When Martin Nagy was two-years old his Mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and though he admits he never got to know her, it set him on a lifelong path, and he's never looked back. “My Dad worked a lot to pay medical bills, so I had to work.” His voice cracks while telling this story. He started with a lawn mowing business at the age of eight, and sold it when he was twelve. At Start High School he began to explore his artistic side, working with a decorator, doing art work and faux finishing. This experience also whet his appetite for traveling—which we'll get to in a bit.
there is no way to tell Nagy's whole story here for two reasons: 1) There's too much to tell for this column, and 2) he's still at it – the story isn't near over.
Far beyond driven
Nagy completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from BGSU in 1971. He's never forgotten one career-changing experience, under professor Conrad Pritcher. “This guy—150 people in a lecture hall—walks in, writes his name, his office number and his telephone number on the board, and said ‘Y'know education's up to you,’” Nagy recalls. “‘You can create any project, do whatever you wanna do. Here's the date you need to turn it in, and I'll grade it on how well I think it'll succeed.’” Pritcher disappeared, according to Nagy, who says only five people finished the course. Nagy knew immediately what he wanted to do: create a community arts program.
One thing led to another, and after graduation, Nagy approached Maumee Valley Country Day School, which at that point had no arts program. Two weeks after an initial meeting with MVCDS, the school asked when he could start.
It's these kind of entrepreneurial adventures that have kept the 64-year old (“I listen to that Beatles' song 'bout once a week,” Nagy says) sharp and focused.
Nagy still felt there was more he could do. In 1983 he founded Arts Council Lake Erie West, “with a mission to build creativity in the community, increase cultural participation, and engage people in the arts experience.” This mission took the physical form of the Common Space Center for Creativity at 1700 N. Reynolds Rd. (which has since expanded to include Common Space Too on Holland-Sylvania, and the Seven Eagles Historical Education Center in Grand Rapids, Ohio). The space on Reynolds gives studio space for artists, musicians, yoga instructors and a plethora of other creative folk.
“Common Space, besides being a community center for social and cultural education programs,” says Nagy “also houses programs for people with mental and physical disabilities, unwed mothers, senior citizens, and volunteer programs through the court systems, to name a few.” But what Common Space started as and is mostly known for is “an incubator” for artists—a professional space for driven,c reative folks like Nagy himself. “We've had the icons of the Toledo art scene,” Nagy says, including Pete Beckmann, Tom Martin, and Jean Holden. In fact, Toledo City Paper was founded at the Common Space.
Nagy is also organizing the 28th Arts + Sciences Creativity Camp at Common Space “I now have what I call 'grandcampers'.” Those are children of alumni of Nagy's Summer camp. “Jennifer Hollander has been the theater director for the last 3 years. She was a student of mine,” he says proudly.
Restless and wild
The itch to do more struck again—in 2010 Nagy led a delegation and conducted teacher in-service art and music workshops in two Tanzanian cities, resulting in arts programs being kept alive in that country. He's been taking artists from the U.S. to various European and African countries ever since. In addition, he has co-directed and edited several books, including “The Legacy of Family Businesses” (which was translated into Arabic for use as a textbook) and “Art – In a Woman's World (Art Exchanges USA – Tanzania).” These adventures have also taken him to Lebanon, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Nagy doesn't seek out the ego gratification that some in his position might. He truly has the essence of someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty and help people all over the world, another one of Toledo's best kept secrets.
