This weekend, attend the grand opening of BRICK Ceramic + Design Studio, cleanup Euclid Park with Erie Art Treasures Kid’s Adventures, join CMA’s MIX: Design for the International Interior Design Association’s biennial Product Runway, learn the history of your favorite University Circle pub and more.
BRICK Ceramics Studio Grand Opening
Friday, May 1st 6 - 10 pm
420 E. 161st St.
Free
Valerie Grossman’s tough femininity personifies Cleveland by its very nature. Grossman, 27, is the founder and director of Waterloo’s new BRICK Ceramic + Design Studio, a communal membership-based ceramic studio and gallery inside of a renovated vacant space that served as an auto garage in the ‘30s.
After Grossman graduated from CIA in 2012 with a BFA in ceramics, she struggled to work full-time non-arts related jobs and maintain a studio practice at the same time. When Northeast Shores acquired the buildings on the corner of E. 161st and Waterloo and put out an open call for artists proposals, she dove head first into the sea of possibility.
“The opportunity arose and it was kind of like ‘Why not now?’ Once I saw the space I knew it would be great for a ceramics studio and I started looking around at the model of other studios to inform my decisions,” she says.
As a first-time entrepreneur, Grossman followed the lead from Cleveland’s own Zygote Press and Echo Ceramics in Los Angeles to create Brick’s membership-based open studio business plan.
The studio will provide artists access to a gas kiln, pottery wheels, a mold-making area, large work tables, a spray booth, a slab roller and a variety of bodies and glazes. “I’m hoping the large open workshop will also build a strong community that shares the space. What I miss a lot about art school is having a community of artists around me making and creating,” she says.
Grossman ceramic objects explore both sculptural and functional forms and often illustrate a unique form of femininity. “A lot of my work has to do with creating a ceramic piece that looks open and airy but is actually heavy and rough. A lot of the themes have to do with representing tough femininity and representing a strong female,” she says. “I take a lot of influence from the strong ladies that have raised me from my grandmother to mother, all the ladies on Waterloo and my friends.”
The opening Friday is free and open to the public. There will also be music by René Schiffer of Apollo’s Fire on cello and a hip hop infused jazz DJ set by Twizz later in the evening.
Erie Art Treasures Kid's Adventures
Friday, May 1st 5 - 9 pm
Euclid Beach State Park Pavilion, 16301 Lakeshore Blvd.
Free
Artists are good at resourceful problem solving. This Saturday, join artists Grace Summanen and Loren Naji in a multifaceted adventure for kids. Kids between the ages of five to 13 are invited to hunt for art materials on the beach and then create a fun craft using the debris.
“Grace Summanen pours paint all over the found art object and it glues the object together and adds layer of color. When I saw her do this, I thought it would also be a great project for kids and I asked her collaborate with us,” says Naji.
Each piece of Erie Art will be displayed at the Waterloo Arts Festival. All artwork will be sold for $20 at the 2015 Waterloo Arts Fest. $12 will go toward the artist and $8 to local charity, Euclid Adopt-a-Beach Team. This project is co-funded by Neighborhood Connections & Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
MIX: Design
Friday, May 1st 5 - 10 pm
Cleveland Museum of Art
Tickets are free for members, $8 for Non-members (18+ only)
This Friday, get design on your mind. The first Friday evening of each month is CMA’s MIX, a delicious sampler platter of art, music and mingling. Discover groundbreaking designs in the galleries and on the runway as CMA hosts the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Cleveland Akron’s biennial Product Runway event.
IIDA’s Product Runway fashion show features couture garments constructed of decor and building materials. A special panel of judges will decide the winners, including Academy Award nominated actress, author, eco activist, and healthy lifestyle advocate Mariel Hemingway.
Basics of Calligraphy Workshop
Saturday, May 2th. 10 am - 12 pm
2530 Superior Ave. #501
$120 Registration (includes workshop, calligraphy kit, and light breakfast)
Sold out
The studio of Christine Winieski is thrilled to be partnering with talent from around the country for a workshop series in her light-filled downtown studio. The workshop series kicks off with Lindsy Buck a self-taught Cincinnati-based calligrapher and founder of The Hive Studio. Her work can be found gracing the covers of Anthropologie catalogs, UPPERCASE Magazine and on countless blogs. Visit Christine Winieski’s website for future workshops.
Historic Pub Crawl
Saturday, May 2nd. 1 - 5 pm
History Center 10825 East Boulevard
$7 (+ additional drinks)
If you enjoy history and a cold drink, preferably together, this is the event for you. This Saturday, join Western Reserve Historical Society’s Young Professionals on their third annual Historic Pub Crawl. You’ll be led by a WRHS historian throughout the University Circle neighborhood, beginning at the History Center. There will be drink specials will be available at each stop throughout. Pre-register here.