This weekend, kick off the first-ever Cleveland chapter of Creative Mornings, view light through a news lens at Heights Art, groove to some live classic Cleveland soul and celebrate Martin Luther King day.
Creative Mornings
Friday, Jan. 16th, 8:30 am
MOCA Cleveland
11400 Euclid Ave. Cleveland
Free
NOTE: All seats for Friday's event were claimed a few hours after registration opened. There is a waiting list that you can submit to. If an attendee withdraws their reservation, waiting list members will be notified. By signing up for the waiting list you can also opt in to be notified for next month's event registration.
Creative mornings have arrived in Cleveland! The concept is simple: breakfast and a short talk the third Friday of the month, one speaker each month, for a total of 12 speakers a year.
“The goal is to share ideas and inspiration. I’ve watched videos of talks from other chapters around the world that have been extremely moving. I hope the Cleveland chapter can contribute some moments worth holding on to,” says Thomas Fox, host of Creative Mornings CLE.
Themes are set globally and open to interpretation so how much the talks relate to the theme will vary. January's Theme is UGLY and Cleveland-based typography authority Nikki Villagomez will be Creative Morning’s first guest speaker.
“I invited Nikki to speak because I thought that her writing on typography and culture connected with how society can shift its perception of beauty (or ugly),” said Fox.
Coffee and breakfast will be provided this month by Phoenix Coffee and TownHall. If you can’t make it, don’t sweat it. Each speaker is captured on video and shared through creativemornings.com.
Light Show mixed media exhibition
Friday, Jan. 16th, 6-9pm
Heights Arts
2175 Lee Road. Cleveland
Free
The sky may be grey but Heights Arts is taking back the light. From January 16th to February 28th, visit the gallery for the art show appropriately named Light Show.
“As we hunker down in January, surrounded by grey skies and dirty snow, this exhibition helps us find solace in light,” said organizer, Cleveland Heights artist and founding Heights Arts board member Sharon Grossman. “Although all artists work with light, these pieces are about light -- luminance, reflection, radiance and glow. I am grateful to these nine inspiring artists for helping Heights Arts brighten your winter.”
Light Show presents nine contemporary Northeast Ohio artists and features neon sculpture, photography, glass, furniture and jewelry, as well as the more functional translation: lamps.
The New Hesitations
Saturday, Jan. 17th 8:30 pm
Nighttown
12383 Cedar Rd.
$20
We associate Detroit with soul music but, Cleveland has it’s own classic soul sounds too! The Hesitations were formed in the late ‘60s and recorded four albums. In 2006, Art Blakey, the lead singer, was asked to put the group back together for a show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After an unsuccessful attempt in getting original members to join him he called in some of his childhood friends and called the group The Sahibs. —they decided to make a comeback as The New Hesitations. Watch the eight-piece band make their soulful debut on Nighttown’s intimate stage.
HEAR OUR VOICES
Monday, Jan. 19th 11 am-5pm
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
2929 Richmond Rd. Beachwood
Free
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK’s message on raising your voice against oppression is as relevant now as it ever was.
Celebrate those who speak out to make their voices heard on issues critical to our society at The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage this Monday with day-long community celebration.
“Whether it’s the firsthand account of a Holocaust survivor or the student Stop the Hate anti-discrimination essay contest, we understand the power of taking a stand and being a voice for positive change,” says Maltz Museum Executive Director Ellen Rudolph. Because, Rudolph explains, as Dr. King said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
The celebration begins at 11:30 with a tribute to Civil Rights advocate and longtime Call & Post Associate Publisher and Executive Editor Connie Harper. The discussion on the importance of black voices in the media will be moderated by Sonali Wilson (General Counsel, Cleveland State University) and include panelists Sheila Wright (Executive Director, Cleveland NAACP), Constance Haqq (Director of Administration & External Affairs, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District) and James W. Wade III (Reporter, Call & Post).
At 1 pm, museum-goers are invited to hear an inspiring spoken word performance by Pushcart-nominated poet, TEDx speaker and facilitator of critical identity discussions Aaron Levy Samuels. And at 3pm, the public is invited to sing for social change with Cleveland Blues Society founder and musician Bob Frank.