August 23, 2008, was the City Xpressions 2008 arts and culture festival, at W. 25th Street and Lorain... one of my favorite annual events in the region... more photos to come!

Harry Bell is a powerful urban artist, well appreciated in Cleveland and beyond. His most famous work I know is the Wall of Sorrows, recently dismantled, under controversy, and now in storage... scheduled for future re-installation. You may know his current work from cruising through Cedar and E.55th, where he is commissioned by a gas station and car dealership to create urban art on their walls, now including the work-in-progress shown above... a memorial tribute to "Houghs Angel", Fannie Lewis, rest in peace.

Thanks to Sudhir, I had the opportunity to check out the Flobots at Peabody's, Sunday night. If I'd browsed the Cleveland Scene Magazine concert preview, beforehand, I probably wouldn't have bothered going. The 100s of fans who enjoyed the show agreed that would have been a mistake.

New Silver/Health Line Bus Stop at E. 9th and Euclid - detail - Ameritrust Building in background

Public Art is site specific, so designing public art for a five-mile site - a bus line - must be quite a challenge. Now, as the "Euclid Corridor" "Silver Line" "HealthLine" street improvements, light fixtures, bus stops, signage, green spaces, trees, grass and technologies are becoming apparent, I think much of what has been assembled works for most of the sites I've seen... despite basically wiping out the city, and costing over a $billion, retooling of an existing bus line. Whether the infrastructure and facilities will prove very functional, I have my doubts... we'll know after the first winter of full service. But the form of the bus station, designed by Robert P. Madison International, and light fixture shown in this picture of the East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue "Breuer Stop" works astoundingly well for this important site... one of the most important on the line. In this case, it appears the art was well conceived for the surroundings.

Work at To Masumi exhibiton featuring sunflower seeds

I've always loved sunflowers, but the bright, sunny blooms glowing in our front yard this Summer are special. The seeds were from the work of art below, in the "To Masumi" memorial exhibition, held last October, in celebration of the everlasting, peaceful, sunny spirit of Masumi Hayashi, the great photographer killed a year earlier, in Cleveland, with other great Cleveland artist John Jackson. The Masumi Sunflower seeds distributed in Tremont may have been planted anywhere on Earth, and I wonder where else such Masumi Sunflowers are growing today, from this one showing of love for love and art received and lost.

"Read More" public art in the Cleveland Flats... perhaps by The Sign Guy

The nearly completed Richard Fleischman addition to the Putnam Collection, in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio - photos by Evelyn Kiefer - Logo by Norm Roulet - 07/17/08

I was thrilled to receive news today that one of my favorite NEO artists, Pamela Dodds, a REALNEO artist of the Day, has been awarded a $25,000 Individual Support Grant from the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation. The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation was established by American artist Adolph Gottlieb (1903-1974) and his wife Esther.  The foundation provides large grants to ‘serious, fully-committed artists,' ‘regardless of their level of commercial success.'  This year the foundation received 482 applications from which twelve artists were selected to receive awards. I'm proud to say Evelyn and I have one of Pamela's inspiring and impressive linoleum cut prints in our collection... "Drift", above... perhaps it is time for more area collectors to seek out her work... website here!

When people wonder what is the value of a local daily newspaper, I must point to the story of Shaw High School Band, which was invited to China to perform but could not afford to do that. The Plain Dealer article "Bang a Drum, Proudly", by Connie Schulz, raised enough attention and funding to get them there, from where they just returned in triumph (nicely covered in the PD here, today)... a $500,000 whirlwind phenomenon all occurring in less than 6 months!

I love art, and much in the Cleveland Museum's collection, and the old and newish CMA, but I am not convinced the current reengineering of the museum is economically positive for the region, and I am very displeased with their new slogan "art is back" as shallow and disrespectful to the real NEO arts community, which has never left. The museum needs to better explore its identity and role here, as so many arts organizations, our population and economy transition, and the CMA takes a proportionately larger share of the arts funding pie. If CMA is spending $100s millions constructing new edifices for old mold and cobwebs, I will be very disappointed. I'm waiting to see Rub put his shine on anything, other than proclaiming art is back in a place it never left. What do you think... did art leave?

Two people reported to be HEK and MAK were reportedly arrested, May 30th, 2008. Jeff Buster and I have had a great interest in the work known all around NEO as HEK, and we both seem to wonder if there is really anyone to "arrest" as HEK, for HEK, as HEK seems the identity of many... the voice of many... and is today's Art of the Day.

I was saddened to learn today that the excellent Northeast Ohio painter - a Cleveland Institute of Art graduate and productive artist - Scott Miller passed away, this weekend. I'm sure detals will follow here and in other arts media. My mother taught Scott at CIA and remembers him as a great talent, who lived life his own way. Scott just had a powerful show of recent work at Gray's Auctioneers Gallery, in December 2007, at which I shot these photos of Scott and his work - I'll post more later.

A collaborative effort involving the best of the Gordon Square Arts District, Including Art Galleries, Artist & Design Studios, Art Auctions, Performance Theatres, Music & Entertainment Businesses, Retail Stores, Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Houses…

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Over the past few weeks, I've noticed strange Clevelandesque slogans posted on billboards around town, with the attribution "Mind of Cleveland". I remember wondering if this was another Cleveland+hype campaign... or about AIDS prevention... and planned to google it later...

Dear Friends,

Please join me tonight for the reception of "Collector's Choice - Fifth Annual" at Heights Arts Gallery, (next to the Cedar Lee Theatre.)
     

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Michael Chattem, Semen is Thicker Than Blood. Blood, ink, marker

One of the greatest times when the Cleveland School May Show is the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Annual Student Independent Exhibition, now in its 62 year. Drawing from a huge, diverse body of work in every imaginable media and medium - this year, including semen?! - from an awesome pool of talent, connected by a world-class arts college, in a great arts community, the SIE always delivers an inspiring, mind-expanding experience of genius.

Jessica Jurca, Reliquary to the Brontosaurus. Enamel on Copper, pine.

To help "Cleveland School" Neon Artist Extraordinair Dana Paterson celebrate, show-off and profit from his cover story feature in the Free Times newspaper, this week, the Inner Circle will feature an exhibit of Dana's recent and past work, with installation beginning this Friday, February 8, 2008, when you may meet the artist, from 4-7 PM... the exhibition will have a formal opening next Friday, Fenruary 15th, from 6-9 PM, and will remain on display through the end of the month.

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Derek Hess showcased his latest work in a one-night exhibit at Kelly Randall Gallery, in Tremont, December 14, featuring new prints and original illustrations and collages that continue growth and demonstrate innovation in this fine artist's work. His work makes powerful statements in form and message, and Derek's message is stronger and more on-target than ever, in these troubling times.

After what seemed like quite a lapse in postings, Northeast Ohio's original b'logger (billboard logger), Harry "X" Sysack, recently put on-line what he promises is "the truth & the whole truth your overpaid teachers & benighted college professors never teach you". Sysack's line is on the RTA, on his private property where W.25th forms Pearl, and his "truths" begin with "Yo, students" and include "What is Christian America all about? Everybody is fuckin' everybody & everybody is lyin' about how they're fuckin' everybody. All politicians are evil & dishonest...". And, one of my favorites, "All lawyers are legal ho's."