Arts + Culture

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.
Date Night with Degas: An evening of classical art, and French food at the Cleveland Museum of Art
FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski attended the Cleveland Museum of Art's “Tasting Notes: Date Night with Degas” at Provenance Restaurant with Chef Doug Katz and music—part of the museum's "Degas and the Laundress: Women, Work, and Impressionism" exhibit. Both the exhibit and Tasting Notes run through the end of January.
Cultural pride: Hispanic arts and culture organizations celebrate Latino pride through art
National Hispanic Heritage Month occurs earlier in the fall, but Cuyahoga Arts & Culture celebrates Cleveland's Hispanic arts and cultural organizations all year long. Here's a look at five organizations—Cleveland Orchestra, LatinUs Theater, Julia De Burgos, MoCa Cleveland, and Abrepaso Flamenco—focused on Latino pride through the arts and culture programs they produce.
It’s a date: Enjoy live music, French food at Museum of Art’s Degas exhibit
Cleveland Museum of Art's “Degas and the Laundress: Women, Work, and Impressionism” exhibit depicts a darker side of life as a working woman in 1800s France. On Friday nights, enjoy Date Night with Degas at Provenance Restaurant—with a docent-led tour of the exhibit and live music and French dinner curated by Chef Doug Katz.
Día de Muertos: A day to celebrate and reflect in the Gordon Square Arts District
Cleveland Public Theatre, Teatro Público de Cleveland, and Día de Muertos Ohio will present the 19th Annual Día de Muertos Festival this Saturday—a celebration that integrates harvest festivities and gathering family to remember past family and friends.
La vida hermosa: Omara Portuondo to perform tomorrow at Cleveland Museum of Art
Grammy award-nominated vocalist Omara Portuondo—most known for her lead vocals with the Buena Vista Social Club—will perform at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Wednesday during a stop on her Farewell World Tour VIDA 2023.
Organic interests: A trip to the new Cleveland Museum of Natural History Visitor Hall
FreshWater contributor Jill Sell recently had the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s new Visitor Hall. A lifelong fan of CMNH, Sell shares the highlights in the new Center, her observations, and conversations with CMNH staff.
Time traveling: Sculpture Center hosts artist Daniel Arsham’s ‘Score and Sound’
World-renowned artist and native Clevelander Daniel Arsham will debut his first solo exhibit, "Score and Sound," at The Sculpture Center next week—which features iconic, eroded sculptural relics that reflect on the material and cultural histories of everyday objects.
Six emerging writers named to Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency
Six writers have been named to Literary Cleveland's 2023-24 Breakthrough Writing Residency cohort, in which they have free yearlong mentorship, support, and opportunities to develop book-length projects.
Cleveland Play House presents adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for Halloween
Just in time for Halloween, Cleveland Play House presents a reimagined adaptation of “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”—a haunting and highly theatrical adaptation of the classic horror story.
Word power: Five nonprofits that get creative in storytelling, writing, and music
Stories—written. oral, and through music—can transform lives, change minds; teach, or make us laugh, cry, or scream. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture celebrates five nonprofits that elevate voices and let people be heard.
Three things you should do this weekend
There's a lot happening in the CLE this weekend! It's sometimes hard to keep track of all the weekend entertainment and activity options, so we chose three not-to-miss events hosted by Lake Erie Ink, 78th Street Studios, and Towards Employment.