1. Welcome to Passion Works
BY ERIKA BARTH
Athens, Ohio- With over 200 years of tradition, and attracting nearly 22,000 students to Ohio
University’s main campus alone, it is hard to deny the attraction of the small college town of
Athens, Ohio. From the scenic Hocking Hills to the one-of-a kind brick paved Court Street,
locals, students and alumni can’t help it but love this quirky hippie town.
Although a lot of attention is focused on Ohio University, the town of Athens itself offers
visitors and locals the chance to find out why so many students decide to make Ohio their home
away from home. Located in Southeast Ohio, Athens is just over an hour drive from Columbus,
the state capital and less than an hour away from Parkersburg, W.V.
If you know where to look, it is easy to get caught up in all the natural beauty of the surrounding
landscape, but the hidden jewel of Athens lies in the artistic community, found at Passion Works
Art Studio. Alyssa Cardwell, who started volunteering at the art studio almost seven years ago is
currently a production artist at Passion Works. She feels that Passion Works is something
everyone should experience at some point.
“We have some of the most talented and genuine artists here,” said Cardwell. “How they
perceive the world and their creativity isn’t something you see everyday.”
Passion Works, which Cardwell mentioned was founded in 1998, features bright colored pieces
of anything from painted metal flowers to digitally printed mugs. It is not just the artwork

2. produced that captivates buyers, but the artists themselves. Designed to be a studio where artists
have the freedom to produce works without discrimination; Passion Works gives the opportunity
for nearly 35-40 artists with and without developmental disorders to produce artwork to sell to
the public each week.
Even though all of the artists were on spring break at the time, the Passion Works studio, which
is connected to the main store on 20 East State Street, was still filled with vibrant art pieces of
every size and color. Sitting on the floor of the studio was what looked like the beginnings of a
human-sized wooden bird nest. Luke Szabodos, a junior film major at Ohio University, and
creator of the piece, said the nest would be used in a dream sequence for his senior thesis project.
“When I was writing the script for the project, I was just constantly thinking how might I achieve
this?” said Szabodos. “Passion Works was one of the first that was really interested and wanted
to help out.”
Mallory Valentour, who has worked as Passion Works staff artist for the last two years, is
working diligently to help Luke accomplish the creation of the nest both structurally and design
wise. The nest, which is made out of recycled wood, will feature leaves, branches and flowers
designed by current artists in the studio. Luke hopes the nest will be completed by the end of the
spring 2015.
Besides for this collaborative effort, Passion Works has also been one of the sources of
inspiration for a community improvement plan called the Essence of Athens. According to the

3. Essence of Athens brochure, the Essence of Athens is a “strategic design plan that will be used
for economic enhancement and community competitiveness” in the city of Athens. Designs for
the uptown parking garage and even the front of the brochure itself take inspiration from Passion
Work’s most popular item: the Passion Flower. Mallory shared her excitement about the project.
“Someone came in and took pictures of our flowers thinking they could be used for something
crazy uptown,” Valentour said. “It’s so cool how our colors can influence something like that.”
According to a video featured on the Passion Works website, the Passion Flower was the result
of a design artist Carolyn Williams created in 1998. Today, her inspiration is the best selling item
in the studio, as well as the official flower of Athens. Alyssa Cardwell estimates that
approximately 22,000 flowers have been sold since the introduction of the flower. Many of the
flowers can be seen in local businesses around Athens such as the Mexican restaurant Casa
Nueva as well as in Ohio University’s very own Front Room Café.
Some of the newest designs for the Passion Flower according to Todd Jacops, Passion Works
graphic designer, are actually made from existing flower designs that did not sell. The old
designs are painted over with white so that customers have the chance to design their own
flowers. While the customizable flowers have only been offered at select times, Jacops
confirmed the intent is to continue to offer the customizable flowers if more customers want
them. Passion Works plans on continuing its efforts to create more designs and keep involving
the community in the future.

4. Name: Mallory Valentour
Email: Mallory@passionworks.org
Phone: (740)-592-3673 ext. 2
Position: Staff Artist
Name: Luke Szabados
Email: ls820511@ohio.edu
Phone: (216)-403-1914
Major: Film
Year: Junior
Name: Alyssa Cardwell
Email: Alyssa@passionworks.org
Phone: (740) 592-3673 ext. 1
Position: Production Artist
Name: Todd Jacops
Email: todd@passionworks.org
Phone: (740)-592-3673 ext. 4
Position: Graphic Designer
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