Arts + Culture

Swish! New Cavs creative director scores in his hometown with stunning basketball graphics
Artist Daniel Arsham was named the Cavaliers' new creative director last fall—the first artist in the NBA to be hired for that position. Since then, the Cleveland native has made an impact on the city with his basketball-themed graphic images.
Joy to the world: Local musician uses music to bring happiness to himself, others
Ryan Tobbe tries to bring a smile to people's faces wherever he goes—using his guitar and his words to elicit happiness.
Zoinks! Kids’ Comic Con offers the art of graphic storytelling for all ages
Kids' Comic Con is for creators, illustrators, and storytellers of all ages this year at Lake Erie Ink.
One hundred years of Cleveland theater: Playhouse Square marks a century of ups and downs
The coronavirus is not the first pandemic Playhouse Square has weathered. The theater district has had its share of highs and lows over the past century, but it has always been a shining star. 
Permanent record: Black Lives Matter and there is no place for hate at University Settlement
Equity and inclusion are a priority at the social services agency University Settlement. So the organization hired two local artists to design a permanent mural denouncing hate and sharing the love.
Cover up: Shaker Heights utility box designs continue into fifth year
The utility boxes in Shaker Heights get more colorful each year as high school students and artists create vinyl box covers in vibrant designs. 
The Creative Cafe prepares to open its doors in Old Brooklyn
Will Sanchez hasn’t been able to reopen the doors to his vibrant Clark-Fulton art gallery, La Cosecha Galeria, in nearly a year— but that’s not stopping this long-time local artist. Instead, Sanchez is doubling down and opening a new gallery space in Old Brooklyn, replete with a café and retail component.
Made in the CLE: LAND studio celebrates 10th birthday with locally-made gifts to donors
LAND studio is 10 years old this year, and the organization is celebrating with a premium program that offers creations by local artists as thank you gifts for donations.
I Live Here (Now): Dr. Caitlin Colleary digs her new role at Cleveland Museum of Natural History
No bones about it: it’s been a long and winding road that led Dr. Caitlin Colleary to The Land. A Los Angeles native, the 36-year-old paleontologist arrived in Cleveland last year after a decade spent in South Dakota, England, Panama, and Washington, D.C.
Leading from Behind: Seven students honor seven leaders through art projects
The Van Aken District is celebrating Black History Month with a unique student exhibit featuring some prominent, yet seldom recognized, Black women in history.
Brite Winter continues with live and streaming programming
Brite Winter kicks it into high gear tonight and this weekend with live performances at Platform Beer's Phunkenship and The Lot, and virutal streaming of "TwiBrite Zone: Episode 2."
The Tree: Nature and the arts meet with new sculpture at Nature Center’s All People’s Trail
Artist Erik Neff's sculpture at the gateway to the All People's Trail in the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is an example of fine art meeting nature—exemplifying the beauty in both forms. 
Voices from the Edge: Literary Cleveland to host writing program for essential workers
Since last March, essential workers in Greater Cleveland have been putting their own health at risk to make sure the rest of us are taken care of. Now, Literary Cleveland is launching a writing workshop for those workers to express themselves. 
On the rise: Mapleside Farms owner Greg Clement launches outRise app for adventures near and far
Greg Clement's outRise app invites users to find, create, and share life's experiences—whether they're in one's own backyard or on the other side of the world. 
Close Encounters: Heights Arts, Cleveland Orchestra, Bop Stop team up for virtual concert series
Heights Arts is about to launch it's 15th Close Encounters concert series—this year in a virtual format, partnering with Bop Stop. 
Local collector's vintage and antique items to go on the virtual auction block
Gray's Auctioneers will host a virtual auction this week to showcase the impressive collection acquired by Wyse Advertising over 50 years. 
Need some creative catharsis? FreshWater editor to launch sixth cohort of Artist's Way class
FreshWater contributing editor Jen Jones Donatelli is kicking off another installment of her Creative Groove course.
Brite Winter enters the ‘TwiBrite Zone’ this weekend as a nod to the unusual past year
Brite Winter is stepping into the TwiBrite Zone this weekend, kicking off a four-part virtual music series that acknowledges the long, strange year that was 2020.
Karamu House to present virtual variety program in celebration of MLK
To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18, Karamu House will stream a variety show of vocal and original African dance performances that pay tribute to the work of King and recognize the current struggles that Black America continues to face.
Making (air)waves: There's a radio play resurgence happening in Shaker Heights
In tandem with Story Forum and The Shakerite, Radio on the Lake Theatre is helping fill the live theatre gap with a new series of radio plays written and performed by local high school students.