Shattered Expressions

Another iconic piece of art by Tommy Morgan, the “Three Faces” or masks were added to Canton in 2009. Paid for by Tim Belden, Bob Timken, the Canton Development Partnership and ArtsinStark, the piece has been overlooking the Arts District for nearly twenty years now. The Shattered Expressions are a part of a much larger goal for the Arts District to bring attention to the art culture in Downtown Canton and to also create discussion to local artists. 

Morgan wanted to capture the exaggerated human expressions of joy, anger, and sadness in his faces. Sculpted by foam, the Expressions are 10 by 40 feet in length and have had several touch ups through the years including being entirely repainted recently to feature a much more colorful palette than when it was first released in 2009 as the colors have faded due to the outdoor exposure. Morgan himself was a graduate of Canton High School and says that he was inspired to make Expressions from his professor at the Art Institute in Pittsburgh. His teacher had insisted that art is made to provoke emotions and expression, and that the face has only one purpose, to show emotion. In the beginning of Shattered Expressions, the piece was met with some controversy, as some considered it ugly and unattractive, but Morgan relished in the talk as it meant people were discussing the public piece and drawing attention to it. 

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/entertainment/local/2009/12/17/three-giant-faces-splash-shattered/42219686007/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAQdtTWZmNo

https://www.the-review.com/story/news/local/east-canton/2009/12/23/shattered-expressions-explodes-onto/19360399007/

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2020/07/03/downtown-cantonrsquos-three-faces-getting-artistic-update/113364152/