Illuminating Spring: Canalway’s annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade in photos
Canalway's annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade brought the city together last Saturday for a celebration along the Cuyahoga River in Tremont. Five commissioned artists created illuminated works of art from upcycled materials to celebrate the Ohio & Erie Canalway's history, while others crafted their own lanterns at a free workshop led by Upcycle Parts Shop.
Breaking down barriers: Smithsonian brings ‘The Bias Inside Us’ to Maltz Museum
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio are partnering with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Partnership to host "The Bias Inside Us." Guests can explore the effects of bias and prejudice with interactive displays, educational programming, and community engagement opportunities.
Small but mighty: Short.Sweet.Film Fest returns to Shaker Square for 15th year
The Short.Sweet.Film Fest opens its 15th year this week, showcasing 338 short films from 26 countries across 33 programs at Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square. The festival has grown from a small basement gathering to a platform for independent short filmmakers. Highlights include Women in Focus, featuring 29 films directed or produced by women.
Climate warriors: Sustainable Economies helps organizations share positive conservation stories
Sustainable Economies Consulting helps Northeast Ohio conservation organizations develop communications plans and strategies to share positive environmental impact stories. Founders Elizabeth Schuster and Marissa Ferrari work with park districts, museums, and land trusts to tell their stories of how they are quietly fighting climate change on thousands of acres of protected wetlands, forests, and prairies.
Brite Glo: Revelers light up Waterloo with 2026 Brite Winter festivities
Cleveland's annual Brite Winter festival landed in the Waterloo Arts District last weekend, offering a much-needed winter escape with music, art, and community celebration. Brite Winter has been the winter arts and culture scene for more than 15 years, and photographer Reuben Kutash documented the 2026 version on Saturday.
Piccolo Italian brings family tradition to Restaurant Week, Cleveland Independents marks 20 years
Piccolo Authentic Italian restaurant in Mayfield Heights is one of more than 30 local eateries participating in Cleveland Restaurant Week, March 2-14, offering $39 prix fixe menus. Piccolo's menu features family recipes passed down from owner Christopher Licht's Sicilian great-grandmother. The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of Cleveland Independents, which encourages diners to support locally-owned restaurants.
Someday, I suppose: Artist Jason Toth, Opus 216 founder, to debut ‘Smallest Concert in Cleveland’&am
Photographer Jason Toth is partnering with Opus 216 founder and violinist Ariel Clayton Karas to produce "The Smallest Concert in Cleveland," in Toth's 78th Street Studios space. With limied space, the March 6 event will feature improvised original music by Opus 216 ensemble members, The passion project is the realization of Toth's dream to create special musical experiences.
Ancient fires: African pyre discovery adds another chapter to CMNH’s research legacy
Cleveland Museum of Natural History archaeologist Elizabeth Sawchuk was recently part of the research team that found the earliest evidence of cremation in Africa—a 9,500-year-old pyre in northern Malawi, where hunter-gatherers cremated a small adult woman. The discovery challenges previous assumptions about ancient African foragers' social behaviors and shows the sophisticated burial practices of early human societies.
Photos: Kurenti banish winter, usher in spring during Kurentovanje
The mythical Kurenti symbolically chased away winter at the 14th annual Cleveland Kurentovanje parade down St. Clair Avenue and the festival at the Slovenian National Home. Photographer Reuben Kutash documented the parade, bocce games, and live music before the Kurenti retreated for another year.
Accelerating ideas: Duo to pitch ‘Concrete Quilt’ to combat HIV crisis through public art
Two Cleveland advocates will pitch their project, "The Concrete Quilt," at the Cleveland Leadership Center's Accelerate Pitch competition on Feb. 26. The concept is for a public art installation at Edgewater Park that will honor those lost to AIDS and offer HIV/AIDS education and awareness.
Happy Lunar New Year! Cleveland celebrates in AsiaTown with dancing, kung fu, and music
Hundreds of Northeast Ohio residents gathered at Asia Place in AsiaTown last weekend to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse. FreshWater photographer Reuben Kutash captured the festivities at Asia Plaza, documenting the community's vibrant cultural celebration.
Cleveland launch of ‘Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison’ to feature artists, authors, advocates
Literary Cleveland and partner organizations this week are launching a year-long celebration honoring the legacy of author and Lorain native Toni Morrison, the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The celebration kicks off in Cleveland on Feb. 18 at Karamu House, followed by monthly events throughout Ohio exploring Morrison's 11 novels.
One heart, forever connected: A 24-year bond forged from loss
Chuck Roberts had to make the difficult decision 24 years ago to donate his daughter Alicia's organs after her tragic death, just weeks before her 16th birthday. That decision saved the life of 15-year-old Candice Monroe, who needed a heart transplant. The families share their story to show how one person's tragedy can become another's miracle.
Return of the Kurenti: Honoring Slovenian heritage, ushering in spring at Cleveland Kurentovanje
Last weekend, photographer Reuben Kutash documents people attending the Kurent Jump at the Slovenian National Home—awakening the Kurenti and kicking off a week of events leading up to the 14th annual Cleveland Kurentovanje festival this Saturday, Feb. 14.  The day will include music and Slovenian food in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood.
Post Cards from the Ledge: Happy Valentine's Day!
What were Clevelanders sending and saying about Valentine's day 100+ years ago? Let's take a look.
Electric reception: moCa Cleveland opens 2026 season with four thought-provoking exhibits
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland launched its 2026 season recently with four new exhibits exploring themes of nature, memory, survival, and responsibility. Guests at he opening reception engaged enthusiastically with the immersive installations by KING COBRA, Sky Hopinka, and other artists.
Rising tide: Cuyahoga County-led Fresh Water Institute celebrates landmark first year
Cuyahoga County's Fresh Water Institute, launched in 2024 by County Executive Chris Ronayne, is training a new generation of environmental stewards to protect the Great Lakes. The institute has reached more than 10,000 residents in its first year, teaching students about water safety, environmental justice, and career opportunities in the region's blue economy.
Art on the edge of form: ‘Surface and Structure’ exhibit redefines contemporary ceramics
Ceramic artists from Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University, and the University of Akron explore clay as a sculptural and architectural medium, rather than functional vessels in The Sculpture Center's new exhibit, "Surface and Structure: Contemporary Ceramics at the Edge of Form."
Art stares Mother Nature in the eye at moCa Cleveland exhibits that rethink environmental bonds
The Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa) Cleveland opens its new season this week with four exhibitions that explore humanity's relationship with the natural world through diverse artistic lenses. The exhibits resist simple narratives about environmental crises to offer various perspectives on trauma, responsibility, and repair of ecosystems.
Cleared for takeoff: Cleveland Public Theatre marks 10 years of Test Flight with six plays
Cleveland Public Theatre celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Test Flight series with six productions by local playwrights, choreographers, and directors over three weekends. Test Flight offers development of works-in-progress while showcasing diverse voices in CPT, Teatro Público de Cleveland, and Masrah Cleveland Al Arabi.