The Crooked River Gang

The Crooked River Gang was started in 1999 by local artist Don Getz who worked with the National Park to establish a gallery that would feature the scenes of the Cuyahoga Valley. The original artists of the "Crooked River Gang" were members of the Ohio Watercolor Society and the Whiskey Painters of America who lived in the Cleveland/Akron area. Getz coined the name for the group, utilizing the local Native American word for the river: "Cuyahoga," meaning "crooked." To become a member, artists must be accepted by submitting their work for review. Members come from a diverse background, many of whom teach professionally and work as freelance artists.