Ronnie Pyles • Photographer, Interior Designer
Photographer. Interior designer. Model. Traveler. Former Glenville kid.
They’re all Ronnie Pyles, and he brings those varied perspectives to the
Public Art Task Force.
Ronnie came to photography in a way that foretold his later advocacy
for public art: on the ground, in the city. His sister, Lillian Pyles, is a casting
director in Cleveland. About 20 years ago, she’d asked Ronnie to be an extra
in one of her films. During a long wait for his cue, he sat in the courtyard
among some old brick buildings in the Flats. “And I was wondering what the
history of the buildings was, why were they built,” says Ronnie. “I sat around
there for an hour or so, and decided that I wanted to do a photographic
study of these buildings.”
Ronnie borrowed his father’s 35-millimeter camera, and he was hooked.
The result was a series of black-and-white Cleveland photos that Ronnie had
printed on blank notecards, which sold widely in shops around Cleveland.
That led to sales of larger prints and to art shows, including at Juma Gallery
in Shaker Heights.
“I’m just completely in love with photography,” says Ronnie. His
photography continues to focus on cityscapes and architecture, particularly
those of downtown Cleveland. “That’s what I really specialize in, black-andwhite
photos of familiar landmark buildings like the Terminal Tower. And a lot
of bridges.”
When Ronnie was a professional model, he spent time in Milan, Italy.
“Something in the culture of Milan just brought out the interior designer
in me. I just liked the way the Italians do design.” Ronnie has been back in
Shaker Heights for about 20 years after years away. He is mostly self-taught
through his intrinsic artistic sense, travel, and art and design books. Now, in
addition to his photography, he works as an independent interior designer
as well as a design consultant for Pottery Barn. He calls himself an eclectic,
mixing different styles to create an original look.
All of this informs Ronnie’s approach to public art, but two principles in
particular govern his thinking. First, he is insistent that the community have a
say in public art and that the pieces selected will draw people in. “It doesn’t
belong to the Task Force. It belongs to the community.”
Second, it must appeal to kids, who gather in public places as much as
anyone. “Once you get kids interested in art, they can get hooked,” Ronnie
says. “And there’s a big possibility that once you begin to like art that you’ll
want to become involved in it. When you’re an adult, it’s just going to be
something that’s wonderful and you’re going to enjoy looking at it. But when
you’re 10 years old, a piece of art can possibly change your life.”
“Public art doesn’t belong to
the Task Force. It belongs
to the community.”