them.
Popaja is an accomplished artist, who
is heavily inspired by the outdoors. He has shown his work in many
galleries and art shows throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. His
oeuvre consists of a variety of landscapes and wildlife, and some of
his work was inspired by various places around Fort Thomas. With
Popaja’s artistic talents and Tenhundfeld’s business acumen, opening
an art gallery was the perfect fit for their collective skill sets
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| Valentine’s Day is a week away. Call now and mention FTM! 441-8049. |
The location was also a big draw for
the duo. They are both fans of Tower Park, and see it as a great way
to bring people into their space.
“South Fort Thomas right now is
heating up with a couple of restaurants that are opening up, and it’s
a great space there. Everywhere in Fort Thomas is wonderful, but it’s
nice to have the park. The park is the magnet. I’m glad that we’re
bringing a little bit of balance between the two sides of the city.
People on the south side can walk to the gallery, and can walk to the
restaurants, and the park,” said Tenhundfeld.
Art Around the Park will showcase
Popaja’s work while simultaneously serving as a studio space for his
artistic ventures. The gallery will also host local guest artists.
“My focus is to bring together artists,” said Popaja. “We will
always find a spot for new artists.”
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| Popaja and Tenhundfeld on her wedding day. |
Two things are clear when speaking with
Popaja and Tenhundfeld: their love of art and community. This gallery
is being created to serve as another gathering spot for the Fort
Thomas community and art aficionados alike. This is a family that
truly believes in the power of community, and especially the city of
Fort Thomas. Art Around the Park is as much an artistic space as it
is a gift for the city that once welcomed them with open arms. “I
feel like I was born again in this place,” said Popaja.
For many, Fort Thomas is a town
we’ve known for most of our collective lives. Perhaps you were born here, or
maybe you moved here for your children to attend schools. It’s easy
to take for granted that which we are familiar. For Popaja and
Tenhundfeld, this town was a new beginning. Their family fled
war-torn Bosnia, and were able to immigrate to Fort Thomas in 1995
thanks to the help of United Church of Christ.
“The town brought us
here when we needed it most,” said Tenhundfeld. Popaja and
Tenhundfeld’s appreciation for the city of Fort Thomas is a major
force behind the creation of their new business. “For us, it’s
just coming back home…The people are amazing. We just get that
neighborhood feeling. Everybody knows everybody and it’s friendly,”
said Tenhundfeld.
For Popaja, Art Around the Park is also
a chance to give back to the city of Fort Thomas, and express his
gratitude for the kindness this town has shown him since moving here
in 1995. “They opened up their doors and brought us here. This is
something to do in return, and also to help become an even better
artist that I am now. That’s the goal…I want to leave something
behind for Fort Thomas,” said Popoja.
Art Around the Park will have a grand
opening in March 2018. The opening date is yet to be determined, but Fort Thomas Matters will provide more
information about the opening as it becomes available.
