12-06-2025
Art display being torn down in Wellsville
WELLSVILLE, Ohio (WKBN) — An art display in southern Columbiana County that drew strong attention over the last few years is being demolished.
Artist Gigi Janko owns the former Immaculate Conception church property in Wellsville that closed in 2019. She took material off the old church rectory and collected other items from houses in town that had caught fire and were being demolished. The result was a giant piece of abstract art next to the former church at the corner of Main Street and 11th Avenue.
After two years of disputes with the city, Janko is tearing the work down, all by herself. She said she started tearing down the structure last week.
'There's been a lot to reflect upon in this process, and I'm grateful that it hasn't been smooth because it's caused me to look upon things with greater care,' Janko said.
Janko came to Wellsville from Massachusetts after graduating from undergraduate school. Seeing an ad online for the old church, she was inspired.
'It felt like the place that I wanted to be next, and I didn't know what that meant either,' Janko said. 'Except that I was looking to make art and have freedom to explore materials in a way that I might not have had the chance to do before.'
Janko set up a studio in the old church and began to immerse herself in the community.
'I loved discovering the different forms of the building, and I loved the people I was meeting,' Janko said. 'I joined the fire department… They made me feel really welcome in a way that I needed at the time.'
Janko said the piece, titled 'But I Misunderstood [6 houses & a porch],' became a way for her to process and heal from her own trauma.
'I felt that it might be healing for other people,' Janko said. 'It's difficult to have any sort of intention with art, but it's awesome if it does anything.'
Janko said she and the city have been negotiating the demolition since this past fall. She plans to have the work leveled by the time she returns to school in Rhode Island in September and hopes the property can be used for other art in the future.
'Not all art looks like this, and not all people work the way that I work,' Janko said. 'It would be awesome to see people come in and engage with the community. As an artist, it's been amazing to be here as a person, and I think it'd be amazing for others to experience that.'
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