Arts + Culture
the always-progressive cleveland public library to offer patrons free music downloads
Cleveland Public Library has partnered with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to offer its patrons free weekly music downloads.
"CPL knows how passionate Clevelanders are about music, and the importance of music in our community, its history, and its future," CPL director Felton Thomas explained. "CPL has a history of providing our patrons with access to music -- starting as far back as sheet music and records and evolving to CDs. In today's digital world, providing free downloads is the logical next step to give our patrons a way to experience their favorite music."
The music download service launched this week. Library patrons access the available music through a new MyTunes page on the library's website. Cardholders can download up to three songs a week and over 150 per year from Sony's entire catalogue. Patrons get to keep the songs they download forever, legally, and at no cost to them.
To learn more about the service click here.
"CPL knows how passionate Clevelanders are about music, and the importance of music in our community, its history, and its future," CPL director Felton Thomas explained. "CPL has a history of providing our patrons with access to music -- starting as far back as sheet music and records and evolving to CDs. In today's digital world, providing free downloads is the logical next step to give our patrons a way to experience their favorite music."
The music download service launched this week. Library patrons access the available music through a new MyTunes page on the library's website. Cardholders can download up to three songs a week and over 150 per year from Sony's entire catalogue. Patrons get to keep the songs they download forever, legally, and at no cost to them.
To learn more about the service click here.
Cleveland Kings and Girls, a six-year-old outfit that performs regularly at Bounce Nightclub, features an eclectic troupe of performers that includes drag kings, drag queens, trans kings and bio-boys and girls. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski takes us on a risk-free sneak peek. Consider your two-drink minimum waived.
Students from St. Martin dePorres High School in Cleveland are sprucing up their neighborhood. Thirty three students created 11 murals based on the cultural background and institutions in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood.
The murals were installed on Tuesday into vacant storefronts between East 60th and East 64th Streets as a way to liven up that section of St. Clair Avenue near the school, eliminating blight and creating interest in the corridor.
"It really came together well because the students really learned about the culture of the area, and that is reflected in the art," says Jamar Doyle, project and commercial development director for the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation. "We wanted to brighten up the area so it wouldn't look so drab."
The project was organized by St. Martin dePorres service coordinator Mary Grasla and art teacher Michelle Brickner. Funding came from a Cleveland Cityworks grant and support from DayGlo Color, which is based in the neighborhood.
The murals are portable, so they can move from one storefront to another as the vacancies are filled. At least one vacant storefront in the project has already been filled by a sandwich shop. Placement of the murals is up to the building owners.
The project was such a hit, the school is considering making it a yearly thing. "We may continue the project as a learning piece," says Doyle. "It was a lot of fun."
Source: Jamar Doyle
Writer: Karin Connelly
The renewal of an urban core usually involves, at some point, a grand, sweeping plan that calls for huge development projects costing millions, or billions, of dollars: a new convention center, a mass transit system, a comprehensive waterfront plan. But as cities realize the importance of attracting and retaining talent, it's the smaller development projects and neighborhood investment that are driving real and sustainable change.
The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) announced Tuesday that it has selected North Collinwood for its Artists in Residence Program, an effort to use artist-based development to help revitalize one urban neighborhood.
The two-year, $500,000 pilot program will provide a small loan program for artists buying or rehabbing homes in the target area, a small grant program to support artists' work in carrying out community-based projects, and artist home ownership services such as credit counseling and saving programs.
A panel of arts, community development and planning experts selected the target neighborhood through a competitive process. Seth Beattie, Strategic Initiative Director for CPAC, said the panel was impressed by the grassroots, arts-based approach of Northeast Shores Development Corporation, the nonprofit that serves the neighborhood. A total of 13 community development corporations from various Cleveland neighborhoods applied to the program.
"We wanted to work with someone that got it, and Northeast Shores made a compelling case," says Beattie. "They've done a great job of giving artists license to use the neighborhood as their canvas, yet they've followed behind and supported them, resulting in organic, grassroots redevelopment of the neighborhood." He cited the arts-based businesses on Waterloo Road as one example.
Although the details of the program have yet to be worked out, Beattie mentioned several possibilities, including $2,500-$10,000 grants to artists for community-based projects, arts-based community dialogues, and integrating arts-based development into current redevelopment projects in a deeper way.
The program is being funded in part through a $250,000 grant from Leveraging Investments in Creativity's Creative Communities Challenge Grant Program, a one-time competitive grant program made possible through the support of the Kresge Foundation.
CPAC is a nonprofit arts and culture service organization that works to strengthen Greater Cleveland's arts and culture sector. Some of its programs include the Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute, a business training course addressing the needs of working artists, and From Rust Belt to Artist Belt, a conference series that examines the role of artists in the redevelopment of industrial cities.
Source: Seth Beattie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The two-year, $500,000 pilot program will provide a small loan program for artists buying or rehabbing homes in the target area, a small grant program to support artists' work in carrying out community-based projects, and artist home ownership services such as credit counseling and saving programs.
A panel of arts, community development and planning experts selected the target neighborhood through a competitive process. Seth Beattie, Strategic Initiative Director for CPAC, said the panel was impressed by the grassroots, arts-based approach of Northeast Shores Development Corporation, the nonprofit that serves the neighborhood. A total of 13 community development corporations from various Cleveland neighborhoods applied to the program.
"We wanted to work with someone that got it, and Northeast Shores made a compelling case," says Beattie. "They've done a great job of giving artists license to use the neighborhood as their canvas, yet they've followed behind and supported them, resulting in organic, grassroots redevelopment of the neighborhood." He cited the arts-based businesses on Waterloo Road as one example.
Although the details of the program have yet to be worked out, Beattie mentioned several possibilities, including $2,500-$10,000 grants to artists for community-based projects, arts-based community dialogues, and integrating arts-based development into current redevelopment projects in a deeper way.
The program is being funded in part through a $250,000 grant from Leveraging Investments in Creativity's Creative Communities Challenge Grant Program, a one-time competitive grant program made possible through the support of the Kresge Foundation.
CPAC is a nonprofit arts and culture service organization that works to strengthen Greater Cleveland's arts and culture sector. Some of its programs include the Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute, a business training course addressing the needs of working artists, and From Rust Belt to Artist Belt, a conference series that examines the role of artists in the redevelopment of industrial cities.
Source: Seth Beattie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
As is the case everywhere else on the planet, Cleveland is graced with more than its fair share of bloggers. From politics and sports to dining and social life, nothing here escapes the scrutiny of at least a handful of online scribes. When the traditional media fails to provide that unique perspective on, say, a teenager's long-held crush on Bernie Kosar, to whom will we turn? These bloggers, for a start.
jane scott tributes sing across national media
Groundbreaking Cleveland rock music critic Jane Scott made as many fans as she did cover them for the Plain Dealer. Thus, upon learning of her recent passing to that great Green Room in the sky, a national outpouring of affection bubbled up in the national media.
A New York Times obituary wrote, "At a time when newspapers were famously inhospitable to women, Ms. Scott made her career by tackling a beat that few writers of either sex wanted -- a beat that barely existed when she began writing about rock 'n' roll in the mid-1960s."
"In Cleveland, Ms. Scott could scarcely walk down the street without fans stopping to take her picture. But she was known far beyond the city, profiled in print, on radio and on television throughout the country and abroad."
Clearly. Read the whole obit here.
Writing for The L.A. Times music blog Pop & Hiss, Holly Gleason says, "If Jane Scott leaves a legacy, beyond thousands of stories filed, it's the artists who knew they were somebody because she turned her notebook toward them. As Reed enthused for her 80th birthday, "I love Jane Scott. I always have, I always will. When I was in the Velvet Underground, Jane was one of the only people I can remember who was nice to us. Interested in the music, the styles -- a very smart, guileless lady who loved music and musicians and had unbiased attitudes towards the evolving culture."
"Her writing gave music deeper context for generations in the city hailed as the "Rock & Roll Capitol of the World." She captured the essence of rock coming of age, growing into maturity and finding its way into the 21st century. Her mark will be felt for years to come."
Read the rest here.
A New York Times obituary wrote, "At a time when newspapers were famously inhospitable to women, Ms. Scott made her career by tackling a beat that few writers of either sex wanted -- a beat that barely existed when she began writing about rock 'n' roll in the mid-1960s."
"In Cleveland, Ms. Scott could scarcely walk down the street without fans stopping to take her picture. But she was known far beyond the city, profiled in print, on radio and on television throughout the country and abroad."
Clearly. Read the whole obit here.
Writing for The L.A. Times music blog Pop & Hiss, Holly Gleason says, "If Jane Scott leaves a legacy, beyond thousands of stories filed, it's the artists who knew they were somebody because she turned her notebook toward them. As Reed enthused for her 80th birthday, "I love Jane Scott. I always have, I always will. When I was in the Velvet Underground, Jane was one of the only people I can remember who was nice to us. Interested in the music, the styles -- a very smart, guileless lady who loved music and musicians and had unbiased attitudes towards the evolving culture."
"Her writing gave music deeper context for generations in the city hailed as the "Rock & Roll Capitol of the World." She captured the essence of rock coming of age, growing into maturity and finding its way into the 21st century. Her mark will be felt for years to come."
Read the rest here.
cleveland orchestra invites bloggers backstage for meet and greet
Last weekend, the Cleveland Orchestra opened up Blossom's backstage doors to area bloggers and media types for a casual "meet the musician" panel discussion. With nary a string, reed or drumstick in sight, the cultured quartet performed with understated charm as they chatted about starting out.
"Every Korean kid has to take piano lessons," said Jung-Min Amy Lee. Alas, her teacher reported that she did indeed have musical talent, but it wasn't in piano. Lee considered the cello, but her mother nixed those aspirations. "My mom said, 'No. That thing is so big, I'm going to have to carry it around for her!'" so Lee settled on the infinitely more manageable violin.
She wasn't the only one who struggled. Principal timpanist Paul Yancich detailed his long family history with classical music and how he started out as a bit of a black sheep.
"They could not find an instrument that I liked," said Yancich. His father suggested the French horn. "I had one lesson and that was it." So it went until he saw a pair of drumsticks sticking out of a schoolmate's pocket. Yancich was hypnotized and never looked back.
Principal clarinetist Frank Cohen succinctly explained why he chose the clarinet as a kid. "It was the only instrument I could get a sound out of."
The rocky start-ups notwithstanding, when the musicians joined the rest of the orchestra, their performance of the John Adams Violin Concerto and Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 dazzled the audience.
Principal violinist Stephen Rose summed up the orchestral experience thusly:
"You do really feel like one small, small part of this massive, beautiful, round sound. It's a special kind of feeling." Judging from the audience's thunderous applause, that feeling spread throughout Blossom amphitheatre.
The Orchestra's line up for the 2011 season at Blossom features shows from Broadway Classics to the music of Irving Berlin and the Joffrey Ballet. They run every weekend though September 10. With incredibly reasonable ticket pricing from $19 to $53, and books of 10 flexible lawn tickets for $139, everyone can afford to enjoy this staple of cool Cleveland culture.
Writer: Erin O'Brien
"Every Korean kid has to take piano lessons," said Jung-Min Amy Lee. Alas, her teacher reported that she did indeed have musical talent, but it wasn't in piano. Lee considered the cello, but her mother nixed those aspirations. "My mom said, 'No. That thing is so big, I'm going to have to carry it around for her!'" so Lee settled on the infinitely more manageable violin.
She wasn't the only one who struggled. Principal timpanist Paul Yancich detailed his long family history with classical music and how he started out as a bit of a black sheep.
"They could not find an instrument that I liked," said Yancich. His father suggested the French horn. "I had one lesson and that was it." So it went until he saw a pair of drumsticks sticking out of a schoolmate's pocket. Yancich was hypnotized and never looked back.
Principal clarinetist Frank Cohen succinctly explained why he chose the clarinet as a kid. "It was the only instrument I could get a sound out of."
The rocky start-ups notwithstanding, when the musicians joined the rest of the orchestra, their performance of the John Adams Violin Concerto and Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 dazzled the audience.
Principal violinist Stephen Rose summed up the orchestral experience thusly:
"You do really feel like one small, small part of this massive, beautiful, round sound. It's a special kind of feeling." Judging from the audience's thunderous applause, that feeling spread throughout Blossom amphitheatre.
The Orchestra's line up for the 2011 season at Blossom features shows from Broadway Classics to the music of Irving Berlin and the Joffrey Ballet. They run every weekend though September 10. With incredibly reasonable ticket pricing from $19 to $53, and books of 10 flexible lawn tickets for $139, everyone can afford to enjoy this staple of cool Cleveland culture.
Writer: Erin O'Brien
ray's mtb park gets nod in wired mag
In an article titled "Go Big, Get Air, Get Fit" in the July 2011 issue of Wired magazine, Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park is included along with other off-beat exercise options.
"Weights. Treadmills. Spin classes. Let's face it," begins the article, "workout innovations just haven't kept pace with advances in TV, iPad, and snack-food technology. That said, a few forward-looking gyms offer activities that might actually compete with our Twitter/Netflix/PizzaRanch fixations."
Writer Steven Nereo calls Ray's the only brand of indoor park in the country built specifically for mountain bikes. "There are separate areas for beginners and experts, with wood ramps and assorted obstacles (like rocks and logs, for example) connected by looping trails. The buildings are closed during the summer months, when Ray's can't compete with Mother Nature's gym."
Ray's will re-open October 1, 2011 -- bigger and better than ever.
"Weights. Treadmills. Spin classes. Let's face it," begins the article, "workout innovations just haven't kept pace with advances in TV, iPad, and snack-food technology. That said, a few forward-looking gyms offer activities that might actually compete with our Twitter/Netflix/PizzaRanch fixations."
Writer Steven Nereo calls Ray's the only brand of indoor park in the country built specifically for mountain bikes. "There are separate areas for beginners and experts, with wood ramps and assorted obstacles (like rocks and logs, for example) connected by looping trails. The buildings are closed during the summer months, when Ray's can't compete with Mother Nature's gym."
Ray's will re-open October 1, 2011 -- bigger and better than ever.
Long a destination that appealed primarily to small-town families in search of "big city" fun, Cleveland has ripened as a travel destination. Today, it's not just trade shows that are drawing folks, but also the growing LGBT scene, Broadway-quality theater and high-profile dining. Thanks to the efforts of Positively Cleveland, the region's convention and visitors bureau, "Cleveland Plus" drew 30 million visitors last year, who supported 163,000 jobs and dropped $13 billion in economic impact.
Business is booming in Little Italy, and the past year has seen a slew of new shops open in the historic community. Known for its galleries, shopping and great Italian restaurants, Little Italy welcomes newcomers peddling everything from fabric to vintage apparel.
The new specialty shops and galleries fit right in, embracing the old world feel of the neighborhood. Heartstrings, an antiques, art and unusual gifts boutique, moved from the basement of the former Lycium School building to a larger store in a former church on Murray Hill. Known for having "all things quirky," the store features vintage apparel, art, sterling silver and handmade soaps and oils. "There's so much to look at," says Sue Marrone, president of the Little Italy Merchants Association. "It's pure eye candy."
Bolt and Spool, which sells fabrics, patterns and ribbons for children's clothing, opened in November in the old school on Murray Hill. Owner Nan Webb chose Little Italy because it reminded her of Europe, where many of her fabrics come from. "With the cobblestone streets in Little Italy it kind of feels like you're there," she says. "In the school, it feels like you're not alone. There's a sense of community there."
Serafino Gallery and Design on Mayfield Road features the work of local artists. The non-profit company holds regular exhibits by local artists in various media. The shows promote arts and the community. "They have incredible showings there," says Marrone.
These businesses are just a taste of what Little Italy has to offer. "There's always neat things to do down here," says Marrone. "It's always a great place to be and it's a tremendous source of pride."
Source: Sue Marrone
Writer: Karin Connelly
The new specialty shops and galleries fit right in, embracing the old world feel of the neighborhood. Heartstrings, an antiques, art and unusual gifts boutique, moved from the basement of the former Lycium School building to a larger store in a former church on Murray Hill. Known for having "all things quirky," the store features vintage apparel, art, sterling silver and handmade soaps and oils. "There's so much to look at," says Sue Marrone, president of the Little Italy Merchants Association. "It's pure eye candy."
Bolt and Spool, which sells fabrics, patterns and ribbons for children's clothing, opened in November in the old school on Murray Hill. Owner Nan Webb chose Little Italy because it reminded her of Europe, where many of her fabrics come from. "With the cobblestone streets in Little Italy it kind of feels like you're there," she says. "In the school, it feels like you're not alone. There's a sense of community there."
Serafino Gallery and Design on Mayfield Road features the work of local artists. The non-profit company holds regular exhibits by local artists in various media. The shows promote arts and the community. "They have incredible showings there," says Marrone.
These businesses are just a taste of what Little Italy has to offer. "There's always neat things to do down here," says Marrone. "It's always a great place to be and it's a tremendous source of pride."
Source: Sue Marrone
Writer: Karin Connelly
media has feeding frenzy over gaga's meaty fashions
Unless you were sharing an underground bunker with Dick Cheney, you likely heard the news that Lady Gaga's impish "meat dress" landed in Cleveland. Now part of the "Women Who Rock" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the dress first appeared at last year's MTV Video Music Awards.
Well, the media has been on a bit of a meat-fueled feeding frenzy since the news broke, publishing stories with carnivorous impunity. Fresh Water writer Erin O'Brien was one of them, penning this piece last week.
Writing this piece for the New Times Broward-Palm Beach, Laine Doss explained the process that it took to ready the dress for its Cleveland debut.
"How do you store and display raw meat for days, weeks, and months without flies, maggots, and the rotting stench of decay?" she asks rhetorically. Well, you turn it into beef jerky, of course. "The outfit, made of Argentine beef, was kept in a meat locker, placed in a vat of chemicals, and dried by a team of taxidermists over a period of several months."
Dee-lish.
In this article, the Montreal Gazette reminded readers of the "meaning" behind the meat.
"Gaga later told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that the dress had many interpretations," among them, "If we don't stand up for what we believe in, and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And, I am not a piece of meat."
In this MTV article, writer Jocelyn Vena chats with the Rock Hall's chief curator Jim Henke, who explains other tactics the museum is using to keep the meat mountain fresh.
"It's going to be in a case and we are putting some canisters in there to control the humidity, and then we have this other canister that soaks up the glutens," Henke explained. "But it's in a sealed case and we have the gels to control the environment in there."
Henke says that as weird as Gaga's dress may be, it's not the oddest item in the collection.
"Definitely one of the stranger pieces," he says, but adds "There are some other weird things. We actually have [pioneering radio DJ] Alan Freed's ashes."
Well, the media has been on a bit of a meat-fueled feeding frenzy since the news broke, publishing stories with carnivorous impunity. Fresh Water writer Erin O'Brien was one of them, penning this piece last week.
Writing this piece for the New Times Broward-Palm Beach, Laine Doss explained the process that it took to ready the dress for its Cleveland debut.
"How do you store and display raw meat for days, weeks, and months without flies, maggots, and the rotting stench of decay?" she asks rhetorically. Well, you turn it into beef jerky, of course. "The outfit, made of Argentine beef, was kept in a meat locker, placed in a vat of chemicals, and dried by a team of taxidermists over a period of several months."
Dee-lish.
In this article, the Montreal Gazette reminded readers of the "meaning" behind the meat.
"Gaga later told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that the dress had many interpretations," among them, "If we don't stand up for what we believe in, and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And, I am not a piece of meat."
In this MTV article, writer Jocelyn Vena chats with the Rock Hall's chief curator Jim Henke, who explains other tactics the museum is using to keep the meat mountain fresh.
"It's going to be in a case and we are putting some canisters in there to control the humidity, and then we have this other canister that soaks up the glutens," Henke explained. "But it's in a sealed case and we have the gels to control the environment in there."
Henke says that as weird as Gaga's dress may be, it's not the oddest item in the collection.
"Definitely one of the stranger pieces," he says, but adds "There are some other weird things. We actually have [pioneering radio DJ] Alan Freed's ashes."
Cleveland State University's Factory Theatre is so often booked that students have to schedule rehearsals late at night. While department chair Michael Mauldin bemoans his program's outdated facilities, he realizes that it's a good problem to have.
Before Mauldin was hired in 2006 to breathe new life into the moribund Dramatic Arts Program, the school had only 21 majors. Campus officials had even considered canceling it. Today,CSU's theatre program boasts 85 majors -- and counting.
"We're poised to become a destination theatre program in the coming years," Mauldin predicts. "That's not hubris -- there's some very solid work being produced here."
Mauldin is especially excited about CSU's imminent move to the three new stages at the newly renovated and expanded Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. When the theatre opens in September, CSU will share it with Cleveland Play House, which is relocating from its long-standing home near the Cleveland Clinic.
"Currently, we only have one performance stage in an old textile factory," explains Mauldin. "We're moving to a 500-seat, state-of-the-art theatre inside the Allen, a 290-seat flex space and a 150-seat black box theatre. It's a dream of a space."
Mauldin also lauded the renovation of the Middough Building on East 13th Street, which will feature classrooms, studios and rehearsal halls. "Instead of stepping over each other, we can have concurrent activities going on," he says.
Although CSU's program is already strong (Mauldin reports that 95 percent of its graduates are either working or attending graduate school in the field) it will only get better by being part of PlayhouseSquare.
"We're part of the city, whose theatrical life is so vibrant," he says. "There's so much promise and potential to live up to."
Source: Michael Mauldin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Before Mauldin was hired in 2006 to breathe new life into the moribund Dramatic Arts Program, the school had only 21 majors. Campus officials had even considered canceling it. Today,CSU's theatre program boasts 85 majors -- and counting.
"We're poised to become a destination theatre program in the coming years," Mauldin predicts. "That's not hubris -- there's some very solid work being produced here."
Mauldin is especially excited about CSU's imminent move to the three new stages at the newly renovated and expanded Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. When the theatre opens in September, CSU will share it with Cleveland Play House, which is relocating from its long-standing home near the Cleveland Clinic.
"Currently, we only have one performance stage in an old textile factory," explains Mauldin. "We're moving to a 500-seat, state-of-the-art theatre inside the Allen, a 290-seat flex space and a 150-seat black box theatre. It's a dream of a space."
Mauldin also lauded the renovation of the Middough Building on East 13th Street, which will feature classrooms, studios and rehearsal halls. "Instead of stepping over each other, we can have concurrent activities going on," he says.
Although CSU's program is already strong (Mauldin reports that 95 percent of its graduates are either working or attending graduate school in the field) it will only get better by being part of PlayhouseSquare.
"We're part of the city, whose theatrical life is so vibrant," he says. "There's so much promise and potential to live up to."
Source: Michael Mauldin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When the Cleveland Play House kicks off its adventurous 2011 season this coming fall, it will do so in a completely reworked Allen Theatre, about 70 blocks west of its current home. Built in 1921 as a 3,000-seat movie house, the Allen is currently wrapping up a $32-million renovation that will give not only the Play House a brand new home, but also Cleveland State University's thriving theatre department.
The phrase "party of the year" gets bandied about quite a bit, but rare is the bash that truly deserves the designation. One that does -- year after year -- is the Summer Solstice Party at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Held in the galleries and on the grounds of the world-renowned museum, the blowout attracts upwards of 4,000 revelers per year. This year's event is slated for June 25th.
Lady Gaga's now-infamous meat dress sizzled when the pop diva stepped beneath the hot lights of L.A.'s Nokia Theatre for the MTV Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2010. That stunning premiere only marked the beginning of the dress's long trip to Cleveland, which ended on June 16 when it ultimately arrived for display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
For decades, the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge supported the streetcars that shuttled Cleveland commuters across town. More recently, the rarely seen space has become a unique and beloved public gathering space.
In 2009, the two-day Bridge Project reopened the space to the public for one of the first times, attracting some 20,000 people. The offbeat festival of music and art featured a design charrette that solicited input for making the bridge more accessible and friendly to the public. More recently, the space has played host to Ingenuity Fest.
Those who do tour the half-mile walkway are treated to breathtaking views of downtown, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. There were also tantalizing remnants of Cleveland history: segments of old streetcar track, an historic subway station, and a watery pool fed from a natural spring in the hillside.
Now a new effort is underway to open the bridge to the public year-round. Organizers envision a bicycle and pedestrian link that bridges downtown and Ohio City, a performance venue and an authentic connection to Cleveland's past.
Led by the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), James Levin and the Cuyahoga County Engineer, the Bridge Project has been nominated for a coveted "This Place Matters" award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Voting takes place between June 1st and June 30th. Currently, the Bridge Project is number six out of 100 projects that made the first cut.
"Since the voting started, we've moved from 40th place to 6th place, so we're hopeful that we'll be one of the three finalists to receive funding," says David Jurca, Urban Designer at the CUDC. "We plan to use the funding to match a grant we've received from the Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLCI) program that will allow us to plan and design the future of the space."
A community-driven effort is now underway to move the project into one of the top spots. First prize is $35,000; second prize is $10,000; and third prize is $5,000.
Source: David Jurca
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In 2009, the two-day Bridge Project reopened the space to the public for one of the first times, attracting some 20,000 people. The offbeat festival of music and art featured a design charrette that solicited input for making the bridge more accessible and friendly to the public. More recently, the space has played host to Ingenuity Fest.
Those who do tour the half-mile walkway are treated to breathtaking views of downtown, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. There were also tantalizing remnants of Cleveland history: segments of old streetcar track, an historic subway station, and a watery pool fed from a natural spring in the hillside.
Now a new effort is underway to open the bridge to the public year-round. Organizers envision a bicycle and pedestrian link that bridges downtown and Ohio City, a performance venue and an authentic connection to Cleveland's past.
Led by the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), James Levin and the Cuyahoga County Engineer, the Bridge Project has been nominated for a coveted "This Place Matters" award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Voting takes place between June 1st and June 30th. Currently, the Bridge Project is number six out of 100 projects that made the first cut.
"Since the voting started, we've moved from 40th place to 6th place, so we're hopeful that we'll be one of the three finalists to receive funding," says David Jurca, Urban Designer at the CUDC. "We plan to use the funding to match a grant we've received from the Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLCI) program that will allow us to plan and design the future of the space."
A community-driven effort is now underway to move the project into one of the top spots. First prize is $35,000; second prize is $10,000; and third prize is $5,000.
Source: David Jurca
Writer: Lee Chilcote
For three local entrepreneurs, playing with toys is big business. Arthur Gugick sells elaborate building replicas constructed from Legos. George Vlosich uses an Etch a Sketch to create pricy masterworks. And Tom Donelan turned his love of board games into a thriving national brand. These Cleveland-area professionals have proven that child's play is no joke.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has secured Cleveland's place in rock history, yet many of the legendary performances enshrined there would be lost forever without the artful eye of music photographers.
Now a new exhibition, entitled "Visual Music: Northeast Ohio Photographers Look at Rock and Roll," celebrates these unsung historians of the music scene. It opens with a reception on Saturday, June 11th at the Waterloo Road Gallery and runs through Saturday, June 25th, when it wraps up with an all-day open house during the Waterloo Arts Festival.
The first-of-its-kind show includes work by George Shuba, a photographer who captured the Beatles and the Rolling Stones when they played here in the 1960s; Bob Ferrell, Stephanie Saniga and Anastasia Pantsios, who shot local stages in the 1970s when Cleveland was considered a "breakout" market for many major artists; Karen Novak, who dodged stage divers and braved sweaty mosh pits to capture the underground shows of the Euclid Tavern in the 1990s; and Bryon Miller, who has shot many of the most creative bands playing today.
"Visual Music," which was curated by longtime music photographer and journalist Anastasia Pantsios, includes work by a dozen photographers. In a press release, Pantsios expounded on the breadth of this unprecedented exhibit.
"All of these artists have created distinctive bodies of work, many of which have never been exhibited in a gallery setting," she said. "With over 200 prints, this is the largest survey of local music photography ever seen."
Source: Anastasia Pantsios
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now a new exhibition, entitled "Visual Music: Northeast Ohio Photographers Look at Rock and Roll," celebrates these unsung historians of the music scene. It opens with a reception on Saturday, June 11th at the Waterloo Road Gallery and runs through Saturday, June 25th, when it wraps up with an all-day open house during the Waterloo Arts Festival.
The first-of-its-kind show includes work by George Shuba, a photographer who captured the Beatles and the Rolling Stones when they played here in the 1960s; Bob Ferrell, Stephanie Saniga and Anastasia Pantsios, who shot local stages in the 1970s when Cleveland was considered a "breakout" market for many major artists; Karen Novak, who dodged stage divers and braved sweaty mosh pits to capture the underground shows of the Euclid Tavern in the 1990s; and Bryon Miller, who has shot many of the most creative bands playing today.
"Visual Music," which was curated by longtime music photographer and journalist Anastasia Pantsios, includes work by a dozen photographers. In a press release, Pantsios expounded on the breadth of this unprecedented exhibit.
"All of these artists have created distinctive bodies of work, many of which have never been exhibited in a gallery setting," she said. "With over 200 prints, this is the largest survey of local music photography ever seen."
Source: Anastasia Pantsios
Writer: Lee Chilcote