Arts + Culture
Clevelanders are spoiled with an abundance of natural resources -- from water and parklands to wide-open spaces. But that doesn’t give us liberty to be careless about the way we use those assets. We chat with a pair of local "green gurus" to see what we all can be doing to live greener lives.
The jazz institution Nighttown has opened two new patios -- one for people and the other for people accompanied by their four-legged friends -- at its home on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights. They're not what you might expect: Unlike the traditional look of the restaurant's interior, the patios are very contemporary.
"The whole back of the building is basically a patio complex," says owner Brendan Ring. "We created two side-by-side patios, one enclosed with stone from Missouri, and kind of wrapped the whole back of the building in a modern metal material. They will remind you of being in SoHo or maybe some cool place in Tremont."
The enclosed, 1,400-square-foot patio for people has a heated, stamped concrete floor that's built to resemble wood planks, bioethanol fireplaces and a small bar. Sliding glass panels will ensure that it can be used year-round. The 900-square-foot dog-friendly patio is where the singles like to hang out, Ring says.
"Especially in Cleveland Heights, everyone has a dog. Young people have a martini or smoke there. 'I've got a dog, you got a dog, we've got something to talk about.'"
The impetus for the patios came last year when Ring looked at the books and realized that his existing outdoor space was booked every Friday and Saturday night for months on end. "I kind of went, 'Holy shit, we have no place to seat regular people on weekends.' We got an architect, designed it and got it up."
Ring says he also built the patios to stand out and compete within Cleveland's increasingly vibrant foodie scene -- and of course, having a killer patio helps. "Audiences have gotten bigger in this town, but there are more stages, too."
Source: Brendan Ring
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The whole back of the building is basically a patio complex," says owner Brendan Ring. "We created two side-by-side patios, one enclosed with stone from Missouri, and kind of wrapped the whole back of the building in a modern metal material. They will remind you of being in SoHo or maybe some cool place in Tremont."
The enclosed, 1,400-square-foot patio for people has a heated, stamped concrete floor that's built to resemble wood planks, bioethanol fireplaces and a small bar. Sliding glass panels will ensure that it can be used year-round. The 900-square-foot dog-friendly patio is where the singles like to hang out, Ring says.
"Especially in Cleveland Heights, everyone has a dog. Young people have a martini or smoke there. 'I've got a dog, you got a dog, we've got something to talk about.'"
The impetus for the patios came last year when Ring looked at the books and realized that his existing outdoor space was booked every Friday and Saturday night for months on end. "I kind of went, 'Holy shit, we have no place to seat regular people on weekends.' We got an architect, designed it and got it up."
Ring says he also built the patios to stand out and compete within Cleveland's increasingly vibrant foodie scene -- and of course, having a killer patio helps. "Audiences have gotten bigger in this town, but there are more stages, too."
Source: Brendan Ring
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A Shaker Heights High School project about the Kent State shootings will be brought into classrooms throughout the Cleveland area thanks to a nonprofit that believes education is the key to stopping such events from happening again.
Facing History and Ourselves awarded Shaker Heights High School teacher John Morris $3,000 to collaborate with Kent State University professor David Hassler on the project. American history, literature and theater students at Shaker Heights will learn about the ramifications of the massacre through the play May 4th Voices: Kent State 1970. Pupils at regional Facing History classrooms will also be part of the program, says Mark Swaim-Fox, executive director of the local chapter of Facing History.
The play offers different viewpoints from a violent moment in American history, investigating a critical moment in the social protest movement. Stagings of May 4th Voices will take place for students as well as the wider Cleveland community, with help from Facing History staff and educators.
"It aligns with critical thinking of how we remember the past," says Swaim-Fox. "We want this to be a resource for the kids in our network."
Facing History is a Massachusetts-based educational group working across the country to combat racism and prejudice through education. Swaim-Fox hopes the play garners a new audience, with curricular materials about the shootings circulated to a new generation of young learners.
"The play is uncovering untold stories from a chapter of history that sometimes gets passed over," he says. "This will be a great vehicle for students to look at a complicated time period."
SOURCE: Mark Swaim-Fox
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Facing History and Ourselves awarded Shaker Heights High School teacher John Morris $3,000 to collaborate with Kent State University professor David Hassler on the project. American history, literature and theater students at Shaker Heights will learn about the ramifications of the massacre through the play May 4th Voices: Kent State 1970. Pupils at regional Facing History classrooms will also be part of the program, says Mark Swaim-Fox, executive director of the local chapter of Facing History.
The play offers different viewpoints from a violent moment in American history, investigating a critical moment in the social protest movement. Stagings of May 4th Voices will take place for students as well as the wider Cleveland community, with help from Facing History staff and educators.
"It aligns with critical thinking of how we remember the past," says Swaim-Fox. "We want this to be a resource for the kids in our network."
Facing History is a Massachusetts-based educational group working across the country to combat racism and prejudice through education. Swaim-Fox hopes the play garners a new audience, with curricular materials about the shootings circulated to a new generation of young learners.
"The play is uncovering untold stories from a chapter of history that sometimes gets passed over," he says. "This will be a great vehicle for students to look at a complicated time period."
SOURCE: Mark Swaim-Fox
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Summer traditionally is the season for kids to laze about or get shuttled off to camp by their parents. Cleveland Public Library has whipped up an imaginative way keep children engaged in reading during the hot months through its Summer Reading Club.
This year's Make it a Great Summer program will run until August 2. While it is designed to keep the minds of its young participants active and ready for a return to the classroom, that doesn't mean sitting them among dusty stacks and placing books in their hands.
In addition to reading, the club encourages children to build and create through hands-on programs at any of the system's 27 branches as well as the main library, notes Aaron Mason, assistant director of outreach programming at CPL.
"There's the traditional component of kids logging their reading over the summer, but we also wanted them actively involved," Mason says.
Creativity is at the heart of these activities aimed at Cleveland public school students in grades K-12, adds the CPL spokesman. Kids can build their own balloon rocket or balloon-powered rocket car. Another program will have them learn about movie making while creating hand-held movies using flipbook animation.
For children who read and log 10 books or more, the festivities will culminate with a free family trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on August 17. Anything that drives young people to their local library is a positive in Mason's book.
"We want to get them engaged," he says. "These activities encourage kids to keep on reading."
SOURCE: Aaron Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
This year's Make it a Great Summer program will run until August 2. While it is designed to keep the minds of its young participants active and ready for a return to the classroom, that doesn't mean sitting them among dusty stacks and placing books in their hands.
In addition to reading, the club encourages children to build and create through hands-on programs at any of the system's 27 branches as well as the main library, notes Aaron Mason, assistant director of outreach programming at CPL.
"There's the traditional component of kids logging their reading over the summer, but we also wanted them actively involved," Mason says.
Creativity is at the heart of these activities aimed at Cleveland public school students in grades K-12, adds the CPL spokesman. Kids can build their own balloon rocket or balloon-powered rocket car. Another program will have them learn about movie making while creating hand-held movies using flipbook animation.
For children who read and log 10 books or more, the festivities will culminate with a free family trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on August 17. Anything that drives young people to their local library is a positive in Mason's book.
"We want to get them engaged," he says. "These activities encourage kids to keep on reading."
SOURCE: Aaron Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
A determined group of Heights parents who have long sought a creative educational experience for their kids are opening Cleveland's first-ever Waldorf school. It is expected to open this fall in the former Coventry Elementary School in Cleveland Heights.
"This is a great thing for Cleveland Heights," says Amy Marquit-Renwald, a Shaker Heights resident who grew up in Cleveland Heights and helped to create the new Urban Oak School. "We're going to see families move here for the Waldorf school, and families stay because of this."
Urban Oak will initially offer preschool, kindergarten and a combined first and second grade class. After the first year, the school will offer additional grades.
"We had people lining up to support the school," says Marquit-Renwald of the process to seek approval from the city and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board. "People are dying to have Coventry be a school again."
The school will be private because Ohio's charter laws were deemed too difficult to navigate for an alternative, Waldorf-style school. It will seek accreditation as a Waldorf school, a rigorous process, over the course of its first seven years.
"The model is really about helping kids develop all aspects of themselves," says Marquit-Renwald of the 100-year-old Waldorf model, a contemporary of Montessori education. "It offers more free time to develop creativity, deeper foundational work -- including delayed introduction of purely academic work -- in the early years to better prepare for critical thinking and complex thought in later years, and use of personal interaction as the main vehicle for learning and fostering empathy, as opposed to interacting with technology."
Urban Oak School is hosting information sessions in the coming weeks for interested parents.
Source: Amy Marquit-Renwald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"This is a great thing for Cleveland Heights," says Amy Marquit-Renwald, a Shaker Heights resident who grew up in Cleveland Heights and helped to create the new Urban Oak School. "We're going to see families move here for the Waldorf school, and families stay because of this."
Urban Oak will initially offer preschool, kindergarten and a combined first and second grade class. After the first year, the school will offer additional grades.
"We had people lining up to support the school," says Marquit-Renwald of the process to seek approval from the city and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board. "People are dying to have Coventry be a school again."
The school will be private because Ohio's charter laws were deemed too difficult to navigate for an alternative, Waldorf-style school. It will seek accreditation as a Waldorf school, a rigorous process, over the course of its first seven years.
"The model is really about helping kids develop all aspects of themselves," says Marquit-Renwald of the 100-year-old Waldorf model, a contemporary of Montessori education. "It offers more free time to develop creativity, deeper foundational work -- including delayed introduction of purely academic work -- in the early years to better prepare for critical thinking and complex thought in later years, and use of personal interaction as the main vehicle for learning and fostering empathy, as opposed to interacting with technology."
Urban Oak School is hosting information sessions in the coming weeks for interested parents.
Source: Amy Marquit-Renwald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In hundreds of metalworking shops throughout the region, modern-day makers are carrying on a grand tradition that links them to our city's past. Early on, Cleveland produced the most cherished ornamental ironwork. Today, artistic fabricators are using iron and steel as their go-to material when crafting functional furnishings or imposing public art projects.
nytimes writer reflects on 'big five' orchestra designation
In a New York Times story titled “The Big Five Orchestras No Longer Add Up,” James R. Oestreich explores days of old when the newspaper would refer to the premier orchestras of the day (Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra) as the "Big Five."
Other city’s representatives, namely the San Francisco Symphony, would argue against the term claiming it to be outdated. However, as a term of journalistic creation, it tended to stick despite the strength and quality of those not included in the “club.”
“The Times was by no means alone in using it. At least by the mid-1960s, soon after I had started to follow classical music, the term had become common coin in discussions of the American orchestral scene. And it proved remarkably persistent, even as the mighty handful started to suffer setbacks and other orchestras grew in budget and artistic stature, notably the St. Louis Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.”
The piece goes on to detail the struggles all orchestras are facing in modern days and touches upon Cleveland’s own orchestra and steps they have taken to remain relevant.
Enjoy the complete feature here.
Other city’s representatives, namely the San Francisco Symphony, would argue against the term claiming it to be outdated. However, as a term of journalistic creation, it tended to stick despite the strength and quality of those not included in the “club.”
“The Times was by no means alone in using it. At least by the mid-1960s, soon after I had started to follow classical music, the term had become common coin in discussions of the American orchestral scene. And it proved remarkably persistent, even as the mighty handful started to suffer setbacks and other orchestras grew in budget and artistic stature, notably the St. Louis Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.”
The piece goes on to detail the struggles all orchestras are facing in modern days and touches upon Cleveland’s own orchestra and steps they have taken to remain relevant.
Enjoy the complete feature here.
This summer, justice carries an axe.
This is not the tagline for a blockbuster film (although it should be), but the idea behind "Jam for Justice," a fundraising event in support of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Four rock bands, all fronted by area attorneys and judges, will pound guitars instead of gavels July 11 at House of Blues. Among the acts are Rule 11 and the Sanctions, helmed by incoming Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association president Jonathan Leiken, and Judge Michael Donnelly's classic rock combo Faith & Whiskey.
"All the bands are great," says Melanie Shakarian, Legal Aid's director of development and communications.
Each act is rocking out to support Legal Aid's work in the community. The nonprofit organization assists low-income Northeast Ohioans in need of counsel. It has 45 lawyers on hand to give free help to the poor in cases involving evictions, divorce, loss of benefits and other civil issues. Legal Aid aims to counsel 26,000 clients in 2013.
Jam for Justice, now in its fifth year, moved to House of Blues this summer after outgrowing its previous space. Shakarian expects 500 philanthropic music fans to attend the concert. The group has a fundraising goal for the event of just under $20,000.
A concert is not the typical venue to find a congregation of lawyers and judges -- and that's what makes the event fun while also supporting an important cause, says Shakarian.
"The show appeals to more than just the legal community," she says. "We always get a diverse cross-section of folks from across the region."
SOURCE: Melanie Shakarian
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
This is not the tagline for a blockbuster film (although it should be), but the idea behind "Jam for Justice," a fundraising event in support of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Four rock bands, all fronted by area attorneys and judges, will pound guitars instead of gavels July 11 at House of Blues. Among the acts are Rule 11 and the Sanctions, helmed by incoming Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association president Jonathan Leiken, and Judge Michael Donnelly's classic rock combo Faith & Whiskey.
"All the bands are great," says Melanie Shakarian, Legal Aid's director of development and communications.
Each act is rocking out to support Legal Aid's work in the community. The nonprofit organization assists low-income Northeast Ohioans in need of counsel. It has 45 lawyers on hand to give free help to the poor in cases involving evictions, divorce, loss of benefits and other civil issues. Legal Aid aims to counsel 26,000 clients in 2013.
Jam for Justice, now in its fifth year, moved to House of Blues this summer after outgrowing its previous space. Shakarian expects 500 philanthropic music fans to attend the concert. The group has a fundraising goal for the event of just under $20,000.
A concert is not the typical venue to find a congregation of lawyers and judges -- and that's what makes the event fun while also supporting an important cause, says Shakarian.
"The show appeals to more than just the legal community," she says. "We always get a diverse cross-section of folks from across the region."
SOURCE: Melanie Shakarian
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Reading Nest is a 30x11-foot art installation on display in the Eastman Reading Garden of the Cleveland Public Library. Designed by CIA grad Mark Reigelman, and produced in collaboration with LAND studio, the massive yet elegant "owl's nest" is constructed from repurposed wood. Bob Perkoski documented the process from start to finish.
Rafeeq Washington and Lyz Bly opened Guide to Kulchur in the Gordon Square Arts District with a distinctly anachronistic mission: The store is an homage to print, from stapled zines to books.
Somewhat improbably, the new store flourishes next to an independent record store and the three-screen independent Capitol Theater. But don't call it a throwback. The couple intends to not only sell hard-to-find books and older zines, but also to serve as a center for independent bookmaking culture.
"We want to be a place for things that are happening right now," says Washington. "We'll collect zines and let young scholars know before they get into the archives."
A zine is a self-published work of original or appropriated text and images. Usually reproduced by a photocopier and stapled together, they have a circulation under 1,000. Some zines even rose to national prominence in the 1990s. Although the Internet has changed zine culture, Washington says that it's still going strong.
"We view the bookstore as a way to provide texts we don't always see," he says. "People are throwing out zines because of the Internet, but it's not true that no one reads them anymore. One of our main thrusts is to have them all together."
In addition to everything from Foucalt to trashy mystery novels, Guide to Kulchur will offer a zine archive and co-op for makers. Beginning July 1st, anyone can schedule a time to use the desktop letterpress, copier or mimeograph.
"They can make them here, get them printed, bring them back and put them in the archive," Washington says, who collects zines as far back as 1981.
Washington and Bly saw the storefront while driving one day and knew it had to be theirs. "It was a no-brainer. We knew this was it -- right next to the theater."
Source: Rafeeq Washington
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Somewhat improbably, the new store flourishes next to an independent record store and the three-screen independent Capitol Theater. But don't call it a throwback. The couple intends to not only sell hard-to-find books and older zines, but also to serve as a center for independent bookmaking culture.
"We want to be a place for things that are happening right now," says Washington. "We'll collect zines and let young scholars know before they get into the archives."
A zine is a self-published work of original or appropriated text and images. Usually reproduced by a photocopier and stapled together, they have a circulation under 1,000. Some zines even rose to national prominence in the 1990s. Although the Internet has changed zine culture, Washington says that it's still going strong.
"We view the bookstore as a way to provide texts we don't always see," he says. "People are throwing out zines because of the Internet, but it's not true that no one reads them anymore. One of our main thrusts is to have them all together."
In addition to everything from Foucalt to trashy mystery novels, Guide to Kulchur will offer a zine archive and co-op for makers. Beginning July 1st, anyone can schedule a time to use the desktop letterpress, copier or mimeograph.
"They can make them here, get them printed, bring them back and put them in the archive," Washington says, who collects zines as far back as 1981.
Washington and Bly saw the storefront while driving one day and knew it had to be theirs. "It was a no-brainer. We knew this was it -- right next to the theater."
Source: Rafeeq Washington
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Young urbanist leaders who were in Cleveland this week for Next City's annual Vanguard conference were asked a provocative question about this city's future. With new development activity happening in neighborhoods across a city that still is devastatingly poor, how can we do a better job of ensuring that these projects will benefit our poorest residents?
"I'm a little concerned that as we build projects, we're creating a city for yuppies and a city for everyone else," commented Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. in a presentation to 40 leaders from across the U.S. and Canada engaged in fields such as urban planning, entrepreneurship and sustainability. "How many cupcake and yogurt shops can a city sustain?"
Heads nodded and attendees laughed as Maron admitted the challenge was as much to himself as others, since MRN owns three of the city's most prominent new developments, E. Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland, Uptown in University Circle and property along W. 25th in Ohio City.
Several attendees noted that they were surprised by how few of the city's larger developments have translated into prosperity for surrounding neighborhoods. Sitting in the newly-built Museum of Contemporary Art at University Circle, leaders asked how that area's success could benefit its low-income neighbors.
Maron cited the Greater University Circle Initiative and local hiring and procuring efforts by University Hospitals and others. MRN has committed to hiring local residents for its projects, and the company now employs 285 city residents.
"When people from the neighborhood work here, they take ownership of the project because it's their neighborhood," he said, citing DoubleTree Hotel as one example of a University Circle project that employees many local residents.
An attendee from Chicago noted that Cleveland appears to be behind in adding bike-friendly infrastructure. He cited the recent addition of separated bicycle lanes to Surmac Avenue in Chicago as a game-changing project for his city. "Cleveland needs to do one really good pilot project," said the attendee.
Next City is a national nonprofit media organization that organizes the Vanguard conference to highlight best urban practices and develop young urban leaders. Updates from the conference are being posted on Next City's daily blog.
Source: Next City, Ari Maron
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I'm a little concerned that as we build projects, we're creating a city for yuppies and a city for everyone else," commented Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. in a presentation to 40 leaders from across the U.S. and Canada engaged in fields such as urban planning, entrepreneurship and sustainability. "How many cupcake and yogurt shops can a city sustain?"
Heads nodded and attendees laughed as Maron admitted the challenge was as much to himself as others, since MRN owns three of the city's most prominent new developments, E. Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland, Uptown in University Circle and property along W. 25th in Ohio City.
Several attendees noted that they were surprised by how few of the city's larger developments have translated into prosperity for surrounding neighborhoods. Sitting in the newly-built Museum of Contemporary Art at University Circle, leaders asked how that area's success could benefit its low-income neighbors.
Maron cited the Greater University Circle Initiative and local hiring and procuring efforts by University Hospitals and others. MRN has committed to hiring local residents for its projects, and the company now employs 285 city residents.
"When people from the neighborhood work here, they take ownership of the project because it's their neighborhood," he said, citing DoubleTree Hotel as one example of a University Circle project that employees many local residents.
An attendee from Chicago noted that Cleveland appears to be behind in adding bike-friendly infrastructure. He cited the recent addition of separated bicycle lanes to Surmac Avenue in Chicago as a game-changing project for his city. "Cleveland needs to do one really good pilot project," said the attendee.
Next City is a national nonprofit media organization that organizes the Vanguard conference to highlight best urban practices and develop young urban leaders. Updates from the conference are being posted on Next City's daily blog.
Source: Next City, Ari Maron
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Bar 145, a popular gastropub with locations in Toledo, Kent and soon Columbus, will open its fourth location in the former Grind space on W. 25th Street south of Lorain in Ohio City. The tagline "burgers, bands and bourbon" sums up the pub's concept.
Owner Jeremy Fitzgerald has signed a letter of intent with owner MRN Ltd. and intends to execute a lease and start construction this summer. Bar 145, specializing in chef-driven, foodie fare accented by regular live music, could open sometime early next year.
"Ohio City is so into the food end, but there's not much on the entertainment end," says Fitzgerald. "We make everything from scratch and knew the food concept was perfect. We knew that this would add another dimension to Ohio City."
The 4,100-square-foot venue will feature a full stage with lighting and a professional sound system. The bands will be local as well as regional.
Bar 145 also will have a 2,000-square-foot rooftop patio facing the downtown skyline and another 1,000-square-foot patio on the main level along the side of the building.
Live bands will be featured Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but Fitzgerald promises five days of entertainment that will include jazz nights and acoustic talent.
Bar 145's menu promises to be in keeping with the neighborhood's local food ethos. "We don't even have a freezer in the restaurant," Fitzgerald says. "All our sauces are from scratch and the mac and cheese and truffle fries are all made to order."
Source: Jeremy Fitzgerald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Owner Jeremy Fitzgerald has signed a letter of intent with owner MRN Ltd. and intends to execute a lease and start construction this summer. Bar 145, specializing in chef-driven, foodie fare accented by regular live music, could open sometime early next year.
"Ohio City is so into the food end, but there's not much on the entertainment end," says Fitzgerald. "We make everything from scratch and knew the food concept was perfect. We knew that this would add another dimension to Ohio City."
The 4,100-square-foot venue will feature a full stage with lighting and a professional sound system. The bands will be local as well as regional.
Bar 145 also will have a 2,000-square-foot rooftop patio facing the downtown skyline and another 1,000-square-foot patio on the main level along the side of the building.
Live bands will be featured Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but Fitzgerald promises five days of entertainment that will include jazz nights and acoustic talent.
Bar 145's menu promises to be in keeping with the neighborhood's local food ethos. "We don't even have a freezer in the restaurant," Fitzgerald says. "All our sauces are from scratch and the mac and cheese and truffle fries are all made to order."
Source: Jeremy Fitzgerald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
lou reed gets life-saving transplant at cle clinic
"Lou Reed is recovering after receiving a liver transplant last month," an article in the Rolling Stone begins. That life-saving surgery was performed at the Cleveland Clinic.
The 71-year-old rock god chose the Clinic over facilities in New York because of the "dysfunctional state of hospitals in New York," his wife reported.
"I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry," Reed said. "I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever."
Read the rest of the news here.
The 71-year-old rock god chose the Clinic over facilities in New York because of the "dysfunctional state of hospitals in New York," his wife reported.
"I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry," Reed said. "I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever."
Read the rest of the news here.
A local nonprofit arts program gave a group of Cleveland students a White House-sized thrill earlier this week in the form of a letter from President Barack Obama.
K-2 pupils at Andrew J. Rickoff Elementary School received the presidential missive on June 3 for their work with Kulture Kids, a group of artists affiliated with Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio that provides programming for schools and organizations. Over 250 students obtained a copy of the letter commending them for their involvement with the program.
"It was a nice surprise for students who have been working hard all year," says Robin Pease, founder of Kulture Kids. "The kids were in shock."
The initiative collaborated with pupils on the concept of citizenship. Different classes worked on variations of this theme, with second-graders learning about employment and how technology has impacted citizenship. All students utilized the arts to bring the subject to life.
The Commander in Chief got word of the program from a Kulture Kids' artist, who sent along a photo of a student dressed as the President himself. Washington wrote back with a letter of encouragement, and group officials made copies for every student involved.
Kulture Kids just finished its third year of residency at A.J. Rickoff. Young participants put on a program in March, an event that included dance and original songs. A letter from the leader of the free world is a pretty good payoff for a little bit of creativity, Pease believes.
"These kids will remember this forever," she says.
SOURCE: Robin Pease
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
K-2 pupils at Andrew J. Rickoff Elementary School received the presidential missive on June 3 for their work with Kulture Kids, a group of artists affiliated with Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio that provides programming for schools and organizations. Over 250 students obtained a copy of the letter commending them for their involvement with the program.
"It was a nice surprise for students who have been working hard all year," says Robin Pease, founder of Kulture Kids. "The kids were in shock."
The initiative collaborated with pupils on the concept of citizenship. Different classes worked on variations of this theme, with second-graders learning about employment and how technology has impacted citizenship. All students utilized the arts to bring the subject to life.
The Commander in Chief got word of the program from a Kulture Kids' artist, who sent along a photo of a student dressed as the President himself. Washington wrote back with a letter of encouragement, and group officials made copies for every student involved.
Kulture Kids just finished its third year of residency at A.J. Rickoff. Young participants put on a program in March, an event that included dance and original songs. A letter from the leader of the free world is a pretty good payoff for a little bit of creativity, Pease believes.
"These kids will remember this forever," she says.
SOURCE: Robin Pease
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The Brain Gain Cleveland Project (BGCP) has teamed up with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association to stage a lunchtime pep rally for the city they love.
The rally will be hosted by the legal organization and serve as its annual meeting, just with a far more diverse crowd than usual, says Debra Mayers Hollander, deputy director of scouting for BGCP.
Hollander is expecting 1,000 guests to make it to the floor of Quicken Loans Arena for the June 28 event. Among the more famous participants scheduled to appear are Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Senator Sherrod Brown. BGCP members the Cleveland Orchestra and Positively Cleveland will be among the institutions on hand. The event also will include live music, videos about Cleveland, and food from local eateries.
Rally attendees can fill out a registration form online or purchase tickets by calling the bar association at 216-696-3525. Those who miss the daytime event can make up for it that night with a BGCP music and networking get-together at The Tavern Company in Cleveland Heights.
"It's going to feel inspirational," Hollander says. "Everybody coming together in the heart of downtown Cleveland to support one another."
BGCP is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by bar association members to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens. The grassroots effort is led by Jon Leiken, a Jones Day partner and bar association president-elect. BGCP's website launched in 2012 and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members.
"We hope [the rally] encourages people to join us and become a scout," says Hollander.
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The rally will be hosted by the legal organization and serve as its annual meeting, just with a far more diverse crowd than usual, says Debra Mayers Hollander, deputy director of scouting for BGCP.
Hollander is expecting 1,000 guests to make it to the floor of Quicken Loans Arena for the June 28 event. Among the more famous participants scheduled to appear are Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Senator Sherrod Brown. BGCP members the Cleveland Orchestra and Positively Cleveland will be among the institutions on hand. The event also will include live music, videos about Cleveland, and food from local eateries.
Rally attendees can fill out a registration form online or purchase tickets by calling the bar association at 216-696-3525. Those who miss the daytime event can make up for it that night with a BGCP music and networking get-together at The Tavern Company in Cleveland Heights.
"It's going to feel inspirational," Hollander says. "Everybody coming together in the heart of downtown Cleveland to support one another."
BGCP is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by bar association members to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens. The grassroots effort is led by Jon Leiken, a Jones Day partner and bar association president-elect. BGCP's website launched in 2012 and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members.
"We hope [the rally] encourages people to join us and become a scout," says Hollander.
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
bbc covers cle orchestra's efforts to reach new audiences
The BBC's Jane O'Brien covered the Cleveland Orchestra's novel efforts to reach new (read younger) audiences by performing outside Severance Hall. In this video, O'Brien follows the orchestra from Severance Hall to Happy Dog in Gordon Square as they perform to enthusiastic young crowds.
"It is often easier and cheaper to experience great orchestras online and while older music lovers might shudder at the idea, research shows that most Americans under the age of 30 actually prefer it. But Cleveland, Ohio, boasts one of the world's top orchestras and rather than accept the empty seats at Severance Hall, the musicians decided to seek out new audiences in an unlikely venue."
Enjoy the video here.
"It is often easier and cheaper to experience great orchestras online and while older music lovers might shudder at the idea, research shows that most Americans under the age of 30 actually prefer it. But Cleveland, Ohio, boasts one of the world's top orchestras and rather than accept the empty seats at Severance Hall, the musicians decided to seek out new audiences in an unlikely venue."
Enjoy the video here.
art museum kudos continue for innovative use of technology
In a Christian Science Monitor story titled “An art museum uses technology to lure young patrons,” writer Nicole Wallace explores Cleveland Museum of Art's use of technology to attract younger audiences.
"As cultural institutions across the country struggle to attract young visitors, the Cleveland Museum of Art is embracing cutting-edge technology to try to lure new audiences to its collection of masterworks," she writes.
“The goal is to make the museum more welcoming, especially to young people who mediate the world through the screen,” David Franklin, director of the museum, is quoted in the piece.
Wallace goes on to highlight the 40-foot touch-screen wall, the ability to create personal tours via an iPad, and even touches upon Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period in the La Vie exhibit.
Check out the full story here.
"As cultural institutions across the country struggle to attract young visitors, the Cleveland Museum of Art is embracing cutting-edge technology to try to lure new audiences to its collection of masterworks," she writes.
“The goal is to make the museum more welcoming, especially to young people who mediate the world through the screen,” David Franklin, director of the museum, is quoted in the piece.
Wallace goes on to highlight the 40-foot touch-screen wall, the ability to create personal tours via an iPad, and even touches upon Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period in the La Vie exhibit.
Check out the full story here.
rib cook-off makes top-10 list
In a Huffington Post Travel list titled “America’s Top 10 Memorial Day BBQs,” the editors tout the last weekend in May as the beginning of summer, and the unofficial way of celebrating is by firing up the grill and enjoying a cold beverage.
“Across the country on Memorial Day weekend, the BBQ tradition carries on in regional and national barbeque competitions and festivals, so wherever you'll be spending the long weekend, there's bound to be a smoker near you.”
Cleveland’s own Great American Rib Cookoff gets a nod thanks to its plethora of delicious offerings plus its rocking musical lineup featuring Buddy Guy, Rick Springfield, and Bret Michaels.
Check out the full list here.
“Across the country on Memorial Day weekend, the BBQ tradition carries on in regional and national barbeque competitions and festivals, so wherever you'll be spending the long weekend, there's bound to be a smoker near you.”
Cleveland’s own Great American Rib Cookoff gets a nod thanks to its plethora of delicious offerings plus its rocking musical lineup featuring Buddy Guy, Rick Springfield, and Bret Michaels.
Check out the full list here.