Arts + Culture

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Cleveland's collection of world-class arts institutions would be a boon for a city of any size. For nearly a century the Cleveland Museum of Art has served as one of the finest galleries in all the land, recently made all the better thanks to a just-completed $350-million transformation. Rubbing shoulders with the museum for the past 100 years has been the Cleveland Orchestra, which delights fine-music fans at home-base Severance Hall. Toss in the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, Playhouse Square, Cleveland Public Theatre, Museum of Natural History, Cleveland International Film Festival, the Rock Hall, live-music clubs, and funky galleries too numerous to name, it is clear that art, indeed, lives here.

Sidewalk masterpieces: Museum of Art's annual Chalk Festival brings professionals, amateurs together
The Cleveland Museum of Art's 34th annual Chalk Festival drew artists of all ages and abilities last weekend as they decorated the CMA grounds. FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski captured the chalk masterpieces before the rain washed them away.
In the right light: Cleveland History Center hosts Fashion After Dark exhibit
The Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society will open its Fashion After Dark exhibit—simulating the atmosphere of a gaslit evening on Euclid Avenue in the 1840s through fashion, interiors, lighting, and sound.
All are welcome: First annual Neurodiversity Cultural Festival celebrates our differences
Doug Blecher's autism diagnosis at age 42 led him to partner with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and start the first annual Neurodiversity Cultural Festival, happening Saturday, Sept. 30 at Solon Community Park.
Heaven on Earth: Cleveland Museum of Art premiers works from China’s Jiangnan region
The Cleveland Museum of Art opened “China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta,” which explores the historical and cultural riches of Jiangnan region, in the coastal area south of the Yangzi River. The exhibit features more than 200 objects relating to a region that has remained one of China’s wealthiest, most populous, and agriculturally fertile lands.
Pandemonium: Cleveland Public Theatre to host annual benefit, theatrical spectacular
Cleveland Public Theatre will be transformed into a labyrinth of theater, dance, visual art, and performance this Saturday, Sept. 9 at its 21st annual benefit and theatrical spectacular, Pandemonium 2023: Into the Depths.
Prost! Returning Cleveland Oktoberfest in the running for USA Today readers’ favorite
Cleveland Oktoberfest, one of the first big U.S. cities to put on a massive festival each year, occurs over the next two weekends and is in the running with 19 other cities to be chosen as the readers' favorite in a U.S. Today poll.
Photo essay: Ghost Signs of CLE
This is our second photo installment of ghost signs spotted in and around Cleveland.
Artists to unveil Clark Fulton mural that honors Guatemalan community, culture
This weekend, local artists Tessa LeBaron and Hector Castellanos Lara will unveil their mural that celebrates the beauty and traditions of Guatemala, as well as the local Guatemalan culture in the Clark Fulton neighborhood.
Friday’s coming! 78th Street Studios hosts Third Fridays this week
Here's a good way to get through Hump Day: 78th Street Studios' Third Fridays is this week, offering a free open house with visual exhibits, ambient music, delicious cuisine, pop-up vendors, and, of course, open galleries to peruse.
Dramatic history: Former Karamu director Terrence Spivey aims to bring his latest work home
Terrence Spivey hasn't missed a beat since he stepped down from his position as Karamu House artistic director in 2016. Now he has been invited to stage his latest play about the slave ship, the Clotilda, "An Ocean in My Bones," in Cleveland.
Cleveland Arts Prize announces 2023 award winners
Nine recipients will be awarded the 2023 Cleveland Arts Prize, recognizing exceptional achievements and contributions in various artistic disciplines. The winners have impacted the arts community and society through their dedication and creative brilliance.
Q&A: Effie Tsengas Nunes, interim executive director of the Cleveland Arts Prize
Effie Tsengas Nunes was appointed interim executive director of the Cleveland Arts Prize, the organization that awards scholarships and $50,000 in prize money each year to leading artists. Learn about her thoughts and plans for the arts in Cleveland.
On the fringes: Playhouse Square streets, venues become stages at BorderLight Fringe Festival
The BorderLight Fringe Festival kicks off this Thursday, with more than 110 performances in the streets and and venues of Playhouse Square.
Euclid Avenue Opera House: One of the most beautiful theaters in the country in the 1800s
The Euclid Avenue Opera House was known for its elegance and was considered one of the finest in the country. Led by John Ellsler and his stock theater group before Marcus Hanna bought the property, the Hanna Theatre is considered its successor.
You Are Not That Funny: Local writer releases memoir of his short run as a stand-up comic
Author Josh Womack has just released his second book, chronicling his short career as a stand-up comic.
Cleveland Arts Prize to host tours of Summa Health, Ahuja Medical Canter collections
Cleveland Arts Prize will host tours of Summa Health’s Healing Arts Collection and University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center's art collection in Beachwood as the last two events in its arts collection tour series.
Shaker Lakes Meet the Cuyahoga Valley: Experience A Night of Nature tonight at Nature Center
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is partnering with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Literary Cleveland, and Wick Poetry Center tonight for Summer Wednesdays and poetry readings from the Poetic Inventory of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Positive memories: Six RTA bus stop wraps in Union Miles feature historic figures
Working with RTA, artist Kevin "mr. soul" Harp, and the City of Cleveland, the Union Miles Development Corporation installed six bus stop wraps featuring historic figures to enliven the neighborhood.
From visitor to leader: Sonia Winner charts the future at CMNH
Cleveland Museum of Natural History president and CEO Sonia Winner practically raised her children among the museum's dinosaurs and other collections before becoming the institution's leader in 2018. Now she's overseeing the $150 million renovation project.
Celebrating diversity: Pride month and Juneteenth bring June festivities
With Juneteenth and Pride Month both occurring in June, there has been a lot of celebrations of diversity in Cleveland. Thanks to grant funding from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, many area organizations staged world-class celebrations.