Cleveland is rightfully championing local hero Mike Symon for his national recognition.  Tremont has hung a banner in his honor.  We should all be thankful, at this time of year, to live in a part of the country that knows how to live well.  

Please support our local artists at this time of year. Buy local art and buy local food to set your holiday table.  Memories are made of this stuff.

Here are some personal recommendations, to which I plan on adding others:

Farkas Pastry Shoppe,  Chef Choice's Meats, Sausage Shoppe, Gallucci's, Gentile's Bakery & Deli, Michael's Bakery, Athens Pasteries...

And, remember, galleries are a good place to spend quality family time--Convivium33 is hosting a group show.  Make a memory :)

Upcoming Exhibition
CLE + design + style = functionalart 2007

Convivium33 Gallery is delighted to welcome guests to a special functional art exhibition, which will showcase new work, by twelve Cleveland Artists. Just as Cleveland is re-establishing an international profile as the design center, Cleveland's national profile has been growing. Throughout Cleveland's history, design, manufacturing and quality have been a consistent component in Cleveland's economic growth and national recognition. Convivium33 joins forces with Cleveland Designer, Greg Morris to showcase a selection of contemporary artists who walk the fine line of decorative and visual arts. The emphasis here is principally, though not exclusively sculptural.

Artists include:
P.J.Doran
Freddy Hill
Michel Ina
Mike Moritz
Todd Powell
Debra Rosen
Stephen Yusko for Rose Iron Works
Kathleen Manhattan and Skip Streeter for Streets of Manhattan
Ezra Taxel
Bradford Watson
P.D. White

Exhibit dates: December 7 - December 16, 2007

Opening Reception: Friday, December 7 from 6pm –10pm

Special Guest Artist: Cleveland's legendary Clarence Van Duzer

Convivium33 Gallery
1433 East 33rd Street (off Superior) CLE OH 44114
216.881.7838

Special Holiday Gallery Hours:
Daily 11a.m. - 4p.m.
Saturday and Sunday -10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Greg Morris of GMDesigns is one of Cleveland's most sought out designers. A resident of Cleveland for nearly 20 years, Morris has created sophisticated modern environments for a vast array of clientele, which include residential and commercial spaces in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas and Miami. His residential work ranges in style from traditional to ultra modern and his commercial work includes corporate offices to trendy restaurants.

From the meticulous to the obsessive, attention to detail, recycling, piecing and repetition are processes that result in a dramatic variety of forms and subjects. Morris brings to the forefront Cleveland’s growing and progressive design community during this Holiday season. Among the areas featured in this exhibit, these progressive artists highlight expressions in furniture and jewelry as areas of exploration. Interest in this exhibition revolves around the idea that functional art has the ability to engage with critical ideas on a multiplicity of levels, from the visual to the tactile, and from the conceptual to the utilitarian.

Support local artists and businesses.... buy art: Made in Cleveland!