The Coit Road Farmers Market is one of the most endearing places in real NEO. Hidden away in a near-dead industrial graveyard of East Cleveland, with the curb-appeal of a brownfield, it is not a place one goes without intent. So it amazes me that just about every time I go there I see someone I know. I guess I know some pretty smart people.

Agapito Labios (Mexican, 1898-1996) Portait of a Boy,
oil on canvas, signed lower right, h: 16 x w: 12 ins. estimates $400-600

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As part of a professional membership application I need to provide a sample estate appraisal/Fair Market Value appraisal. To qualify for my application the appraised property must be American paintings, prints, sculpture or furniture (any time period), and preferably 20 items or more.

Ironically, a competition similar to this one in 2003 brought an architect friend to town and he ended up stranded because of the electric grid failure.

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Catch the Wave!  Eco-Fashion Show and Party.  Enjoy gourmet local organic eats, cash bar, and an Eco-Friendly fashion show featuring Cleveland’s green fashion entrepreneurs! $15 per person.  (free for Bioneers conference attendees)

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Two skate parks with similar problems: vandalism and graffiti:  one may have found a creative - literally - solution. While Solon is considering closing its skate park,  Akron is looking to the offenders themselves for an answer - they get to paint their park.

ATTENTION ARTISTS!!

ArtSpace-Cleveland*, along with other artists, is forming a group to explore ownership of an affordable live/work studio in the city of Cleveland.

Are you interested?

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My colleague has generously donated the use of her technology to our kids in the neigborhood*--a karaoke machine.  Today, we tried to belt out some High School musical tunes, Hannah Montana and then Motown, but it was uniformly painful. 

What's your vision for Cleveland?

Enter to Win $1,000

10,000 Visions of Cleveland Event

Date: September 6, 2008

The Cleveland Auction Company promises great deals and exciting items in their upcoming auction. The "Discovery Auction" is an absolute auction -- meaning no reserves and the buyer's premium is only 10% (very low for a buyer's premium). This auction is only live (no Internet bidding) and I don't think it has been well advertised. There are approximately 400 lots - including furniture, paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. Check out their website for a few photos of the hightlights, but there is not a catalog on line. Preview begins 12 noon Wednesday, auction day. The auction begins at 6 pm.

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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.

Today 8/3/2008, Chris Ronayne gets a front page editorial on the Forum page of the Plain Dealer.  Chris lives in Cleveland and drives to work every day.  I know his commute, because I made a similar commute when I worked at Metrohealth Hospital in the eighties.*  My drive time?  Ten minutes from University Circle to Metrohealth Hospital. Sure, sometimes, it was 15-20 minutes, if traffic held me up, or, if it took forever to get out of the parking lot, but I literally made the commute every day with my eyes closed.  It scared me so much to realize that I was driving in a trance, that I committed myself to public transportation. 

Jessica, Aladeen, Mohammad and Mustafa rode their bikes to see the kids perform in Lincoln Park under the stars! 

I have been reading the book "A Special Time A Special Place: East Cleveland Remembered" recently. It was written by George N. Havens  who lived in East Cleveland from 1924 - 1969. It is an interesting and very personal account of East Cleveland in the 30s and 40s.  It reminds me of some of Dick Feagler's reminiscences of Cleveland. It makes me think there must be many interesting stories of East Cleveland, ones not yet published. What stories do the residents of Roxbury Road have to tell?

Always a fun time, the Lakewood Arts Festival has alot of local flair even though artist exhibitors may come from all over the country. A great place to shop ahead for Christmas gifts. And, this is a popular garage sale date for those living in Lakewood on the streets between Belle and Elmwood. Last year I bought a rain barrel at one these garage sales for $5!

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EXPLORE YOUR FAMILY ROOTS

Friday & Saturday, September 12 & 13, 2008 – Fall Genealogy Conference sponsored by the African-American Genealogical Society

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I had so much fun at the Barack Obama campaign headquarters in East Cleveland, leading up to the March primary, meeting people and feeling part of something important, that I was excited by news the Shaker Heights campaign office was opening, July 24, 2008... hope to see one in EC soon. Sudhir and I stopped by to enjoy the good vibe. Cool to see a group line dancing to the energy. As we left, Sudhir said he'd like to go to a McCain event, just to see how it compares... I suggested he go to church or a gun show in Central Ohio...

The Cuyahoga County Fair.
August 4-10th

Old-time family fun.  Take your bike on RTA and ride back.

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On August 9th, 2008 at 12 noon, the Cleveland Public Library Fine Arts Department will present "An Afternoon of String Quintets." This FREE program will be performed by Akron and Cleveland based String Quintet, Avanti Musicali, and consist of works by Antonín Dvořák. Please join us in the 3rd floor lobby of Main Library (325 Superior Ave.) for this intimate and informal afternoon of classical chamber music. For more information please call the Fine Arts Department at 216.623.2848.

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

Recently I received a parking ticket while parked at a meter in University Circle. In some ways  this was nothing unusual for me. I often park at meters when I drive to University Circle for work or entertainment (usually several times a week). Like most people I know, I accept that once in a while I will get delayed or loose track of time and get a ticket. I have always paid my tickets without a complaint.