The beginning of the Nutcracker Village can be traced back to two people--Jerry Barilla, who had the idea, and Mark Nelson, whose team of artists brought it to life. For both men, it has been a labor of love for the city of Steubenville. Like many river towns in the Rust Belt, Steubenville suffered a huge loss in population following the decline of the steel industry. This had a negative impact on the small business community, as well as the pride of the community. For many years, Jerry Barilla, owner of a downtown appliance store, worked with other like-minded individuals to find a path forward. One morning, while putting away Christmas decorations, he had the inspiration to put collections of nutcrackers on display in the empty storefronts as a way to draw people to the downtown during the Christmas season and to help build community. He shared his idea at a meeting in early 2015, and Mark Nelson, another local business owner, was inspired to give it a try, but with a slightly different angle:
“I left the meeting and had my daughter, Madeline, our company’s graphic designer, print off a 6 foot tall picture of a nutcracker for inspiration. With the help of my brother, Mike, who runs our wood shop, we built a prototype.”
The prototype was such a hit that 150 more nutcrackers followed over the next three years. Mark’s daughter, Thérèse, oversees the project and designs the nutcrackers, while Brodie Stutzman, a woodworker in Nelson’s shop, does all the carving. The project has attracted thousands of people to the city, it has inspired new businesses, but most of all, it has helped refresh the spirit of the community.
“I left the meeting and had my daughter, Madeline, our company’s graphic designer, print off a 6 foot tall picture of a nutcracker for inspiration. With the help of my brother, Mike, who runs our wood shop, we built a prototype.”
The prototype was such a hit that 150 more nutcrackers followed over the next three years. Mark’s daughter, Thérèse, oversees the project and designs the nutcrackers, while Brodie Stutzman, a woodworker in Nelson’s shop, does all the carving. The project has attracted thousands of people to the city, it has inspired new businesses, but most of all, it has helped refresh the spirit of the community.