Arts + Culture
tribe's snow days a hit with washington post reporter
A writer for the Washington Post files a post about Cleveland Indians Snow Days, which takes place at Progressive Field from Thanksgiving to mid-January. The family-friendly attraction is a festival of winter sports, with ice skating and tubing facilities installed in a place that typically sees a different sort of sliding.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.
cleveland is laying out the 'welcome mat,' says the atlantic cities
"Thinking about moving? You should consider Cleveland."
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
Go Media is Here -- and luckily for us, they're here to stay. From its studios in a nondescript three-story brick warehouse on Lorain Avenue, the creative agency is putting Cleveland on the map as a burgeoning hub of art and design. In addition to creating good work, the firm does good work, promoting people and projects that are making Cleveland a better place to live.
ny times says, old rock and rollers hope for a nod from cleveland
"For the inductees [to the Rock Hall], the reward can be enormous," writes Janet Morrissey for the New York Times. "Weekly record sales for a performer or band leap 40 to 60 percent, on average, in the weeks after selection, says David Bakula, a senior vice president at Nielsen SoundScan. While winning a Grammy often helps one album, a nod from Cleveland can lift an entire back catalog."
In an article titled, "Battle of the Bands (and Egos) for the Rock Hall of Fame," Morrissey describes the so-called hall-of-fame effect that reignites the careers of long-forgotten starts.
"In 2009, good news from Cleveland bolstered the career of Wanda Jackson, 'the queen of rockabilly,' who gained fame in the mid-1950s and 60s. After Ms. Jackson was inducted, she collaborated on an album with Jack White of the White Stripes. Suddenly Ms. Jackson, who is now 74, was everywhere."
Morrissey also described the selection process, which is shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
In an article titled, "Battle of the Bands (and Egos) for the Rock Hall of Fame," Morrissey describes the so-called hall-of-fame effect that reignites the careers of long-forgotten starts.
"In 2009, good news from Cleveland bolstered the career of Wanda Jackson, 'the queen of rockabilly,' who gained fame in the mid-1950s and 60s. After Ms. Jackson was inducted, she collaborated on an album with Jack White of the White Stripes. Suddenly Ms. Jackson, who is now 74, was everywhere."
Morrissey also described the selection process, which is shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
guide book written for new arrivals and those who'd like to rediscover cleveland
A new Cleveland-centric book joins the slowly growing bookshelf of info-packed guides to our fair city. Written and self-published by Cleveland State University urban planning grad Justin Glanville, New to Cleveland: A Guide to (re)Discovering the City is targeted both to new arrivals as well as those who'd like to rediscover their city.
Readers will find general information about various Cleveland neighborhoods, including listings of restaurants, stores and cultural institutions. But also advice on where to send your kids to school, insights on the Cleveland real estate market, and the best neighborhoods for students, artists, professionals, retirees and those who want to live car-free or car-light.
The 250-page book includes more than 50 full-color illustrations by local artist Julia Kuo. The book is also printed in Cleveland.
The guide book is only the second to be written specifically about present-day Cleveland, the other being Avalon Travel's Moon Cleveland, penned by Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner.
There will be a launch party from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Happy Dog.
Books are available online and at this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre.
Readers will find general information about various Cleveland neighborhoods, including listings of restaurants, stores and cultural institutions. But also advice on where to send your kids to school, insights on the Cleveland real estate market, and the best neighborhoods for students, artists, professionals, retirees and those who want to live car-free or car-light.
The 250-page book includes more than 50 full-color illustrations by local artist Julia Kuo. The book is also printed in Cleveland.
The guide book is only the second to be written specifically about present-day Cleveland, the other being Avalon Travel's Moon Cleveland, penned by Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner.
There will be a launch party from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Happy Dog.
Books are available online and at this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre.
Brooklyn, Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Centre – who can blame us for being totally and utterly befuddled? Fortunately, Fresh Water writer Erin O'Brien is here to offer some insight into the Brooklyns of and around Cleveland. Read up: There just might be a quiz later on.
cuyahoga arts & culture announces this year's project support grants
On Monday, November 14th, the Board of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) approved 88 grants totaling $1,029,164 for its 2012 Project Support cycle. The awards include traditional PS I grants and the new Project Support II, a small grant program that provides awards of up to $5,000. Grants range in value from $625 to $49,333.
This year garnered the largest number of applications in CAC’s history. A total of 131 organizations submitted Intent to Apply materials, of which 118 of were eligible. This is an increase of 45% from the previous year, which was also a record-setter.
The largest recipient is Scenarios USA, a nonprofit that that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership in under-served teens. The smallest is River Valley Ringers, a community handbell choir in Cleveland Heights. Others include EcoWatch, Building Bridges, LakewoodAlive, and numerous neighborhood development corps.
See all the grants here.
This year garnered the largest number of applications in CAC’s history. A total of 131 organizations submitted Intent to Apply materials, of which 118 of were eligible. This is an increase of 45% from the previous year, which was also a record-setter.
The largest recipient is Scenarios USA, a nonprofit that that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership in under-served teens. The smallest is River Valley Ringers, a community handbell choir in Cleveland Heights. Others include EcoWatch, Building Bridges, LakewoodAlive, and numerous neighborhood development corps.
See all the grants here.
The end of the NBA lockout came late last Saturday night, a gift to sports fans and downtown businesses alike. B-ball action isn't expected to hit center court until later this year. But even after it does arrive, many will be looking for other, cheaper, better ways to have fun downtown. Here are just a few.
ny times calls uptown new downtown of university circle
A recent article in the New York Times titled "Cleveland Turns Uptown Into New Downtown," written by Keith Schneider, lauds the emerging Uptown arts and entertainment district in University Circle.
With the goal of "rebuilding the city’s core according to the new urban market trends of the 21st century -- health care, higher education, entertainment, good food, new housing and expanded mass transportation" -- the new Uptown project is becoming the new downtown for University Circle.
"When it is finished next year, the new $27 million Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Farshid Moussavi, will perch, like a lustrous black gem, at the entrance to the district, at Euclid and Mayfield Road. A pedestrian plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, a designer of the High Line elevated park in New York City, separates the new museum from two four-story, mixed-use residential buildings under construction on the north and south sides of Euclid."
“There are 5,000 more jobs here than in 2005,” Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Inc., is quoted in the story. “About 50,000 people work here. The number of residents grew 11 percent since 2000. And there are 10,000 people who live here now.”
Read the rest of the good news here.
With the goal of "rebuilding the city’s core according to the new urban market trends of the 21st century -- health care, higher education, entertainment, good food, new housing and expanded mass transportation" -- the new Uptown project is becoming the new downtown for University Circle.
"When it is finished next year, the new $27 million Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Farshid Moussavi, will perch, like a lustrous black gem, at the entrance to the district, at Euclid and Mayfield Road. A pedestrian plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, a designer of the High Line elevated park in New York City, separates the new museum from two four-story, mixed-use residential buildings under construction on the north and south sides of Euclid."
“There are 5,000 more jobs here than in 2005,” Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Inc., is quoted in the story. “About 50,000 people work here. The number of residents grew 11 percent since 2000. And there are 10,000 people who live here now.”
Read the rest of the good news here.
Black Friday is, blessedly, behind us. So, too, is Cyber Monday. All that stands between today and the holidays are a few weeks of retail panic. Relax, brave shoppers. It has never been easier for a Clevelander to wrap up his or her holiday shopping thanks to a bevy of brief boutiques. These fleeting ventures spring up like magic mushrooms after an imaginary storm to make shopping fun, easy and 100-percent local.
With just a few weeks standing between now and the holiday hand-outs, it's time to shift the shopping cart into high gear. But before you start sending your hard-earned cabbage out of state, consider shopping local. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski takes us on a pictorial tour of some the best holiday pop-up shops. See this story for a complete list.
stop-motion trailer for lakewood resident's book on '80s vinyl art
"Put the Needle on the Record" is a new book by Lakewood resident Matthew Chojnacki. It is available locally at Room Service, Music Saves and DuoHome.
Here are the liner notes:
"From a dream of a vinyl collection, Chojnacki presents and compares more than 250 vinyl single covers that represent nearly every prominent '80s musician. However, this is not just a pop-cultural feast for the eyes. From hundreds of hours of interviews, Chojnacki allows the designers and visual talent behind Madonna, Prince, Pink Floyd, Queen, Adam Ant, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Pet Shop Boys, Van Halen, and more to tell the unheard stories behind the decade’s most iconic images."
Here are the liner notes:
"From a dream of a vinyl collection, Chojnacki presents and compares more than 250 vinyl single covers that represent nearly every prominent '80s musician. However, this is not just a pop-cultural feast for the eyes. From hundreds of hours of interviews, Chojnacki allows the designers and visual talent behind Madonna, Prince, Pink Floyd, Queen, Adam Ant, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Pet Shop Boys, Van Halen, and more to tell the unheard stories behind the decade’s most iconic images."
metrohealth and cia host aids memorial quilt
If a quilt panel were created to represent your life, what would it look like? Clevelanders have the opportunity to see panels that honor the lives of local people who have died of AIDS -- panels created by their family and friends for the national AIDS Memorial Quilt. The public is invited to view portions of the quilt at MetroHealth Medical Center until Wednesday, Dec. 7.
Among the local stories behind the panels: Ana Rodriguez was a spirited young girl who found out she was born HIV positive just before her parents died of AIDS in the late 1990s. Instead of letting it get her down, Ana became the first child to openly have AIDS in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and toured the country helping others cope with the disease before her death in 2004.
Daily viewing of the quilt panels -- 8 panel sections measuring 12 square feet -- will hang from the ceiling of MetroHealth’s Rammelkamp Atrium through Dec. 7. The public is invited to view the display each day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more info click here.
Among the local stories behind the panels: Ana Rodriguez was a spirited young girl who found out she was born HIV positive just before her parents died of AIDS in the late 1990s. Instead of letting it get her down, Ana became the first child to openly have AIDS in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and toured the country helping others cope with the disease before her death in 2004.
Daily viewing of the quilt panels -- 8 panel sections measuring 12 square feet -- will hang from the ceiling of MetroHealth’s Rammelkamp Atrium through Dec. 7. The public is invited to view the display each day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more info click here.
Kendall Embrescia’s greeting cards get to the point of the sentiment -- but usually not in the traditional way. As chief creative officer and “head skootcher” at Squirt & Skootch, Embrescia produces cards that are edgy, funny, off-the-wall and well received.
The idea for Squirt & Skootch was originally conceived in 2009 by Embrescia and a friend who wanted to start a business that united their love of writing, creativity and travel. The peculiar name is based on their childhood nicknames.
“One of the universal things I found when I traveled was mail,” recalls Embrescia. “No matter where I was I would send a postcard.”
So, in fall 2009, "Squirt" and "Skootch" gave their cards a trial run at the Tremont Arts Festival. Boasting sayings like “I have a heart on for you” and other spicy sentiments, the cards were very well received.
Then Squirt moved on and Embrescia’s friend Sandy Hridel joined the team. The two hit some stationary shows and developed a full line of cards, covering categories that ranged from Love and Sex to Holiday and Encouragement. Embrescia and Hridel formally formed an LLC in fall of 2010, hired Embrescia’s niece Kendra Kwasniewski to illustrate the cards, and got a crash course in running a business.
“We started identifying places that would sell our cards, cold calling people and walking into stores to sell our cards,” says Embrescia. “I’m a really creative person and learning the business stuff was really intense.” But the hard work paid off. Today, Squirt & Skootch can be found in stores around Northeast Ohio, as well as in Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Colorado.
The company plans on hiring a web developer and some salespeople to go after mid-sized retailers. “Growth is certainly key,” says Embrescia. “We’ve been able to be creative and build an infrastructure, but now the emphasis is on growth.”
Source: Kendall Embrescia
Writer: Karin Connelly
The idea for Squirt & Skootch was originally conceived in 2009 by Embrescia and a friend who wanted to start a business that united their love of writing, creativity and travel. The peculiar name is based on their childhood nicknames.
“One of the universal things I found when I traveled was mail,” recalls Embrescia. “No matter where I was I would send a postcard.”
So, in fall 2009, "Squirt" and "Skootch" gave their cards a trial run at the Tremont Arts Festival. Boasting sayings like “I have a heart on for you” and other spicy sentiments, the cards were very well received.
Then Squirt moved on and Embrescia’s friend Sandy Hridel joined the team. The two hit some stationary shows and developed a full line of cards, covering categories that ranged from Love and Sex to Holiday and Encouragement. Embrescia and Hridel formally formed an LLC in fall of 2010, hired Embrescia’s niece Kendra Kwasniewski to illustrate the cards, and got a crash course in running a business.
“We started identifying places that would sell our cards, cold calling people and walking into stores to sell our cards,” says Embrescia. “I’m a really creative person and learning the business stuff was really intense.” But the hard work paid off. Today, Squirt & Skootch can be found in stores around Northeast Ohio, as well as in Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Colorado.
The company plans on hiring a web developer and some salespeople to go after mid-sized retailers. “Growth is certainly key,” says Embrescia. “We’ve been able to be creative and build an infrastructure, but now the emphasis is on growth.”
Source: Kendall Embrescia
Writer: Karin Connelly
Supporters of the late, great comic book writer Harvey Pekar are trying to raise $30,000 to create a fittingly iconoclastic memorial to his life and work at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights main library. The bronze sculpture will serve as a living monument to the power of comics to transform everyday life into art.
In the planned sculpture, the cantankerous, working-class hero steps out of one of his own comic book pages. Beneath is a desk where individuals can thumb through one of Pekar's favorite books or, perhaps, pen their own masterpiece. On the back there's a blank slate where budding auteurs can sketch comics or tributes to Pekar.
"This is a statue about making comics," says Joyce Brabner, Pekar's wife and kindred spirit, in a video that was created for the project's Kickstarter fundaising campaign. "What we're talking about is celebrating the comics rather than his celebrity. No other statues have Greek or Roman gods holding an autobiographical comic book about working class life in Cleveland -- or a comic book at all."
Ironically, contrasting Pekar's portrait with the stately busts one might find in a museum, Brabner has dubbed it "Cleveland's ancient Jewish god of file clerks."
Justin Coulter, a sculptor and bartender who designed the memorial, says he can easily identify with the perennially struggling artist. "He was an everyday man who had to work to support his art, and I am definitely doing the same thing."
Source: Joyce Brabner, Justin Coulter
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In the planned sculpture, the cantankerous, working-class hero steps out of one of his own comic book pages. Beneath is a desk where individuals can thumb through one of Pekar's favorite books or, perhaps, pen their own masterpiece. On the back there's a blank slate where budding auteurs can sketch comics or tributes to Pekar.
"This is a statue about making comics," says Joyce Brabner, Pekar's wife and kindred spirit, in a video that was created for the project's Kickstarter fundaising campaign. "What we're talking about is celebrating the comics rather than his celebrity. No other statues have Greek or Roman gods holding an autobiographical comic book about working class life in Cleveland -- or a comic book at all."
Ironically, contrasting Pekar's portrait with the stately busts one might find in a museum, Brabner has dubbed it "Cleveland's ancient Jewish god of file clerks."
Justin Coulter, a sculptor and bartender who designed the memorial, says he can easily identify with the perennially struggling artist. "He was an everyday man who had to work to support his art, and I am definitely doing the same thing."
Source: Joyce Brabner, Justin Coulter
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Since the Capitol Theatre at W. 65th and Detroit reopened in 2008 as a state-of-the-art, three-screen movie house, it has incrementally grown its audience by hosting special events and screening must-see indie films. Yet this week, the hottest attraction at this restored vaudeville theatre will be its striking new blade sign.
This Thursday, a holiday-themed lighting ceremony will celebrate this iconic piece of street art. The "Bright Night" event begins at 6:15 p.m. with the lighting of the sign. A street party will follow. The area's unique indie retailers and restaurants also will be open for the occasion.
"The new sign is a near exact replica of the original blade sign that was installed at the theatre in 1921," says Marilyn Mosinski, Director of Economic Development with the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO), the group which has spearheaded the $50,000 project over the past three years.
Needless to say, after such a long wait Mosinsky and her cohorts are ready to celebrate. Adding to the festivities is a trio of pop-up shops that are opening for the season this week in the Gordon Square Arts District. In recent years, the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood has become known for its one-of-a-kind holiday shopping options.
Valerie Mayen of Yellowcake is setting up a temporary apparel shop at the corner of W. 65th and Detroit. The Gordon Square Holiday Market is also set to open in the Near West Lofts Building at W. 67th and Detroit.
Finally, a new gallery called Double Feature is also popping up in the district. Located in a two-room space on W. 65th next to the Capitol, it will host artwork, a unique shop and an array of events throughout the season.
Bright Night is a part of Yuletide on the Near West Side, a series of holiday events in the Detroit Shoreway, Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods.
Sources: Genna Petrolla, Marilyn Mosinski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This Thursday, a holiday-themed lighting ceremony will celebrate this iconic piece of street art. The "Bright Night" event begins at 6:15 p.m. with the lighting of the sign. A street party will follow. The area's unique indie retailers and restaurants also will be open for the occasion.
"The new sign is a near exact replica of the original blade sign that was installed at the theatre in 1921," says Marilyn Mosinski, Director of Economic Development with the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO), the group which has spearheaded the $50,000 project over the past three years.
Needless to say, after such a long wait Mosinsky and her cohorts are ready to celebrate. Adding to the festivities is a trio of pop-up shops that are opening for the season this week in the Gordon Square Arts District. In recent years, the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood has become known for its one-of-a-kind holiday shopping options.
Valerie Mayen of Yellowcake is setting up a temporary apparel shop at the corner of W. 65th and Detroit. The Gordon Square Holiday Market is also set to open in the Near West Lofts Building at W. 67th and Detroit.
Finally, a new gallery called Double Feature is also popping up in the district. Located in a two-room space on W. 65th next to the Capitol, it will host artwork, a unique shop and an array of events throughout the season.
Bright Night is a part of Yuletide on the Near West Side, a series of holiday events in the Detroit Shoreway, Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods.
Sources: Genna Petrolla, Marilyn Mosinski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I often say that Cleveland taught me more than I could ever repay," Esquire writer at large Scott Raab tells Fresh Water. "It taught me lessons about resilience. You know, all those clichés about heart, about not giving up, not pointing fingers, but to move forward to carve out a life, to do the right thing when people give you shit. Cleveland taught me all those things. It’s a wonderful place to be from."
cleveland public library ranked one of the top four libraries in the country
Cleveland Public Library (CPL) was ranked one of the top four libraries in the country, receiving the highest possible rating of five stars in the Library Journal’s America’s Star Libraries 2011.
Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service ranks more than 7,000 library systems in four categories: library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet usage. Cleveland Public Library ranked 4th out of all library systems nationwide in its category and improved its overall ranking because of increases in circulation and higher usage of computers as even more community members turn to libraries for resources in these tougher financial times.
“The Library Journal’s ranking is just more proof that Cleveland Public Library is providing superior service and value to our city and region by promoting both a love of books and reading while propelling Cleveland forward through our community-based programming,” CPL executive director Felton Thomas said. “It’s exciting to see that our signature collections and progressive community agenda are making a difference.”
Check out the rest of the rankings here.
Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service ranks more than 7,000 library systems in four categories: library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet usage. Cleveland Public Library ranked 4th out of all library systems nationwide in its category and improved its overall ranking because of increases in circulation and higher usage of computers as even more community members turn to libraries for resources in these tougher financial times.
“The Library Journal’s ranking is just more proof that Cleveland Public Library is providing superior service and value to our city and region by promoting both a love of books and reading while propelling Cleveland forward through our community-based programming,” CPL executive director Felton Thomas said. “It’s exciting to see that our signature collections and progressive community agenda are making a difference.”
Check out the rest of the rankings here.
Jared Rube has a love for both photography and technology. As a third year photography student at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rube got his feet wet in the entrepreneurial world as an intern at Shaker LaunchHouse before creating True Frame Media, which provides video content creators with the ability to standardize work-flow and produce films through online pre and post production processes.
Out of True Frame Media came CinaMaker, a cloud-based collaborative environment for producing films online. The company is a marriage of Rube’s two loves.
“It started as marketing and storage, and grew into editing,” recalls Rube. “Then it grew into ‘Why don’t we make it collaborative?’”
Running a startup business while going to school full time has not been easy. But Rube has gotten a lot of support from the RIT faculty, LaunchHouse, friends and family. And he’s enjoying every bit of the experience. “It’s a really cool learning experience,” he says, “Doing it all, learning how to run a business.”
CinaMaker is quickly growing. Rube has one “unofficial” business partner, one programmer and one designer. He plans on hiring subcontractors to help with the programming. He foresees soon having five to eight programmers and two designers on staff. He also has been working with local and overseas production companies and fellow LaunchHouse company Tiny Giant Studio.
“It’s really moving fast,” he says. “I’m just trying to keep up with it.”
Source: Jared Rube
Writer: Karin Connelly
Out of True Frame Media came CinaMaker, a cloud-based collaborative environment for producing films online. The company is a marriage of Rube’s two loves.
“It started as marketing and storage, and grew into editing,” recalls Rube. “Then it grew into ‘Why don’t we make it collaborative?’”
Running a startup business while going to school full time has not been easy. But Rube has gotten a lot of support from the RIT faculty, LaunchHouse, friends and family. And he’s enjoying every bit of the experience. “It’s a really cool learning experience,” he says, “Doing it all, learning how to run a business.”
CinaMaker is quickly growing. Rube has one “unofficial” business partner, one programmer and one designer. He plans on hiring subcontractors to help with the programming. He foresees soon having five to eight programmers and two designers on staff. He also has been working with local and overseas production companies and fellow LaunchHouse company Tiny Giant Studio.
“It’s really moving fast,” he says. “I’m just trying to keep up with it.”
Source: Jared Rube
Writer: Karin Connelly
The odyssey that led Deba Gray and Serena Harragin, the couple behind Gray's Auctioneers, to Cleveland is as fascinating as the work they do. The journey, which ends in Lakewood, meandered through Key West and Chicago. It includes a career change in New York, a heart-wrenching epiphany, and the convincing of a reluctant partner.