Business Says Illustration Solicitations No 'Scam'

Kent business and building owners should not be alarmed if they get a call about an artistic illustration of their property or the city of Kent.

They should, however, know Main Street Kent and the Burbick Foundation are not partnering with the company that creates the illustrations.

Canton-based illustrator CityScapes is in the midst of creating an illustrated graphic, or collage, depicting historic landmarks in Kent. However, some confusion developed today and Monday after Kent Patch and other local media reported the calls about the project could be similar to that targeted Kent business owners.

Several members of the contacted the group's director, Lori Wemhoff, on Monday saying a field agent for CityScapes said the company was working with both Main Street Kent and the Burbick Foundation on the project.

That's when Wemhoff emailed her several hundred chamber members clarifying that neither group was working with CityScapes, and the notification was construed as a scam alert.

CityScapes owner Greg Magee said they've done similar projects for other Ohio communities in the past 15 years, and they typically start by contacting similar organizations to develop a list of landmarks to be included in the illustration.

"Nothing about this is a scam," Magee said. "What we do is meet with organizations in a community and put together a list of information about communities when we’re drawing."

For example, local businesses in Wooster worked with CityScapes to craft a similar mural, which several community groups then sold as a fundraiser. The company also has done alike projects in Brewster and Lisbon, OH. On its website, the company describes the murals as "community time capsules in art form."

Magee said plans for the Kent project call for a DVD that would include interviews with the different artists at CityScapes as they work through the illustration process. Kent business owners and organizations may hear from CityScapes over the next several months as the project progresses.

"It can be an awesome fundraiser because it is such a unique thing," he said." It will, without doubt be another great 'time capsule in art form' and an excellent fundraiser for the groups we select and license to distribute our artwork."

Wemhoff said today she was careful not to use the word "scam" in describing the project when she notified chamber members of the solicitations.

She pointed to Kent's history of being a target for advertising schemes as just one reason for the email. She stressed CityScapes is a legitimate company selling advertising in Kent.

"I think people are tired of getting solicited for ads without knowing what's legitimate and what's not," Wemhoff said.