Animatopoeia – currently on view at the Galleries at CSU – might be one of the most oddly compelling art exhibits to land here in some time. Subtitled "A Most Peculiar (Post Modern) Bestiary," the mixed-media works by international artists explore animal imagery as it relates to an obscure list of categories. Here's a sneak peek.
Within the past five years, the Kamm's Corners commercial district at Lorain Avenue and Rocky River Drive has transformed itself. This once-faded stretch of Irish bars and half-empty storefronts has become a diverse foodie destination, where you can as easily order a gourmet burrito as a pint o' Guinness.
The presence of restaurants like the recently opened Thai Elephant have created a buzzed-about cuisine scene that's a far cry from the West Park of recent me... Read more >
Education is on the forefront of Cleveland's transformation plans. The city is aiming to reform its troubled school system as well as increase the number of youth attending and graduating from college.
Cleveland Public Library (CPL) had Cleveland's goals in mind when planning its African American History Month programming for this year. Throughout February, the library will offer a variety of education- and educator-focused programming, music and events at its mai... Read more >
The philosophy of the Public Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is that kindness to animals helps build a better world for all. If that's true, then Negative Space Gallery hopes to set the foundation for a happier planet with an upcoming PAWS charity event.
Negative Space and area band Second Hand Dogs will host the benefit for the nonprofit animal rescue group on February 16 at the gallery. PAWS' emphasis is placed on reform of current animal cruelty laws and adoption... Read more >
In a Huffington Post feature titled “Women Playwrights Applaud Theaters,” Monica Bauer reports on theaters that make an effort to feature the work of female playwrights, but are not considered a female-centered establishment.
“The Applause Awards are based on the previous year's season, so the first awards go to theaters for their 2011-2012 productions," she writes. "Theaters whose mission is to produce women's work were not eligi... Read more >
Back in 2011, Fresh Water ran a feature about Ohio's newly instituted Film Production Tax Credit, which helped attract big-budget productions like "The Avengers" and "Alex Cross," plus smaller films like "Take Shelter" and "Fun Size." We decided to revisit the topic to see how it's working out for Cleveland, and Ohio.
In a New York Times story titled “The Great Giveback,” Hugh Eakin writes how major American museums are relinquishing antiquities due to foreign claims that various objects were looted.
The piece goes on to talk about the aggressive nature of some foreign governments and the demands they make on the museums to give back what they claim is rightfully theirs.
“Other museums across the country -- including the Metropolitan Museum ... Read more >
Call it a small business grant competition with a twist. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance 5th Street Arcades Retail Development Grant Competition will award $1,500 to $20,000 to startup businesses. Along with free and reduced rent for the first year, tenants will also have a chance to win matching funds and garner community support through online crowdfunding.
Downtown Cleveland Alliance and developer Dick Pace are hoping that the recently launched program, which is being ... Read more >
In an awesome post on Whopperjaw, an online music and arts blog, writer Sam Fryberger interviews the founders -- Jae Kristoff, Michael Pultz and Ed Sotelo -- of the popular Lottery League event on the unexpected success of their wacky idea.
"Lottery League is a large-scale recurring experiment that brings together diverse Cleveland musicians and forces them to form new bands on the spot with people they definitely... Read more >
Northeast Ohio has a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem, so why not let its patrons be directly involved in growing that environment?
This was a question asked by nonprofit Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) when putting to a public vote which large-scale arts or culture projects will receive funding through the organization's new Creative Culture Grants program.
Starting February 1, voters will be able to pick two winning arts projects from a list of six fina... Read more >
Arts and culture can define a community, creating a critical mass that translates into jobs, business opportunities and, ideally, sustained economic prosperity. These were the words of Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative (NEOSCC) director Hunter Morrison during a January 25 roundtable hosted by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC).
These also are words that CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl likes to hear. The focus of the roundta... Read more >
Cleveland's Gordon Square Arts District (GSAD) is supported by a strong backbone of dedicated institutions, corporations, merchants, residents and philanthropists, says Judi Feniger, newly named executive director of the West Side arts enclave.
Feniger planned to spend this week meeting with these groups, and looks forward to continuing the relationships that will help make the district even stronger. "It's a dynamic area," says Feniger, successor to GSA... Read more >
In a USA TODAY feature titled “Historic black neighborhoods climb from recession,” Melanie Eversley explores the influx of investments and resurgence of historically black neighborhoods including Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood.
“In Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood, where poet Langston Hughes once lived and where a 98-year-old theater launched his plays, a bank is investing millions.”
In an Art Daily article titled “Gallery One: A new, unique and interactive gallery opens at the Cleveland Museum of Art,” the journal highlights the level of technology and its role in art appreciation in the new exhibit.
“Throughout the space, original works of art and digital interactives engage visitors in new ways, putting curiosity, imagination and creativity at the heart of their museum experience. Innovative user-interface design and cutting... Read more >
In another example of a fleeting pop-up becoming permanent, local artists Dott Schneider and Bryon Miller recently opened the Miller Schneider Gallery on Waterloo Road in North Collinwood to showcase seldom-seen artists and add to the district's growing visual arts scene.
In recent years, there's been a rotating gallery at 16008 Waterloo Road. When the landlord approached Miller about opening a space, he soon reeled in Schneider.
The St. Clair Superior Development Corporation and artist-entrepreneur Stephanie Sheldon are hoping to start a new tradition in Cleveland come spring -- an urban flea market that celebrates Cleveland's maker community and helps locals turn trash into treasure.
The Cleveland Flea will take place on the second Saturday of the month at E. 64th and St. Clair Avenue beginning in April. It will feature a mix of artisans, food trucks, pop-up and bricks-and-mortar retail, and... Read more >
What's next? It's a question we all wish we had the answer to. But for folks looking to settle down, that question undoubtedly refers to place. In this running series, Fresh Water explores emerging Cleveland neighborhoods that are primed for growth. This week, writer Joe Baur examines North Shore Collinwood.
Each year, Pillow Magazine -- an edgy London publication -- presents a Designs of the Year exhibition during which the best ideas from all over the globe are rounded up for consideration. The exhibition features nominees from seven categories including Architecture, Digital, Fashion and Furniture. In the end, winners from each category plus one overall winner will be announced in April.
Among the nominees in the Architecture category is the Museum of Contemporary Art Clev... Read more >