Arts + Culture
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.
Tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., people of all talents and abilities are invited to Waterloo Arts for a Brite Winter workshop to create glowing lanterns and decorations for Cleveland's winter arts and music festival. Brite Winter debuts in its new location in the Waterloo Arts District on February 21.
The Western Reserve Historical Society is about to launch its latest murder mystery event, "Municipal Murder: The Final Pitch," set in the 1948 Cleveland baseball scene. Now in its third year, the immersive series has become a seasonal favorite, offering participants the chance to solve historically-rooted mysteries while learning about different eras of Cleveland's past.
In 1854, Frederick Douglass delivered his only commencement address at Western Reserve College in Hudson, challenging scientific racism and calling for moral courage. Student filmmakers have revived this piece of history through the award-winning documentary "Just and Perfect," just in time for Douglass' great-great-great grandson to visit the campus where the original speech was delivered.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this Monday, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Art, and CMA's Community Arts Center, will offer free admission and programming to celebrate Dr. King's legacy. The celebrations feature activities ranging from planetarium shows and wildlife encounters to art-making workshops, live performances, and storytelling sessions. Several other University Circle institutions are also participating, with University Circle Inc. providing free CircleLink shuttle service to all locations.
On Feb. 18, Literary Cleveland and Ohio Humanities will lead organizations throughout Ohio in yearlong celebration honoring Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. The celebration will feature more than 40 events, exploring Morrison's life, literature, and impact on American culture.
As we head into the peak of the holiday season, Downtown Cleveland is the place to be for festive lights, decorations, and winter celebrations.
Danielle McGough, a professional gingerbread house designer who has created holiday structures for major retailers, launched the Jolly Gingerbread Makery Pop-Up Workshop in 78th Street Studios this holiday season. Participants decorate hand-baked gingerbread houses with access to a variety of decorations and optional add-ons like LED lights and edible windows.
For more than 40 years, photojournalist Roger Mastroianni has chronicled Cleveland's arts, healthcare, and corporate landscapes—capturing everything from Cleveland Orchestra performances to hospital operating rooms. Mastroianni's work is a living archive of Cleveland's cultural history and the evolution of photojournalism itself.
"One Art One Community," an art exhibit at Case Western Reserve University's Wade Park Community Engagement Center, showcases 46 works by 16 incarcerated artists from Grafton Correctional Institution. The exhibit is meant to create meaningful connections between inmates and Cleveland community members. with Community Voice labels written by people impacted by incarceration.
The Shaker Arts Council and Craft Kinship will present a Holiday Art Market at Van Aken District on Saturday, Dec. 13, featuring works by Cleveland Institute of Art students, alumni, and emerging artists. The one-day event will offer handmade glass, ceramics, jewelry, and other crafts, with 20% of proceeds supporting the Shaker Arts Council.
The Cavaliers have unveiled their 2025-26 City Edition uniforms, featuring orange and yellow hues inspired by autumn sunsets at Edgewater Beach and across the trails on Cleveland Metroparks' 25,000 acres.
Last Saturday, thousands gathered in the Gordon Square Arts District for the 21st annual Día de Muertos celebration, presented by Cleveland Public Theatre and Día de Muertos Ohio. Costumed celebrants in elaborate makeup and colorful adornments—moved down Detroit Avenue to honor and remember their loved ones in the Procession of Skulls and Skeletons. Photographer Reuben Kutash joined the procession to document that day.
CAN Journal will host its annual Buy Art, Buy Ohio benefit this Saturday, Nov. 8, at The Hall at St. James in Lakewood. The event features an immersive projection-mapped installation that showcases work from more than 30 regional artists and is edited by Cleveland artist Jason Toth. Proceeds support CAN Journal's work while guests can celebrate local artists, enjoy music, an auction, and kick off their holiday shopping with local goods and art.
Eleven years after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by Cleveland police, his mother, Samaria Rice, and playwright and former Karamu House artistic director Terence Spivey are reprising the 2016 theatrical production "Objectively/Reasonable: A Community Response to the Shooting of Tamir Rice, 11/22/14." The Saturday, Nov. 8 staging at Near West Theatre will raise funds for the Tamir Rice Afro-Centric Cultural Center.
Cleveland's 21st annual Día de Muertos Festival, organized by Cleveland Public Theatre and Día de Muertos Ohio, will take place on November 1st in the Gordon Square Arts District. The event, which honors the memory of those who have passed, will feature traditional arts, music, dance, food, and cultural activities, including altar installations and the Skulls and Skeletons Procession.
Artist Bob Peck's retrospective exhibit, "In the Blink of an Eye," showcases more than 35 years as a graffiti artist and abstract expressionist. The one-night event at Graffiti HeArt will feature Peck's evolution as an artist, educator, and community figure—displaying works from his early street art days to his recent explorations in three-dimensional art.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library's Parma-Powers branch transformed a 240-square-foot space into a dynamic Art Wall, featuring rotating exhibits from local and national artists. This initiative is an example of how libraries are adapting to meet community needs, offering not just books but also access to art, technology, and shared experiences.
Lake Erie Ink and Cleveland State University English department will host the fifth annual Teen Writers' Symposium, allowing young writers in grades six through 12 to explore their creativity and develop their writing skills through workshops, panel discussions, and interactions with guest writers.
The Cleveland Silent Film Festival & Colloquium (CSFF) wrapped up its 2025 fall viewing series of silent films set to live musical accompaniment. CSFF board member and seasoned entertainment writer David S. Cohen reflects on the impact of live music, and the talented accompanists' work, have on these classic silent films.
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Artist Edra Soto has created a unique bus shelter installation in Cleveland, inspired by Puerto Rican architectural motifs. "La Distancia" serves as both a functional transit shelter and a public art piece—exploring themes of cultural identity, migration, and belonging. The shelter is designed to be a gathering space for the community while showcasing Puerto Rican architecture and culture.