The Truth Staff
The Toledo Museum of Art, ProMedica and local barbers have once again joined forces to present “The Art of the Cut.” On February 23, about a dozen barbers, along with salon stylists and nail technicians, will appear at the Museum’s Peristyle Theatre to showcase their skills and to advocate for men’s wellness.
“We wanted to make sure our community is served,” says Toni Gordon, TMA’s senior manage of Education and Programs, and the point person behind the Museum’s efforts to resume the program. “That’s why we are working with a group of community organizers.”
This will be the third “Art of the Cut,” the brainchild of Robin Sulier-Charney, and a variety of local barbers. Sulier-Charney is the community outreach coordinator for ProMedica, who has long been a champion for health in the African American community. The Art of the Cut is an outgrowth of those efforts to bring health screenings into local barbershops, to provide blood pressure and cancer checks.
“Barbers and hair stylists are true community champions,” says Gordon. “Their work goes beyond the chair—it’s about creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and supported. Art of the Cut is a celebration of their artistry and their impact on our community.”
One of the barber/artists who will be showcasing his stylings is Matthew Vasquez who has been cutting hair for about 10 years and manning a chair at Victory Barbers for the past five years.
Vasquez stumbled into the profession almost by accident but is so very glad he did. “Something like this is something I always wanted to do,” he says of the freedom to utilize his artistic stylings. The profession also helps in the mental health aspect, he says of the positive experiences he encounters.
The barbershop collaborations and the Art of the Cut helped to inspire a film back in 2021-22 – Sons of Toledo, a short film about the lives of barbers fighting to keep their community together, which had its world premiere at the fourth annual Mammoth Film Festival February 3-6, 2022 in the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, CA.
The film was based on the true stories of Toledo’s Black barber community, their role as community advocates in their neighborhood, and the hardest role they fulfill for far too many of their customers, performing the final cut.
The Art of the Cut will be hosted by barbers from CrysStyles Hair Salon, DaShop, Fletcher’s Hair Design, Foster’s Hair Concepts Unlimited, Tal-Mon Barbershop, Victory Barbershop, and many more. In addition to live demonstrations and discussions, attendees can enjoy entertainment throughout the Peristyle Theater, snacks, and a cash bar.
Join TMA on Feb. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Peristyle Theater for an afternoon of art, dialogue and connection.