YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Judith Ray Solomon was promising repercussions. A prominent architect and sister of local businessman Martin Solomon, she says she is the one who is supposed to surprise others, not the one on the receiving end of surprises.

Nevertheless, a surprise was sprung on her Monday when Youngstown State University dedicated the Judith Rae Solomon Gallery in Bliss Hall.

“I’m a little overwhelmed. I’m not quite used to it,” she remarked following the ceremony. “I’m used to being in the background and this is a little prominent for me. I’m not too sure how this is going to sit with me after a while but I’m proud. Anything that I do in the arts is because I love it.”

The dedication of the second-floor gallery follows a donation to YSU by Martin and Susan Solomon of Vienna.

“With this gift, Marty and Sue have chosen to honor Marty’s sister, Judy, for her lifelong commitment to the arts,” said Dr. Brian DePoy, dean of YSU’s College of Creative Arts and Communication. The funds will be used for physical improvements to the gallery space as well as programming related to the gallery.

“There are some very real costs that are associated with maintaining a professional gallery space and this will certainly help with some of the upkeep,” DePoy said. “What is most important is it symbolizes the Solomons’ love for the arts and culture here in Youngstown and their commitment to Youngstown State University.”

The Solomons’ other contributions to YSU include donations to the Andrews Wellness Center, the Williamson College of Business Administration and the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

Martin Solomon, a principal officer with P&S Equities, acknowledged that his appreciation of art has developed mostly over the past decade or so, primarily due to his wife’s influence. His older sister has been “a lifelong devotee to the arts. “Ao as long as we were going to make this commitment” -- he would only say it was in “well over $100,000” -- it would be appropriate to honor her.

“Not only is she a collector but she serves on boards and committees, and has supported the arts programs around the country,” he said.

As an architect, Judith Solomon worked on the Ohio Historical Museum in Columbus, and worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., where she headed up the team that restored the Wyeth Collection Murals in the corporate headquarters. She also coordinated architectural projects at Marine Midland Bank, Reliance Insurance Co. and CitiBank. Locally she serves on the advisory board of the Warren Philharmonic and YSU’s McDonoughMuseum of Art.She is also active with the Ohio Cultural Alliance, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society and the OH WOW! Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology.

“It’s really appropriate that Judy is honored because her soul and spirit have always been nourished by the arts,” Sue Solomon said.

“To be a well-rounded person, arts are an important part of what we do today and it helps define us as a people and as a community,” Martin Solomon continued. “It’s nice to have a business background or engineering or science background, but arts is also a very integral part of our overall makeup and we need to support that so that people have an appreciation.”

He speculated that perhaps Monday’s dedication would get him “a little peace in the family for a while. We’ll see how long it lasts.”

Maybe not as long as he might have hoped, according to his sister.

“I’ll take it up with Marty later,” she responded. “He’ll be on good stead for a couple of hours.”

Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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