Visual artist Corey Ochai is on a mission to positively promote the borough he calls home.
“I want people to give people a birds-eye view of Sharpsburg and all the beautiful things here,” said Ochai, 36.
Ochai created a Facebook group four years ago called “The Beautiful Sights of Sharpsburg” and the public group has evolved from 12 members to more than 300.
“I would like to see more people join. It’s like a little news channel for Sharpsburg,” Ochai said.
Family-friendly and sprinkled with feel-good, inspirational video messages from Ochai, the group encourages posts from Sharpsburg residents and the public.
“I want people to visit the site and come out a better person and know what’s Sharpsburg is all about,” Ochai said.
From a video of a curious duck perched near the Allegheny River to posted pics of rainbows, winter snow scenes, spring flowers and the Sharpsburg community garden in full bloom, the Facebook group highlights anything and everything going on in Sharpsburg, with population of about 3,100.
“Good morning beautiful world,” is the standard greeting Ochai often uses in his video messages on the page.
Ochai owns a full-service podcast studio called The 1028 Podcast, located at 1028 North Canal Street in Sharpsburg.
On most mornings you can find him grabbing his morning coffee at Redhawk Coffee Roasters, down the street from his studio.
Redhawk owner Mary Gonzales is a member of Ochai’s Facebook group and described him as a “wonderful human.”
“He’s a great asset to Sharpsburg. He really brings the community together through his deep-rooted love and appreciation for everyone around him,” Gonzales said.
Mindy Heisler, co-owner of Mindy’s Take & Bake on North Canal Street, is one of those who’ve dubbed Ochai the “unofficial mayor of Sharpsburg. She met him about two years ago.
“I think he’s one of the most positive people that I’ve ever met. His focus is bringing cool things to Sharpsburg. His general vibe is how do I make things more awesome? He’s constantly doing things here to make things better for his neighbors. He’s one of those people that has a heart the size of Texas,” Heisler said.
Sharpsburg Mayor Brittany Reno praised Ochai’s efforts and described his actions as “activating” for the community.
“He uplifts and inspires people to pursue their dreams right here in Sharpsburg. His energy and love for life, for people and for community is contagious,” Reno said.
Ochai is also an artist and sells his work primarily on Instagram.
“I’m inspired by Black American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. He’s absolutely the person I look up to the most,” Ochai said.
One of Ochai’s favorite places to frequent is the James Sharp Landing, a dock area along the Allegheny River.
“There’s absolutely a vibe there,” said Ochai, noting wildlife sightings at the river include bald eagles, beavers, deer and cranes.
Ochai was raised in Braddock, growing up under financial hardships with three siblings and a hard-working single mother.
“My mom tried her best, but it was a struggle,” Ochai said.
Ochai graduated from Woodland Hills in 2005.
At 19, he was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, with numerous cancerous tumors throughout his body.
“It was the best thing to happen to me really, ” Ochai said. “I wasn’t living life on the right side of life and wasn’t on the right path. I was living like there was no tomorrow, and as cancer hit me it made me think life is precious.”
After more than six years of chemotherapy, Ochai is happy to report he’s in remission.
He discovered his love of art during art therapy classes associated with recovering from cancer.
“I love Sharpsburg because it’s low crime, affordable living and the people are so inclusive,” Ochai said. “It’s like I’m this goldfish in this environment built for me to thrive,” he said.
Ochai is met his wife, a nurse, while undergoing chemotherapy.
They’ve been married 12 years and have two young children.
