Arts + Culture
new york times reviews induction ceremony
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, a gleaming glass pyramid on the shore of Lake Erie, has become a proud symbol of this city. And Cleveland’s rock fans turned out in droves for the hall’s 27th induction ceremony on Saturday, only the third time it has been held here," writes the New York Times.
Highlightes include The Red Hot Chili Peppers playing with Slash of Guns N’ Roses, George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic and Ronnie Wood of the Faces and the Rolling Stones. For a Beastie Boys tribute, Kid Rock, Black Thought of the Roots and Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes rapped in old-school green Adidas jumpsuits.
"The ceremony, at the stately Public Auditorium -- a 1920s Beaux-Arts monolith a few blocks from the museum -- also honored Donovan; the blues guitarist Freddie King; the linked British invasion bands Small Faces and the Faces; the music executive Don Kirshner; and an array of backup groups."
"And in between encomiums, blistering jams and shaggy-dog stories about rockers’ early years, musicians spoke of cities as inspiration, common ground or hell."
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
Highlightes include The Red Hot Chili Peppers playing with Slash of Guns N’ Roses, George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic and Ronnie Wood of the Faces and the Rolling Stones. For a Beastie Boys tribute, Kid Rock, Black Thought of the Roots and Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes rapped in old-school green Adidas jumpsuits.
"The ceremony, at the stately Public Auditorium -- a 1920s Beaux-Arts monolith a few blocks from the museum -- also honored Donovan; the blues guitarist Freddie King; the linked British invasion bands Small Faces and the Faces; the music executive Don Kirshner; and an array of backup groups."
"And in between encomiums, blistering jams and shaggy-dog stories about rockers’ early years, musicians spoke of cities as inspiration, common ground or hell."
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
cleveland revs up for rock and roll hall of fame induction festivities
In a long and sweeping feature in Rolling Stone, the magazine highlights the events in Cleveland surrounding the 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
"Bill Rowley, chair of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum board, compares the induction ceremony to a Super Bowl that comes to town every three years. Cleveland fans "not only support [the induction] financially, but they will be there at every party, every night, and it will be jam-packed," he says.
"Bill Rowley, chair of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum board, compares the induction ceremony to a Super Bowl that comes to town every three years. Cleveland fans "not only support [the induction] financially, but they will be there at every party, every night, and it will be jam-packed," he says.
Read more here.
"Events like TEDxCLE are changing how people feel about Cleveland and rebranding the city," says founder Hallie Bram Kogelschatz. More than simply inspirational, the annual event is about "inspiration turned into action." Despite a larger space -- the 700-seat Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art -- all tickets still managed to sell out in minutes. Here's a sample of what's in store.
95-year-old cleveland artist updates historic diversity mural for tedxcle
Mort Epstein, a distinguished 95-year-old Cleveland artist and designer who founded Epstein Design in 1962 and has a lengthy history of social activism, will present a talk entitled "A Designer and the Community" at this year's TEDxCLE event. In keeping with the event, whose theme is "The Maker Class," Epstein has updated an iconic mural he completed for Cleveland State University in the mid 1970s.
The original artwork, which featured six black and white electrical outlets beside one another, celebrated CSU's commitment to diversity. The new design by Epstein features nine red and black outlets set against a sleek, black background, as if inviting viewers to plug into the opportunities before them. The term "The Maker Class" also hails Cleveland's past and present as a hub for creativity and ingenuity.
TEDxCLE founder and organizer Hallie Bram Kogelschatz says that she commissioned the design to celebrate Cleveland's little-known history as a place of distinctive, high-quality public art, the role of artists and designers in making cities better places to live, and Cleveland as a place that sparks opportunity.
"We wanted to pay homage to Mort as a designer and take this iconic artwork and update it. The city is an outlet and you just need to plug in to make it happen."
Source: Hallie Bram Kogelschatz
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The original artwork, which featured six black and white electrical outlets beside one another, celebrated CSU's commitment to diversity. The new design by Epstein features nine red and black outlets set against a sleek, black background, as if inviting viewers to plug into the opportunities before them. The term "The Maker Class" also hails Cleveland's past and present as a hub for creativity and ingenuity.
TEDxCLE founder and organizer Hallie Bram Kogelschatz says that she commissioned the design to celebrate Cleveland's little-known history as a place of distinctive, high-quality public art, the role of artists and designers in making cities better places to live, and Cleveland as a place that sparks opportunity.
"We wanted to pay homage to Mort as a designer and take this iconic artwork and update it. The city is an outlet and you just need to plug in to make it happen."
Source: Hallie Bram Kogelschatz
Writer: Lee Chilcote
wall street journal touts rock hall archives opening
A recent item in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame archives.
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation is best known for its raucous induction ceremonies -- on April 15, acts including the Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses and the Miracles will be welcomed into the fold. But today, the 29-year-old institution is emphasizing a quieter aspect of its mission with the grand opening of a new library and archives facility near its Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters."
"The library's collection spans more than 3,500 books, 1,400 audio recordings and 270 videos. It includes contracts, correspondence and photographs donated by industry icons such as Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's original guitarist, whose papers were recently acquired. The Rock Hall had been accumulating such materials for years, but it was difficult for the public to access them; there wasn't much room for storage and research in the museum's pyramid-shaped headquarters."
Read the rest here.
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation is best known for its raucous induction ceremonies -- on April 15, acts including the Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses and the Miracles will be welcomed into the fold. But today, the 29-year-old institution is emphasizing a quieter aspect of its mission with the grand opening of a new library and archives facility near its Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters."
"The library's collection spans more than 3,500 books, 1,400 audio recordings and 270 videos. It includes contracts, correspondence and photographs donated by industry icons such as Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's original guitarist, whose papers were recently acquired. The Rock Hall had been accumulating such materials for years, but it was difficult for the public to access them; there wasn't much room for storage and research in the museum's pyramid-shaped headquarters."
Read the rest here.
saving cities documentary aims to tell true story of a rising rust belt
A year ago, Jack Storey launched an ambitious project to create a documentary about the Rust Belt with no money, no filmmaking experience and no camera.
But he did have Kickstarter.
Today, Storey and his partners have raised over $20,000 through the popular arts-focused fundraising website. They have crisscrossed the Rust Belt region while garnering more than 100 hours of footage of entrepreneurs and civic-minded individuals. Saving Cities, the grassroots "idea bank" that Storey helped found in 2010, plans to release the documentary, entitled Red, White and Blueprints, early next year.
"We're stubborn and we love it here, but we don't defend ourselves very well to the outside, and the perspective of national media tends to be lopsided," explains Storey, who recently participated in a panel discussion of Cleveland artists funded through Kickstarter. "Our goal is to have a very positive piece of media that tells the story of the Rust Belt from boom to decline, and also talks about the future and entrepreneurs who are doing creative things with very few resources."
Red, White and Blueprints will highlight the connections between small, hyperlocal efforts taking place in various Rust Belt cities to paint a coherent picture of a diverse, interconnected region. It will also suggest that Rust Belt cities could do a significantly better job sharing successes between various metropolitan areas, and in turn, furthering these connections for mutual benefit.
"All of these cities used to be connected by railroads," says Storey. "We're talking about the Rust Belt as a mega-region. We can digitally reconnect these cities in conversation."
Saving Cities has launched another Kickstarter campaign to fund the final leg of the documentary, including editing and duplication. Storey hopes to begin sending the film to festivals and organize a series of community screenings next year.
Now that the project is nearing fruition, Storey has a better understanding of why he needed to do it. "Maybe for good reason, we're the only people to do this. We were crazy enough to get in a car and drive around the region several times. In hindsight, I'm glad we did it, but it was a huge undertaking."
Source: Jack Storey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
But he did have Kickstarter.
Today, Storey and his partners have raised over $20,000 through the popular arts-focused fundraising website. They have crisscrossed the Rust Belt region while garnering more than 100 hours of footage of entrepreneurs and civic-minded individuals. Saving Cities, the grassroots "idea bank" that Storey helped found in 2010, plans to release the documentary, entitled Red, White and Blueprints, early next year.
"We're stubborn and we love it here, but we don't defend ourselves very well to the outside, and the perspective of national media tends to be lopsided," explains Storey, who recently participated in a panel discussion of Cleveland artists funded through Kickstarter. "Our goal is to have a very positive piece of media that tells the story of the Rust Belt from boom to decline, and also talks about the future and entrepreneurs who are doing creative things with very few resources."
Red, White and Blueprints will highlight the connections between small, hyperlocal efforts taking place in various Rust Belt cities to paint a coherent picture of a diverse, interconnected region. It will also suggest that Rust Belt cities could do a significantly better job sharing successes between various metropolitan areas, and in turn, furthering these connections for mutual benefit.
"All of these cities used to be connected by railroads," says Storey. "We're talking about the Rust Belt as a mega-region. We can digitally reconnect these cities in conversation."
Saving Cities has launched another Kickstarter campaign to fund the final leg of the documentary, including editing and duplication. Storey hopes to begin sending the film to festivals and organize a series of community screenings next year.
Now that the project is nearing fruition, Storey has a better understanding of why he needed to do it. "Maybe for good reason, we're the only people to do this. We were crazy enough to get in a car and drive around the region several times. In hindsight, I'm glad we did it, but it was a huge undertaking."
Source: Jack Storey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
oregonian visits the rock and roll hall of fame and museum
In this travel feature for the Oregonian, a writer visits the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
"Ever wonder why geezer rockers continue to tour across the country playing songs that haven't been hits since Richard Nixon was president?" begins the item.
"Come to Cleveland and find out. Like tie-dyed pilgrims, the over-40 generation flocks to this glass pyramid in the heart of Middle America to relive the soundtrack of their lives at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
"The Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Woodstock, R&B, Motown, Elton, Springsteen. All are celebrated in full glory. There's everything from Jimi Hendrix's hand-scribbled "Purple Haze" lyrics to Janis Joplin's 1965 psychedelic-painted Porsche."
Read the rest here.
"Ever wonder why geezer rockers continue to tour across the country playing songs that haven't been hits since Richard Nixon was president?" begins the item.
"Come to Cleveland and find out. Like tie-dyed pilgrims, the over-40 generation flocks to this glass pyramid in the heart of Middle America to relive the soundtrack of their lives at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
"The Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Woodstock, R&B, Motown, Elton, Springsteen. All are celebrated in full glory. There's everything from Jimi Hendrix's hand-scribbled "Purple Haze" lyrics to Janis Joplin's 1965 psychedelic-painted Porsche."
Read the rest here.
Todd Pownell of TAP Studios in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood has always purchased recycled gold. He fashions the raw material into unique wedding rings for Cleveland couples, or helps people to make their own through his unique, do-it-yourself workshop.
Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At the same time, there has been a steady uptick in general consumer awareness of supply chain issues, and a rising interest in where our gold comes from.
These two factors provide a unique opportunity for jewelers to highlight where their materials come from and educate consumers about sustainable sources, says Pownell. He is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths and involved in the "slow gold" movement, named after the sustainability-focused slow food movement.
This past summer, Pownell participated in a unique videography project. He traveled to South Dakota with another jeweler and a couple from New York City to try to mine enough gold for a pair of wedding rings. In the end, the weeklong trip yielded only about a dollar's worth of gold. It also shed light on the resource-intensive process of mining, exposing problems in the global supply chain.
Fellow jeweler Gabriel Craig documented the trip on a series of videos he posted on Vimeo, and participants spread word of their trip through social media websites and blogs. An article about the trip entitled "The Real Cost of Gold" also appeared in the March issue of American Craft Council magazine.
"As consumers, we need to be a little more aware of supply chain issues," says Pownell. "There's been a groundswell of change with the buy local movement, and with that, people are paying more attention to where products come from. Craftsmen are at the forefront of trying to look at supply chain issues."
Source: Todd Pownell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At the same time, there has been a steady uptick in general consumer awareness of supply chain issues, and a rising interest in where our gold comes from.
These two factors provide a unique opportunity for jewelers to highlight where their materials come from and educate consumers about sustainable sources, says Pownell. He is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths and involved in the "slow gold" movement, named after the sustainability-focused slow food movement.
This past summer, Pownell participated in a unique videography project. He traveled to South Dakota with another jeweler and a couple from New York City to try to mine enough gold for a pair of wedding rings. In the end, the weeklong trip yielded only about a dollar's worth of gold. It also shed light on the resource-intensive process of mining, exposing problems in the global supply chain.
Fellow jeweler Gabriel Craig documented the trip on a series of videos he posted on Vimeo, and participants spread word of their trip through social media websites and blogs. An article about the trip entitled "The Real Cost of Gold" also appeared in the March issue of American Craft Council magazine.
"As consumers, we need to be a little more aware of supply chain issues," says Pownell. "There's been a groundswell of change with the buy local movement, and with that, people are paying more attention to where products come from. Craftsmen are at the forefront of trying to look at supply chain issues."
Source: Todd Pownell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
'voice your choice' project helps students articulate musical choices
Pop music is notoriously ephemeral. In fact, many of the hottest chart toppers from recent years already have faded into the dusty annals of stardom.
Yet, get into a conversation with the average 15-year-old and he or she will happily rave about their favorite artists. Still, while these young people may have strong feelings about which artists truly matter and have staying power, can they support their claims using a strong argument backed by analysis?
That's exactly what a new project launched this year by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum asks students to do. "Voice Your Choice," a national project that invites students to create their own inductee class, aims to help teach students to make aesthetic judgments and learn history through music.
"We try to teach kids in the 7th-12th grades how to articulate their own aesthetic standards," says Lauren Onkey, Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the Rock Hall. "That's really hard to do, because a lot of the time when we're talking about music we love, we just love it. But why? This project is about developing our own criteria and describing them in detail."
The project garnered video and essay submissions from 25 schools around the country, as well as one in Canada and Australia. This week, as a flurry of Induction Week activities happen in Cleveland, the Rock Hall will host a group of educators for a teacher development workshop focused around "Voice Your Choice."
"One of the things that teachers struggle with are content standards in different disciplinary subjects," says Onkey, who adds that the Rock Hall's on site educational programs reach 20,000 students each year and thousands more through distance learning offerings and curricula it shares with teachers. "They tell us this is a really great teaching tool for getting at those standards."
Voice Your Choice is also a great tool for reaching students in their own milieu. "An artist from the 1950s might as well be from the 1850s for many young people. Yet if music is presented in the right way, they'll embrace it from all over the map."
Source: Lauren Onkey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet, get into a conversation with the average 15-year-old and he or she will happily rave about their favorite artists. Still, while these young people may have strong feelings about which artists truly matter and have staying power, can they support their claims using a strong argument backed by analysis?
That's exactly what a new project launched this year by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum asks students to do. "Voice Your Choice," a national project that invites students to create their own inductee class, aims to help teach students to make aesthetic judgments and learn history through music.
"We try to teach kids in the 7th-12th grades how to articulate their own aesthetic standards," says Lauren Onkey, Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the Rock Hall. "That's really hard to do, because a lot of the time when we're talking about music we love, we just love it. But why? This project is about developing our own criteria and describing them in detail."
The project garnered video and essay submissions from 25 schools around the country, as well as one in Canada and Australia. This week, as a flurry of Induction Week activities happen in Cleveland, the Rock Hall will host a group of educators for a teacher development workshop focused around "Voice Your Choice."
"One of the things that teachers struggle with are content standards in different disciplinary subjects," says Onkey, who adds that the Rock Hall's on site educational programs reach 20,000 students each year and thousands more through distance learning offerings and curricula it shares with teachers. "They tell us this is a really great teaching tool for getting at those standards."
Voice Your Choice is also a great tool for reaching students in their own milieu. "An artist from the 1950s might as well be from the 1850s for many young people. Yet if music is presented in the right way, they'll embrace it from all over the map."
Source: Lauren Onkey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
After three years of fundraising -- and a generous last-minute gift from an anonymous donor -- a bronze statue of Dante Alighieri is now being crafted at Studio Foundry in Cleveland. It will be installed in the Italian Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park in June.
"I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Garden that included the Dante sculpture. "It brings back an urban space, and reflects the greatness of what Italy has given the world. We're all beneficiaries of what the Italians have done."
The statue, which costs $135,000, was designed by Italian sculptor Sandro Bonaiuto, who was originally born in Cleveland. It presents Dante in his 30s, around the time he wrote the Divine Comedy.
In the statue, Dante gazes out from where he sits in a Renaissance chair with the Divine Comedy in one hand and a pen in the other. The base of the statue portrays heaven, hell and purgatory, and a scroll located beside the statue includes the epic poem's most famous canto in Italian and English.
The Dante statue will be dedicated on June 29th, and Mariani will host Opera in the Garden, a free performance, on Sunday, July 29th beginning at 6 pm.
Source: Joyce Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Garden that included the Dante sculpture. "It brings back an urban space, and reflects the greatness of what Italy has given the world. We're all beneficiaries of what the Italians have done."
The statue, which costs $135,000, was designed by Italian sculptor Sandro Bonaiuto, who was originally born in Cleveland. It presents Dante in his 30s, around the time he wrote the Divine Comedy.
In the statue, Dante gazes out from where he sits in a Renaissance chair with the Divine Comedy in one hand and a pen in the other. The base of the statue portrays heaven, hell and purgatory, and a scroll located beside the statue includes the epic poem's most famous canto in Italian and English.
The Dante statue will be dedicated on June 29th, and Mariani will host Opera in the Garden, a free performance, on Sunday, July 29th beginning at 6 pm.
Source: Joyce Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Since its inception in 1984, Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil has entertained over 100 million spectators. Close to 15 million people will see a show in 2012 alone. The now-world famous acrobatic theatre troupe bounds into Cleveland this weekend to perform Dralion. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski "snuck" into Thursday's rehearsal for some rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of what goes into preparing for a show.
Moving counter to the assertion that Print is Dead!, two local optimists have just launched a new print magazine. Edible Cleveland is a new print quarterly that focuses on the local food scene -- not just restaurants and chefs, but also farmers, history, tradition and lore. FW's Erin O'Brien brakes bread with publishers Noelle Celeste and Jon Benedict.
the rust belt brain gain, creatives flocking to cleveland
A multi-part spread in Details magazine trumpets the remarkable rise of the so-called "Rust Belt."
In the piece titled, "Talented, educated, creative people are no longer fleeing the region -- they're flocking to it," the writer kicks off with:
"Rust connotes decay and neglect -- and indeed, the Rust Belt's decline coincided with a massive brain drain. But in the past half decade, the region has retained more of its homegrown talent while drawing the best and brightest from across the country."
Cited in the article is a Brookings Institution report that found "cities like Pittsburgh and Columbus have increased their college-educated population in recent years, and Cleveland and Buffalo are on their way -- having stanched their decades-long outward migration."
Called out for special attention are Clevelanders Eric Kogelschatz and Hallie Bram.
"In Cleveland, Eric Kogelschatz founded the think tank shark&minnow with his wife, Hallie Bram Kogelschatz, after both fled high-powered marketing jobs in Boston; besides organizing TEDxCLE (last year's sold out in two hours), the organization collaborates on events with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Art. What prompted the move? "We really didn't know what we were getting into," Eric admits. "But we were tired of Rust Belt cynicism."
Read it all right here.
In the piece titled, "Talented, educated, creative people are no longer fleeing the region -- they're flocking to it," the writer kicks off with:
"Rust connotes decay and neglect -- and indeed, the Rust Belt's decline coincided with a massive brain drain. But in the past half decade, the region has retained more of its homegrown talent while drawing the best and brightest from across the country."
Cited in the article is a Brookings Institution report that found "cities like Pittsburgh and Columbus have increased their college-educated population in recent years, and Cleveland and Buffalo are on their way -- having stanched their decades-long outward migration."
Called out for special attention are Clevelanders Eric Kogelschatz and Hallie Bram.
"In Cleveland, Eric Kogelschatz founded the think tank shark&minnow with his wife, Hallie Bram Kogelschatz, after both fled high-powered marketing jobs in Boston; besides organizing TEDxCLE (last year's sold out in two hours), the organization collaborates on events with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Art. What prompted the move? "We really didn't know what we were getting into," Eric admits. "But we were tired of Rust Belt cynicism."
Read it all right here.
Blame it on the recession or chalk it up to a generation of people who prefer vinyl records to MP3s, but the trend toward creative entrepreneurship is real and rising. People value authenticity, and that often comes in the form of a handmade object with pedigree and a good story to boot. These folks have all traded in their "day jobs" to pursue their passion of making things by hand.
details detalis cleveland's rising stars
As part of the multi-part spread in Details magazine, the article "The Rust Belt Revival: What's Happening in Cleveland, Ohio" highlights "Pioneers have brought back made-in-the-Midwest fashion and opened an assortment of innovative bars and restaurants."
Included in the spread are features on:
Midwest Fashion Makes a Comeback
Starring Danielle DeBoe and Sean Bilovecky of Dredgers Union.
"The Dredgers Union is bringing back made-in-the-Midwest style."
The Architectural Upcyclers
Starring Chris Kious of A Piece of Cleveland.
"His team then transforms the southern yellow pine, maple, and oak into furniture and architectural elements. APOC sells its smaller creations -- wine racks, benches -- to heritage-hungry consumers and tackles commissions for clients like Starbucks and the Cleveland Institute of Art."
The Beer Evangelist
Starring Sam McNulty of Market Garden Brewery.
"His latest contribution to the now-thriving hood is Market Garden Brewery & Distillery, a bar-restaurant in a former slaughterhouse that lets you store perishables from the West Side Market while sipping one of 32 craft brews made on site (and soon small-batch whiskey, rum, and vodka, too)."
America's Next Great Chef
Starring Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern.
"Culinary wunderkinder often leave cities like Cleveland; they rarely come home. But after stints in New York City at the now-defunct Kitchen 22 and Parea, native son Jonathon Sawyer returned with dreams of owning his own place."
Read more here.
Included in the spread are features on:
Midwest Fashion Makes a Comeback
Starring Danielle DeBoe and Sean Bilovecky of Dredgers Union.
"The Dredgers Union is bringing back made-in-the-Midwest style."
The Architectural Upcyclers
Starring Chris Kious of A Piece of Cleveland.
"His team then transforms the southern yellow pine, maple, and oak into furniture and architectural elements. APOC sells its smaller creations -- wine racks, benches -- to heritage-hungry consumers and tackles commissions for clients like Starbucks and the Cleveland Institute of Art."
The Beer Evangelist
Starring Sam McNulty of Market Garden Brewery.
"His latest contribution to the now-thriving hood is Market Garden Brewery & Distillery, a bar-restaurant in a former slaughterhouse that lets you store perishables from the West Side Market while sipping one of 32 craft brews made on site (and soon small-batch whiskey, rum, and vodka, too)."
America's Next Great Chef
Starring Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern.
"Culinary wunderkinder often leave cities like Cleveland; they rarely come home. But after stints in New York City at the now-defunct Kitchen 22 and Parea, native son Jonathon Sawyer returned with dreams of owning his own place."
Read more here.
cle film fest shatters attendance records once again
It is staggering to believe, but this year's Cleveland International Film Festival -- the 36th annual -- once again broke the previous year's attendance figures.
The 11-day film festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, April 1, checked in a record total of 85,018 filmgoers. This is a 9-percent jump from the previous year and a whopping 143-percent increase from 2003.
What's more, the festival saw it's largest single-day attendance on Saturday, March 31, with 13,176 coming to see a film.
See you next year for another record-breaking festival?
The 11-day film festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, April 1, checked in a record total of 85,018 filmgoers. This is a 9-percent jump from the previous year and a whopping 143-percent increase from 2003.
What's more, the festival saw it's largest single-day attendance on Saturday, March 31, with 13,176 coming to see a film.
See you next year for another record-breaking festival?
Fresh Water is giving away tickets to some of the events leading up to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. For your chance to win, simply "Like" Fresh Water on Facebook, and write a post on our wall stating which concert in this list you'd like to attend and why. We're going to cut off the contest on Wednesday morning in order to get tickets out in time. Fresh Water will pick winning entries based on wit, brevity, panache and other wholly nebulous standards.
Many teachers and graduates of Cleveland School of the Arts, the acclaimed, arts-focused school that sits at the edge of University Circle, have been patiently waiting for more than 30 years for a new school.
"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suitable to teaching the arts. "Now they're building us a real arts school. This is part of a premier arts specialty system that's being put into place in the district, and our goal is to write the curriculum to create a conservatory-level 9th-12th grade school."
The demolition of the former Cleveland School of the Arts began earlier this month. Current CSA students are housed at another district school until the new campus is ready. Bluso says that the district plans to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art school in June and open it to students in August 2014. The green-built facility will feature an outdoor plaza and new interior spaces such as art galleries and music rooms that are specially built for arts classes.
"Each arts program will have an area of the building," says Bluso. "We plan to serve 775 students in grades 6-12, and our goal is to be very competitive district-wide. We want students from all over the city to apply."
Bluso says the new school is part of a renewed emphasis on arts education that is flourishing under CEO Eric Gordon. "He's really made arts education a priority," she says. "This is a critical component of the Transformation Plan."
Friends of CSA raises $650-750,000 to support arts programs at the school each year. Bluso says that arts-based education teaches students to think creatively and keeps them motivated in school. CSA has a high graduation rate and many of its students go on to graduate from college and pursue careers in the arts.
Source: Christine Bluso
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suitable to teaching the arts. "Now they're building us a real arts school. This is part of a premier arts specialty system that's being put into place in the district, and our goal is to write the curriculum to create a conservatory-level 9th-12th grade school."
The demolition of the former Cleveland School of the Arts began earlier this month. Current CSA students are housed at another district school until the new campus is ready. Bluso says that the district plans to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art school in June and open it to students in August 2014. The green-built facility will feature an outdoor plaza and new interior spaces such as art galleries and music rooms that are specially built for arts classes.
"Each arts program will have an area of the building," says Bluso. "We plan to serve 775 students in grades 6-12, and our goal is to be very competitive district-wide. We want students from all over the city to apply."
Bluso says the new school is part of a renewed emphasis on arts education that is flourishing under CEO Eric Gordon. "He's really made arts education a priority," she says. "This is a critical component of the Transformation Plan."
Friends of CSA raises $650-750,000 to support arts programs at the school each year. Bluso says that arts-based education teaches students to think creatively and keeps them motivated in school. CSA has a high graduation rate and many of its students go on to graduate from college and pursue careers in the arts.
Source: Christine Bluso
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are preparing to break ground on two major roadway improvement projects in University Circle and surrounding neighborhoods that will improve vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle access to the area while making it safer and easier to navigate.
First, the City of Cleveland plans to break ground in the next few months on the rebuilding of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The scenic roadway wends its way 2.63 miles from University Circle through Rockefeller Park to the lakefront. The work includes repairing curbs, adding new ADA ramps, drainage improvements and new parking areas. The latter is the biggest change for those accessing the park by car, as there will finally be a (legal) place to park along MLK Drive.
Second, Cuyahoga County will start this fall on the reconfiguration of the much-maligned traffic circle at East 105th Street and MLK. The new intersection will be a traditional, four-way stoplight. The project will not only make the area safer for drivers, but will also enhance access for cyclists and pedestrians.
"This traffic circle has one of the highest rates of vehicular accidents in the region -- they're mostly fender benders, because people are just confused by it," says Chris Bongorno, Director of Planning with University Circle Incorporated (UCI). "The new configuration will definitely be more pedestrian and bike friendly, and will also help to connect people to Rockefeller Park and University Circle."
The reconfiguration of the traffic circle will create sidewalks on both sides of the street and better connect the Harrison Dillard bikeway to University Circle. A new boardwalk will be constructed on land freed up by the project, and pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross the intersection at one, signalized location.
The City of Cleveland has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the MLK rebuild project on Tuesday, April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1962 Stokes Blvd.). City officials will be on hand to discuss the project timeline and specifics and to answer questions.
Bongorno says the two projects are evidence of University Circle's commitment to enhancing access to the area's cultural amenities for all users. He also says University Circle employees are biking to work in greater numbers with each passing year, and these types of improvements will better serve them.
Source: Chris Bongorno
Writer: Lee Chilcote
First, the City of Cleveland plans to break ground in the next few months on the rebuilding of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The scenic roadway wends its way 2.63 miles from University Circle through Rockefeller Park to the lakefront. The work includes repairing curbs, adding new ADA ramps, drainage improvements and new parking areas. The latter is the biggest change for those accessing the park by car, as there will finally be a (legal) place to park along MLK Drive.
Second, Cuyahoga County will start this fall on the reconfiguration of the much-maligned traffic circle at East 105th Street and MLK. The new intersection will be a traditional, four-way stoplight. The project will not only make the area safer for drivers, but will also enhance access for cyclists and pedestrians.
"This traffic circle has one of the highest rates of vehicular accidents in the region -- they're mostly fender benders, because people are just confused by it," says Chris Bongorno, Director of Planning with University Circle Incorporated (UCI). "The new configuration will definitely be more pedestrian and bike friendly, and will also help to connect people to Rockefeller Park and University Circle."
The reconfiguration of the traffic circle will create sidewalks on both sides of the street and better connect the Harrison Dillard bikeway to University Circle. A new boardwalk will be constructed on land freed up by the project, and pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross the intersection at one, signalized location.
The City of Cleveland has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the MLK rebuild project on Tuesday, April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1962 Stokes Blvd.). City officials will be on hand to discuss the project timeline and specifics and to answer questions.
Bongorno says the two projects are evidence of University Circle's commitment to enhancing access to the area's cultural amenities for all users. He also says University Circle employees are biking to work in greater numbers with each passing year, and these types of improvements will better serve them.
Source: Chris Bongorno
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Noted Cleveland bookseller Richard Gildenmeister, who first began selling books at Higbees in 1955, opened Richard Gildenmeister at Shaker Square in the 1970s and worked at Joseph-Beth Booksellers until two years ago, is returning to Shaker Square to open a pop up store in a vacant storefront and sell off his private collection.
"We all have dreams and nightmares," says Gildenmeister, who turns 80 this year. "Well, one night I had a dream with all these books moving around in my brain. I woke up and thought, 'Maybe this is a message. I've lived in this apartment 42 years and haven't thrown a scrap away. It's time to get moving.'"
Gildenmeister, who lives in a three-bedroom suite on North Moreland by Shaker Square, soon got on the phone with Peter Rubin, CEO of the Coral Company, which owns Shaker Square. He readily agreed to lease Gildenmeister a vacant space beside Dewey's Coffee Shop, jumping at the chance to bring the beloved bookseller back to the Square, even just for a few weeks.
The near-octogenerian bookseller, whose sale starts April 18th and lasts until the books are all sold, has a collection of 2,000+ volumes that he's held onto for many years. They include signed editions, coffee table books, Cleveland books and poetry, all of which will be sold at deeply discounted rates in this final sale.
Although Gildenmeister is generally gloomy about the future of large bookstores, he believes we are entering a new era in which smaller, independent bookstores will thrive. "The city had a lot of independent bookstores in 1955, and one by one they were knocked off, and then came the big guys. Now they're getting knocked off. I believe many more independent stores will open in niche markets."
Although witnessing the closure of Joseph-Beth was no fun, Gildenmeister says he "never regretted a moment of his career and had a blast." As someone who organized thousands of book signings, Cleveland's book czar hobnobbed with the likes of Lauren Bacall, Barbara Walters and James Baldwin in his time.
Through it all, Shaker Square has remained his home. "I fell in love with Shaker Square when I was a small child. I saw the lights when I was nine years old at Christmastime. Although I live by myself, I never feel alone and always feel connected. When I open my windows, I see the neighborhood going by."
Source: Richard Gildenmeister
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We all have dreams and nightmares," says Gildenmeister, who turns 80 this year. "Well, one night I had a dream with all these books moving around in my brain. I woke up and thought, 'Maybe this is a message. I've lived in this apartment 42 years and haven't thrown a scrap away. It's time to get moving.'"
Gildenmeister, who lives in a three-bedroom suite on North Moreland by Shaker Square, soon got on the phone with Peter Rubin, CEO of the Coral Company, which owns Shaker Square. He readily agreed to lease Gildenmeister a vacant space beside Dewey's Coffee Shop, jumping at the chance to bring the beloved bookseller back to the Square, even just for a few weeks.
The near-octogenerian bookseller, whose sale starts April 18th and lasts until the books are all sold, has a collection of 2,000+ volumes that he's held onto for many years. They include signed editions, coffee table books, Cleveland books and poetry, all of which will be sold at deeply discounted rates in this final sale.
Although Gildenmeister is generally gloomy about the future of large bookstores, he believes we are entering a new era in which smaller, independent bookstores will thrive. "The city had a lot of independent bookstores in 1955, and one by one they were knocked off, and then came the big guys. Now they're getting knocked off. I believe many more independent stores will open in niche markets."
Although witnessing the closure of Joseph-Beth was no fun, Gildenmeister says he "never regretted a moment of his career and had a blast." As someone who organized thousands of book signings, Cleveland's book czar hobnobbed with the likes of Lauren Bacall, Barbara Walters and James Baldwin in his time.
Through it all, Shaker Square has remained his home. "I fell in love with Shaker Square when I was a small child. I saw the lights when I was nine years old at Christmastime. Although I live by myself, I never feel alone and always feel connected. When I open my windows, I see the neighborhood going by."
Source: Richard Gildenmeister
Writer: Lee Chilcote