Arts + Culture

Art, stories, and fun: Lake Erie Ink Kids’ Comic Con returns, bigger than ever
Lake Erie Ink's 12th annual Kids' Comic Con: Ignite you Imagination takes place on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2 at institutions like Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art's Pivot Center, and MoCa. Kids, teens, and adults are encouraged to ignite their creativity all weekend!
Unleash the villains: Playhouse Square Partners team plans for Jump Back Ball
For more than seven months, the Playhouse Square Partners young professional group has been planning, plotting, and building sets for the organization's annual Jump Back Ball—an evening of dancing, drinks, and music to raise money for Playhouse Square's Education Department. This year's theme is "Villains Unleashed: A Night of Chaos." Find out more about what goes into the planning of this signature event.
Call for artists: Shaker Arts Council seeks artists for utility box design competition
Shaker Arts Council has issued a call for artists to submit designs for utility box wraps on Shaker Heights streets in its Painting the Town design competition. Get the details on applying here!
Orchids Forever: Golden Hour in photos
Orchids Forever: Golden Hour, Holden Forests & Gardens' annual flower show, opened last weekend at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Managing editor Bob Perkoski captured some of the vibrant colors of the orchids. Get your tickets to the exhibits and classes today!
Winter, retreat! It’s time to chase away winter at annual Kurentovanje festival
It's time to scare away winter this weekend with the Cleveland Kurentovanje Festival—when the mythical Kurenti appear, their bells loudly ringing as they dance around a bonfire to chase winter away and welcome spring at the Slovenian National House in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood.
Steps and Stages: Y-Haven Theatre Project, CPT mark 25 years with ‘Troubled Waters’
Celebrating its 25th year, the Y-Haven Theatre Project—a collaboration between YMCA of Greater Cleveland and Cleveland Public Theatre—will present "Troubled Waters," a play based on the lives of Y-Haven Treatment and Recovery Center residents.
Photos: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Cleveland Museum of Art
With offices and government buildings closed on Monday, Jan. 15 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s galleries were open to everyone—offering art activities and entertainment to honor and celebrate the work and lessons of the Rev. Dr. King. FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski was there to capture the day in photos.
Warm your spirit: Orchids Forever returns to Cleveland Botanical Garden
The Cleveland Botanical Garden will be bursting with color on Saturday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, March 17 with Holden Forests & Gardens' annual flower show, Orchids Forever: Golden Hour. Tickets are on sale now and registration is open for classes and activities for every age and interest.
Honoring Dr. King through art: Cleveland Museum of Art celebrates with creative expression
The Cleveland Museum of Art will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15 with its regular free admission, hands-on art activities, and entertainment from WOVU 95.9 FM's DJ Kristyles and Humbly Submitted—all to learn from each other, celebrate humanity, exchange ideas, and spur creativity in a space for reflection.
BorderLight Theatre Festival opens 2024 Call for artists
The BorderLight Fringe Festival will return this summer to Playhouse Square, and organizers have put out a call for artists to apply for this year's festival. This year's four-day event will emphasize diversity, thanks to support from the Cleveland Foundation, and application clinics are being held in Cleveland neighborhoods throughout January. Find out how to apply here.
It’s the most wonderful time of year to enjoy Cleveland Museum of Art
The holiday season is the perfect time to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art and CMA's Community Arts Center for world-class exhibits, hands-on art projects, holiday decorations, or just grabbing a bite while spending time with friends at Provenance.
Sneak peek: A look at a Cleveland Ballet rehearsal before ‘The Nutcracker’ debut
The Cleveland Ballet will open "The Nutcracker" this Thursday at the Connor Palace in Playhouse Square. FreshWater contributor Tricia Chaves attended a recent rehearsal to witness the behind-the-scenes preparations.
Canalway seeks artists for 2024 Towpath Trail Lantern Parade
Canalway is already well into planning for its third Annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade in March, and the organization has put out a call to community artists to submit proposals for creating large-scale lanterns made from recycled materials.
Eternal fire: Ohio City’s Glass Bubble Project’s furnace has been burning for 25 Years
FreshWater contributor Katie McMenamin recently dropped by the Glass Bubble Project in Ohio City, where she got a lesson in the history of glassblowing, got to assist owner Mike Kaplan in creating a design, and learned what keeps Kaplan going after 25 years of blowing glass, teaching others the art, and sharing his passions.
Stimulated senses: CMNH planetarium showing immersive Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon'
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is offering an immersive experience with the broadcast of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" in surround sound, paired with breathtaking views of the cosmos in the Shafran Planetarium.
Making choices, making history: Facing History mural prompts a look inward, a look forward
Facing History & Ourselves, the organization that uses the lessons of the past to create a better future by helping navigate student conversations about race, equity, justice, and citizenship, worked with LAND studio and artist Isaiah Williams to send its message through a mural on the side on their building on the Urban Community School campus.
Ice Capped: A seasonal Botanical Garden in photos
A completely new holiday experience has arrived at the Cleveland Botanical Garden with Frost: An Ice Capped Garden Experience—featuring Winter botanical displays, holiday lights, and immersive, themed rooms that will transport guests to an enchanting world. Bob Perkoski took a tour to give our readers a preview of what’s in store for guests at Frost this holiday season.
Mix it up: Cleveland Museum of Art celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with MIX: Beat Street
The Cleveland Museum of Art will celebrate 50 years of hip-hop this Friday with MIX: Beat Street—featuring a lineup of seven DJs, food, and cocktails, and access to all CMA exhibits with the purchase of a MIX ticket.
Winter spree: Cleveland Orchestra to perform fundraising concert
The Cleveland Orchestra is in the festive spirit and getting ready for its first-ever Winter Spree fundraiser on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Severance Music Center. The event features a variety of local vendors, Orchestra performances of selections from "The Nutcracker" and "The Snow Maiden" and dinner in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer.
Broadway Buzz: Joe Garry gives the inside scoop on Playhouse Square productions
For nearly two decades, retired Cleveland State University theater studies professor Joe Garry has been hosting classes in Playhouse Square's Upper Allen—providing audiences with behind-the-scenes tidbits and insights into the productions they are about to see at the Allen, Hanna, KeyBank State, Mimi Ohio, or Connor Palace Theatres.