Entry No. 18 — the Cleveland file — filed under: outsider art
George Masaveg Art Home
An extraordinary outsider-art environment where Navy veteran George Masaveg has covered almost every inch of his two side-by-side Slavic Village homes with thrifted paintings, sculptures, and waterproofed found objects.
The story
The origin of East 55th Street’s most improbable outdoor gallery began with factory offcuts [1.1.4]. Navy veteran George Masaveg’s ex-wife brought home flawed canvases slated for the dumpster from a local art supplier, but rather than letting them go to waste, Masaveg coated them in clear epoxy to survive Lake Erie winters and mounted them directly onto his exterior siding. That single salvage job triggered a decades-long compulsion: before long, two adjacent houses in Slavic Village were completely swallowed under hundreds of rescued paintings, sculptures, and thrifted ephemera.
Look past the sheer dense volume of the exterior and you'll find an obsessively organized catalog of salvaged waste. Masaveg doesn't just hang pictures; he weather-seals found objects and builds custom mounts to turn private residential walls into a public street-side archive. Scan the upper rooflines and you'll spot his distinct assemblage eye—including a 40-pound pig perched on the chimney stack and a Hawaiian coffee burlap bag fastened right beneath it.
What it's like
You don't need a ticket, a tour guide, or an appointment—just slow down along East 55th Street and take in the dense, wall-to-wall art installation directly from the sidewalk. Because these are two private residential homes, respect the property line and stay on public ground, but keep an eye out for George in the yard. He regularly hangs out out front and loves detailing the exact backstory behind whatever thrifted canvas or salvaged sculpture catches your eye.
The move: Walk past the tightly packed exterior to spot the 40-pound pig perched on the chimney and the Hawaiian coffee bag, and keep an eye out for George himself, who loves sharing the stories behind his curated junk.
- 📍 Slavic Village
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 3678 E 55th St, Cleveland, OH 44105
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Tim Willis' Junkyard Playground — Pair George's epoxy-sealed canvas house with another monumental neighborhood outsider-art display in Fairfax, where Tim Willis built over 20 flame-painted robots out of salvaged scrap metal.
- The Cleveland Schvitz — Follow up your roadside gallery stop with an intense steam session in an unmarked 1927 brick fortress bathhouse down in nearby Kinsman.
- Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick — Swap George's street-facing yard assemblage for Raymond Buckland's indoor vault of occult artifacts and witchcraft curiosities in Old Brooklyn.
Good to know
Where is the George Masaveg Art Home located?
The installation spans two adjacent private homes at 3678 East 55th Street in Cleveland's Slavic Village.
How much does it cost to see?
It is completely free to view, as the entire collection is permanently mounted to the outside of the houses facing the public street.
Can you go inside the houses?
No, these are private residential homes, so the artwork display is strictly on the exterior facing the sidewalk.
How do the outdoor paintings survive Cleveland weather?
Masaveg coats the canvases and found artworks in clear epoxy resin before mounting them to protect them from rain, ice, and snow.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura
last checked: 2026-07-21