Artist Of The Month

Jill Golias Photography

Parma is home to a great many talented individuals, artists and craftsmen, both professional and amateur, who specialize in variety of mediums. This article is the second in a series which will showcase a Parma area artist and introduce you to many of your talented neighbors.  

Jill Golias

Jill Golias and her husband Brian live in the Polish Village area of Parma and have lived in Parma most of their lives. They are both proud graduates of Parma High School. Jill is an amateur photographer. 

Her love of photography started when dad, Gary Soukup, bought her a camera at age 11. Tinkering with her camera has brought her great joy and some unique and unusual shots, too. She eventually migrated over to a DSLR Nikon camera. In addition to portraits, she loves nature and the capturing of a subject in a moment of time, thus preserving its beauty for eternity. Jill has studied under the tutelage of her accomplished photographer cousin, Steve Perry, owner and operator of Backcountry Gallery. Her photographs have been auctioned off on the WVIZ Auction. She also has participated in numerous photo contests and donated photos to Parma Mayor Timothy DeGeeter. You can view some of her photos on her Facebook page, Jill Golias Photography. 

In March of 2012, Jill was diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer, with a recurrence in December of 2013. Ovarian Cancer is a “silent killer” and she has been working towards breaking the silence through fundraisers to support ovarian cancer research and education. The most recent, OROC, OutRun Ovarian Cancer will hold the 11th Annual 5K Run/Walk on Saturday. August 2, 2014. The run begins at the Rock Hall. OROC is an all volunteer group dedicated to raising awareness and funds for research and education. Founded in 2003, OROC has raised over $600,000 in Northeast Ohio. 

When Jill heard about Polish Village's Flamingo Fever, she thought it would be a unique way to further her goal. She created the charming Ovarian Cancer Awareness Flamingo, which lists the symptoms on a plaque that is attached. This flamingo is a lovely teal and yellow creation with long eyelashes and a bejeweled beak that make her stand out in a crowd. The Flamingo Fever Placement Committee felt that UH Parma Hospital was the ideal location for her creation. So the Committee traveled to the hospital and made contact with the Regional Marketing Manager. The decision was made to place the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Flamingo at the Seidman Cancer Center, which focuses on Ovarian Cancer. Hopefully, the flamingo will call attention to her cause and help bring awareness and additional funding.

Many artists, both amateur and professional, use their creative talents to not only make our world a more beautiful place to live, but a better one. 

If you are an amateur or professional artist, living in the Parma area, or know of someone who is, and would like to be featured as an artist of the month, please contact me by email at kathrynmabin@att.net.