Penguin Parade Martin Cohol

Title	The Emperor of Sports	Click on image of penguin to enlarge
Artist	Martin Cohol. A graduate of Girard High School, Martin received a degree in commercial art from Cooper School of Art in Cleveland. He is the art director/creative manager for Olfield Graphics in Austintown. His paintings have been featured in many local, regional and national shows. He has taught watercolor and drawing classes at Trumbull Art Guild, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, and has taught advertising design and printing production at YSU.
Media	Acrylic paints
Sponsor	Hill Barth, & King
Artist Quote	“I chose a sports theme because of the love our Valley has for sports. We love to ‘root on’ our favorite teams from high school to professional. Our community has supported sports for as long as the Valley had had them. I think we should be very proud of our track record as a ‘sports valley.’ Other communities may support their schools, universities, etc., as much as we do, but I doubt if anyone does it more or for longer than we have. Sports is a unifying factor in our Valley. The YSU penguin and YSU football championships place the university as a focal point to celebrate our valley’s love of sports. Go YSU! Go Bucs! Go Browns! Steelers too! I have a very straightforward approach to visual art. I believe that painting and sculpture should convey whatever message, image, mood or feeling the artist is trying to express. If the viewing public does not understand it, and/or you have to constantly explain it to everyone, most often it is not a lack of appreciation by the viewer, it is the artist who has failed.”