Arts + Culture
In Cleveland, you might recognize the work of Think Media Studios from the Cavs intro videos that they produce. The award-winning Mayfield Heights company also has produced videos for Ohio State University sports teams and companies like Nestle, Progressive Insurance and Parker-Hannifin.
But Think Media owner Brian Glazen recently achieved his ultimate goal of establishing a reputation as a filmmaker. His film Fishing Without Nets, a feature about Somali pirates, examined from the perspective of the pirates, went to the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. The movie was adapted from a 2012 short film version that also won a jury prize at Sundance.
Glazen, a Chagrin Falls native, worked in the film industry in Los Angeles for 10 years before returning to Cleveland in 2003. “When I moved back to Cleveland and started Think Media Studios, I wanted to get into original film work,” he explains. Glazen and his team spent 70 days in Kenya shooting the film using many first-time actors.
Glazen wants to continue to build up Cleveland’s reputation for turning out quality movies. “Cleveland’s not the first thing that comes to mind in the film industry,” he says. “But here we are playing Hollywood in our own backyard.”
While Think Media Studios continues to produce quality videos for sports teams and businesses, Glazen currently is in talks to shoot two movies and a television show. It’s all still top-secret, but the television project is slated to shoot in Cleveland this summer.
“My goal is to have a [film] production company with the work we do in Cleveland,” Glazen says. “We want to tap into original content that we could actually sell and still do the work we do for our clients.”
Source: Brian Glazen
Writer: Karin Connelly
But Think Media owner Brian Glazen recently achieved his ultimate goal of establishing a reputation as a filmmaker. His film Fishing Without Nets, a feature about Somali pirates, examined from the perspective of the pirates, went to the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. The movie was adapted from a 2012 short film version that also won a jury prize at Sundance.
Glazen, a Chagrin Falls native, worked in the film industry in Los Angeles for 10 years before returning to Cleveland in 2003. “When I moved back to Cleveland and started Think Media Studios, I wanted to get into original film work,” he explains. Glazen and his team spent 70 days in Kenya shooting the film using many first-time actors.
Glazen wants to continue to build up Cleveland’s reputation for turning out quality movies. “Cleveland’s not the first thing that comes to mind in the film industry,” he says. “But here we are playing Hollywood in our own backyard.”
While Think Media Studios continues to produce quality videos for sports teams and businesses, Glazen currently is in talks to shoot two movies and a television show. It’s all still top-secret, but the television project is slated to shoot in Cleveland this summer.
“My goal is to have a [film] production company with the work we do in Cleveland,” Glazen says. “We want to tap into original content that we could actually sell and still do the work we do for our clients.”
Source: Brian Glazen
Writer: Karin Connelly
When they’re not working their day jobs, Josh Womack and Cameron Amigo are stand-up comedians. While his talents can leave them rolling in the aisles during an open mic night, Amigo was finding that friends were coming to him for help writing those dreaded best man speeches. In demand was advice on how to give that perfect wedding speech that is at once humorous and light, but sentimental and genuine.
After attending eight weddings in three months in spring of 2012, and helping a few friends with their speeches, Womack and Amigo started Laugh Staff the following year. The company writes personalized best man, maid of honor and other speeches.
Laugh Staff offers four different speech packages, from "punching up" a customer’s pre-written speech to creating a custom speech from scratch. Womack sends a questionnaire to get all the details about the bride and groom. “We get all the background information before we start typing,” explains Womack. “Every couple has a different story. In 24 to 48 hours, we have a completed speech.”
Laugh Staff has a dozen comedians from around the country, and even the world, signed on to write speeches. Womack and Amigo hand pick the comedians based on speeches written as an application. “If people are going to pay money for it, it has to be funny,” Womack says. “If it makes you laugh out loud, if it makes the customer think, no way could I think of this on my own. That’s what we look for.”
Womack admits that he's written a majority of the 70 speeches Laugh Staff has sold.
Laugh Staff has been commissioned to write speeches for other occasions as well, such as retirement parties and farewell speeches. “A couple of people have reached out and asked us to write their online dating profiles,” says Womack. He’s taken the gig. “If you want someone to actually read it, the content has to be somewhat engaging.”
Womack would like to expand into corporate speeches, and even perhaps help a couple of politicians out. Laugh Staff is a win-win situation in Womack’s eyes. “I get a lot of joy in sitting down and writing a speech,” he says. “For the best man and maid of honor, the speech is just something they want to get off their to-do list. It gives them peace of mind that they have something.”
Source: Josh Womack
Writer: Karin Connelly
After attending eight weddings in three months in spring of 2012, and helping a few friends with their speeches, Womack and Amigo started Laugh Staff the following year. The company writes personalized best man, maid of honor and other speeches.
Laugh Staff offers four different speech packages, from "punching up" a customer’s pre-written speech to creating a custom speech from scratch. Womack sends a questionnaire to get all the details about the bride and groom. “We get all the background information before we start typing,” explains Womack. “Every couple has a different story. In 24 to 48 hours, we have a completed speech.”
Laugh Staff has a dozen comedians from around the country, and even the world, signed on to write speeches. Womack and Amigo hand pick the comedians based on speeches written as an application. “If people are going to pay money for it, it has to be funny,” Womack says. “If it makes you laugh out loud, if it makes the customer think, no way could I think of this on my own. That’s what we look for.”
Womack admits that he's written a majority of the 70 speeches Laugh Staff has sold.
Laugh Staff has been commissioned to write speeches for other occasions as well, such as retirement parties and farewell speeches. “A couple of people have reached out and asked us to write their online dating profiles,” says Womack. He’s taken the gig. “If you want someone to actually read it, the content has to be somewhat engaging.”
Womack would like to expand into corporate speeches, and even perhaps help a couple of politicians out. Laugh Staff is a win-win situation in Womack’s eyes. “I get a lot of joy in sitting down and writing a speech,” he says. “For the best man and maid of honor, the speech is just something they want to get off their to-do list. It gives them peace of mind that they have something.”
Source: Josh Womack
Writer: Karin Connelly
play house poster draws attention of new york arts blog
In a New York Times Arts Beat post titled “Behind the Poster: Yentl”, writer Erik Piepenburg interviews Cleveland Play House creative director Brian Tatsumi and graphic designer Michelle Berki regarding the compelling artwork for the recent production of "Yentl."
Tatsumi shares his vision of keeping the posters stark and eye-catching with a pop of color while Berki wanted to touch upon some of the more gripping moments in the play.
“One of the defining moments is where she cuts off her braids and decides to live as a man, so we focused on that. We wanted to show both the male and female sides within one person. That’s where the braid and payos in one hat came from.”
Read more of the insightful interview here.
Tatsumi shares his vision of keeping the posters stark and eye-catching with a pop of color while Berki wanted to touch upon some of the more gripping moments in the play.
“One of the defining moments is where she cuts off her braids and decides to live as a man, so we focused on that. We wanted to show both the male and female sides within one person. That’s where the braid and payos in one hat came from.”
Read more of the insightful interview here.
The hand-carved carousel that entertained the masses at historic Euclid Beach Park, though hasn't operated in decades, is getting a makeover. The newly restored gem is set for a November unveiling at the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in University Circle.
When the restored 1910 Euclid Beach Grand Carousel opens in the Glass Pavilion of the History Center, it will be one of the few working carousels in town. Visitors will be able to purchase a ticket to ride what was deemed "the finest carousel ever made" when it first debuted over a century ago.
"This project has been 13 or 14 years in the making," says Alyssa Purvis, Communications Assistant with WRHS. "We still have people coming in and saying, 'I have a picture of my mom standing next to that horse. It's in my wallet.'"
The carousel also introduces a major new amenity to University Circle, providing yet another reason to visit WRHS. This nonprofit institution has undergone major renovations to its Crawford Auto Aviation Room to help reach a new audience and recently garnered a "Building the Circle" award from University Circle Inc.
The restoration of the historic carousel was undertaken in collaboration with the Cleveland Carousel Society, which helped recover the carousel from a park in Maine. The carousel operated in the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland from 1910 to 1969, when Euclid Beach Park, a major attraction for generations of Clevelanders, shut down.
The colossal structure is remarkable, and it's housed in a stunning, light-filled room. The horses, which are some of the largest wooden carousel horses in the country, according to Purvis, are captured in dynamic running and jumping poses. Surrounding the horses are hand-painted chariots that also have been recently refurbished.
The centerpiece of the carousel, currently being restored by Carousel Works in Mansfield, is a massive automated music box that soon will crank back to life.
"The park was a real landmark in Northeast Ohio," says Purvis. "We felt that it was important to keep the carousel here in Cleveland and to make it run again."
WRHS has announced that the carousel will be ready to ride on November 22nd.
Source: Alyssa Purvis
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When the restored 1910 Euclid Beach Grand Carousel opens in the Glass Pavilion of the History Center, it will be one of the few working carousels in town. Visitors will be able to purchase a ticket to ride what was deemed "the finest carousel ever made" when it first debuted over a century ago.
"This project has been 13 or 14 years in the making," says Alyssa Purvis, Communications Assistant with WRHS. "We still have people coming in and saying, 'I have a picture of my mom standing next to that horse. It's in my wallet.'"
The carousel also introduces a major new amenity to University Circle, providing yet another reason to visit WRHS. This nonprofit institution has undergone major renovations to its Crawford Auto Aviation Room to help reach a new audience and recently garnered a "Building the Circle" award from University Circle Inc.
The restoration of the historic carousel was undertaken in collaboration with the Cleveland Carousel Society, which helped recover the carousel from a park in Maine. The carousel operated in the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland from 1910 to 1969, when Euclid Beach Park, a major attraction for generations of Clevelanders, shut down.
The colossal structure is remarkable, and it's housed in a stunning, light-filled room. The horses, which are some of the largest wooden carousel horses in the country, according to Purvis, are captured in dynamic running and jumping poses. Surrounding the horses are hand-painted chariots that also have been recently refurbished.
The centerpiece of the carousel, currently being restored by Carousel Works in Mansfield, is a massive automated music box that soon will crank back to life.
"The park was a real landmark in Northeast Ohio," says Purvis. "We felt that it was important to keep the carousel here in Cleveland and to make it run again."
WRHS has announced that the carousel will be ready to ride on November 22nd.
Source: Alyssa Purvis
Writer: Lee Chilcote
wsj highlights cma's asian collection
In a Wall Street Journal article titled “Cleveland Gives Asia Its Due,” writer Lee Lawrence details the recently completed eight-year, $350 million renovation and expansion at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Lawrence writes of Cleveland’s reputation for having one of the country’s finest Asian collections, while noting that many of the works were squeezed into less frequented spaces in the basement.
“The art now has the crowd-attracting galleries it deserves," he writes. "Taking up the entire west and half of the north wings, a suite of large, airy galleries accommodates close to 600 treasures, some 10 percent of the museum's Asian holdings.”
The piece goes on to detail various time periods and geographical locations of the vast Asian collection.
Check out the full story here.
Lawrence writes of Cleveland’s reputation for having one of the country’s finest Asian collections, while noting that many of the works were squeezed into less frequented spaces in the basement.
“The art now has the crowd-attracting galleries it deserves," he writes. "Taking up the entire west and half of the north wings, a suite of large, airy galleries accommodates close to 600 treasures, some 10 percent of the museum's Asian holdings.”
The piece goes on to detail various time periods and geographical locations of the vast Asian collection.
Check out the full story here.
On Monday, January 20, the Cleveland Museum of Art released to much anticipation an iPhone version of its award-winning iPad app, ArtLens.
“We’re really excited because lots of people have been waiting for the smartphone version,” says museum CIO Jane Alexander. “ArtLens for iPad got great reviews, but we found people really like using their own devices.”
ArtLens for the iPhone has some added features, such as a search function. It also can make recommendations based on user preferences. “You can hold the iPhone up to something you like and it shows you hotspots of other works,” Alexander explains. “It’s kind of like Amazon -- if you like this, you might like this.”
Visitors to the museum can go to the Collection Wall, the 40-foot interactive wall with images of the museum’s collections, and select their favorite works. The app will then take the visitor on a guided tour of the selected works.
The iPhone app also includes Top 10 lists of favorite works selected by both museum curators and visitors.
The original ArtLens app was released on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2013, to coincide with the opening of Gallery One, where technology and art merge. Alexander says that commingling technology and fine art reduces the intimidation many people feel when they walk into the museum.
An Android version of the ArtLens app is planned for a spring release.
Source: Jane Alexander
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We’re really excited because lots of people have been waiting for the smartphone version,” says museum CIO Jane Alexander. “ArtLens for iPad got great reviews, but we found people really like using their own devices.”
ArtLens for the iPhone has some added features, such as a search function. It also can make recommendations based on user preferences. “You can hold the iPhone up to something you like and it shows you hotspots of other works,” Alexander explains. “It’s kind of like Amazon -- if you like this, you might like this.”
Visitors to the museum can go to the Collection Wall, the 40-foot interactive wall with images of the museum’s collections, and select their favorite works. The app will then take the visitor on a guided tour of the selected works.
The iPhone app also includes Top 10 lists of favorite works selected by both museum curators and visitors.
The original ArtLens app was released on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2013, to coincide with the opening of Gallery One, where technology and art merge. Alexander says that commingling technology and fine art reduces the intimidation many people feel when they walk into the museum.
An Android version of the ArtLens app is planned for a spring release.
Source: Jane Alexander
Writer: Karin Connelly
RA Washington has been embedded in Cleveland's art scene for more than 20 years. He's been the poet-in-residence at the Cleveland Museum of Art, co-owns the indie bookstore Guide to Kulchur, and recently was named a 2014 Creative Workforce Fellow. Fresh Water caught up with this self-billed "culture worker" to hear his take on Cleveland's creative scene.
The developers behind University Place Townhomes, a 19-unit project on E. 118th Street in University Circle, have broken ground on their new project. With two sales in hand, they're laying the foundation and intend to start vertical construction in the spring.
"The demographic is pretty much what we thought it would be," says Russell Lamb, a principal with Allegro Realty and partner in the project, which includes several Allegro principals. "The buyers are either people who work in the Circle, particularly medical institutions, people who want to move back to an urban environment who are downsizing, or young professionals."
"We're the only for-sale project in University Circle," he adds. "We're pretty comfortable with where we are right now." The developers hope to obtain several additional sales in the spring so they can start construction on additional units.
While much of the action these days is in the rental market, the for-sale market also is showing signs of renewed life, says Lamb. He believes University Circle is a particularly strong, underserved market, in part because there's so little developable land. The parcel on E. 118th was a rare vacant property within the district's boundaries that could be developed.
The units range in size from 1,100 square feet to just under 2,100 square feet, with prices starting at $250,000 and climbing to $450,000. Lamb describe the prices as "expensive for Cleveland, but not expensive for University Circle," an area that commands a premium.
The project design features five separate buildings around a central, European-style courtyard utilizing modern building techniques including cementitious exteriors. Dimit Architects designed the units. The interiors, while not extravagant in terms of square footage, are "modern, open and airy; there's a good use of space," Lamb says.
Uptown has been a particular "center of gravity" for the project, he adds, providing much-needed amenities that will attract the home-buying set.
What's needed to complete the Circle? "More people," Lamb says. "If any place in Cleveland has got it all, it's gotta be University Circle."
Source: Russell Lamb
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The demographic is pretty much what we thought it would be," says Russell Lamb, a principal with Allegro Realty and partner in the project, which includes several Allegro principals. "The buyers are either people who work in the Circle, particularly medical institutions, people who want to move back to an urban environment who are downsizing, or young professionals."
"We're the only for-sale project in University Circle," he adds. "We're pretty comfortable with where we are right now." The developers hope to obtain several additional sales in the spring so they can start construction on additional units.
While much of the action these days is in the rental market, the for-sale market also is showing signs of renewed life, says Lamb. He believes University Circle is a particularly strong, underserved market, in part because there's so little developable land. The parcel on E. 118th was a rare vacant property within the district's boundaries that could be developed.
The units range in size from 1,100 square feet to just under 2,100 square feet, with prices starting at $250,000 and climbing to $450,000. Lamb describe the prices as "expensive for Cleveland, but not expensive for University Circle," an area that commands a premium.
The project design features five separate buildings around a central, European-style courtyard utilizing modern building techniques including cementitious exteriors. Dimit Architects designed the units. The interiors, while not extravagant in terms of square footage, are "modern, open and airy; there's a good use of space," Lamb says.
Uptown has been a particular "center of gravity" for the project, he adds, providing much-needed amenities that will attract the home-buying set.
What's needed to complete the Circle? "More people," Lamb says. "If any place in Cleveland has got it all, it's gotta be University Circle."
Source: Russell Lamb
Writer: Lee Chilcote
botanical garden enjoys busiest year on record
In 2013, the 83-year-old Cleveland Botanical Garden attracted more people than ever to its University Circle properties. During the past 12 months, 188,669 people visited the Garden, marking a 17 percent increase over the prior year’s record attendance figure of 160,000. It marks the sixth straight year of attendance increases.
Garden President Natalie Ronayne attributes the growth to the success of two new seasonal events, Big Spring and the holiday spectacular Glow.
“It’s really great to see Northeast Ohioans embracing the Garden as relevant to their lives,” Ronayne says. “One of the most appealing things about the Garden is that it can be many different things to many different people -- a place of celebration, a place of solace, a place for making new family memories. I love that people are taking advantage of that.”
Next up on the schedule for the Garden is the 11th annual Orchid Mania, slated to run February 1 through March 9.
Garden President Natalie Ronayne attributes the growth to the success of two new seasonal events, Big Spring and the holiday spectacular Glow.
“It’s really great to see Northeast Ohioans embracing the Garden as relevant to their lives,” Ronayne says. “One of the most appealing things about the Garden is that it can be many different things to many different people -- a place of celebration, a place of solace, a place for making new family memories. I love that people are taking advantage of that.”
Next up on the schedule for the Garden is the 11th annual Orchid Mania, slated to run February 1 through March 9.
Long winters (and the occasional polar vortex) are just something we have to live with around here. However, those bold enough to venture into Cleveland's great white waste will find a flurry of cold weather activities that extend beyond the usual realm of skiing, inner-tubing and tobogganing.
On the heels of a successful merger that brought together under one roof three nonprofit community development organizations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has made a key hire to lead its policy and advocacy efforts. Alesha Washington, a Glenville native who most recently served as Director of Executive Administration and Government Relations at the Centers for Family and Children, recently joined CNP as its Senior Director of Advocacy, Policy and Research. Washington will lead strategic policy initiatives at the city, county, state and federal levels and identify and use academic research to inform community development strategies.
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
'best things in cle' called out in atlantic cities
In an Atlantic Cities end-of-year feature titled “The Best Thing My City Did This Year,” the editorial staff highlighted the Cleveland Museum of Art birthing a magnificent new atrium that doubles as public gathering space as one of the major highlights of the year for the city.
"My Cleveland 2013 was full of energy, risk-taking and community-based huzzahs. Culturally, high came to mass at both the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a stunning new atrium became our public gathering place, and the Cleveland Orchestra did a neighborhood-based residency,” shares Anne Trubek, founding editor of Belt magazine.
Other items of note mentioned include developments in Waterloo, St. Clair-Superior, and Detroit-Shoreway that will build the foundation for 2014.
Check out the full piece here.
"My Cleveland 2013 was full of energy, risk-taking and community-based huzzahs. Culturally, high came to mass at both the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a stunning new atrium became our public gathering place, and the Cleveland Orchestra did a neighborhood-based residency,” shares Anne Trubek, founding editor of Belt magazine.
Other items of note mentioned include developments in Waterloo, St. Clair-Superior, and Detroit-Shoreway that will build the foundation for 2014.
Check out the full piece here.
The biggest gripe of downtown Cleveland residents (and, really, downtown dwellers in most non-coastal cities) is that their city center lacks the retail and amenities they need. Being a downtown resident often means regular car trips to the 'burbs -- or somewhere that's not within walking distance -- for shopping.
Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new residents, retailers are finding a market here. The 5th Street Arcades are nearly 100 percent full, and Heinen's is planning to open a new grocery store downtown.
The topic of retail and amenities will be in the spotlight this week as Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and the City Club of Cleveland kick off a new event series. "Civic Drinks: Downtown Dialogues" will bring together developers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what downtown Cleveland needs to thrive. The kickoff takes place on Wednesday, January 8th at 4 p.m. in the former Cleveland Trust Rotunda (future home of Heinen's Fine Foods) at East 9th and Euclid Ave.
The kickoff event will feature a panel discussion with DCA President and CEO Joe Marinucci, developer Fred Geis and Tom Heinen of Heinen's Fine Foods.
“Our Downtown Dialogue events are designed to give people who are invested in the future of downtown Cleveland an opportunity to discuss what’s next for our city," said Marinucci in a release. "Each talk will feature experts in a particular area that is crucial for moving downtown forward, and will offer opportunities for small group dialogue and sharing ideas.”
Future events will tackle green space and connectivity (April 4th), livability (July 2nd) and downtown's vision plan (September 3rd).
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new residents, retailers are finding a market here. The 5th Street Arcades are nearly 100 percent full, and Heinen's is planning to open a new grocery store downtown.
The topic of retail and amenities will be in the spotlight this week as Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and the City Club of Cleveland kick off a new event series. "Civic Drinks: Downtown Dialogues" will bring together developers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what downtown Cleveland needs to thrive. The kickoff takes place on Wednesday, January 8th at 4 p.m. in the former Cleveland Trust Rotunda (future home of Heinen's Fine Foods) at East 9th and Euclid Ave.
The kickoff event will feature a panel discussion with DCA President and CEO Joe Marinucci, developer Fred Geis and Tom Heinen of Heinen's Fine Foods.
“Our Downtown Dialogue events are designed to give people who are invested in the future of downtown Cleveland an opportunity to discuss what’s next for our city," said Marinucci in a release. "Each talk will feature experts in a particular area that is crucial for moving downtown forward, and will offer opportunities for small group dialogue and sharing ideas.”
Future events will tackle green space and connectivity (April 4th), livability (July 2nd) and downtown's vision plan (September 3rd).
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
rock hall inductees ripple across media landscape
In a Reuters announcement shared on Huffington Post titled “2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Include KISS, Peter Gabriel, Nirvana,” writer Mary Milliken shares the list of six new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chosen from 16 nominees.
“Nirvana, the influential Seattle grunge band founded by the late Kurt Cobain, and the flamboyant 1970s rockers from KISS were among six new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the organization said on Tuesday.”
“British singers and songwriters Peter Gabriel and Cat Stevens, folk-pop singer Linda Ronstadt and rock and soul duo Hall and Oates completed the list of performer inductees to the prestigious Hall of Fame, chosen from 16 nominees.”
While the Museum is based in Cleveland, the induction ceremony will take place in New York City this year on April 10.
Read the full release here.
“Nirvana, the influential Seattle grunge band founded by the late Kurt Cobain, and the flamboyant 1970s rockers from KISS were among six new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the organization said on Tuesday.”
“British singers and songwriters Peter Gabriel and Cat Stevens, folk-pop singer Linda Ronstadt and rock and soul duo Hall and Oates completed the list of performer inductees to the prestigious Hall of Fame, chosen from 16 nominees.”
While the Museum is based in Cleveland, the induction ceremony will take place in New York City this year on April 10.
Read the full release here.
Two years ago, after a 17-year career as a communications consultant with some of the area’s larger human resources firms, Denise Reynolds decided she wanted to put a little color in her job. So after she was laid off from her last position, she launched Outside the Lines Creative Group (OTL), a company that uses cartoons to convey company messages.
“I wanted to take all of my knowledge about benefits, wellness, policies and procedures and make it fun,” she says of her newfound venture. “I thought, this stuff is so boring. If only we’d put cartoons with it, people would actually read it.”
So she recruited nationally syndicated cartoonist Jenny Campbell to illustrate Reynolds’ HR messages. Reynolds uses humor and illustrations to communicate sometimes not-so-exciting subject matter, like dress codes and employee safety rules. “Companies love it,” she says. “And employees think it’s great.”
Currently, OTL has about 20 clients, ranging from Jergens Industrial Supply to the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In fact, finding clients hasn’t been too hard, says Reynolds. “You have to find clients who want to do something innovative."
Jergens liked Reynolds’ campaign so much they asked that the cartoon characters be painted on the plant’s machinery. “Companies try everything to get the attention of employees, but they haven’t tried cartoons yet,” says Reynolds. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park hired OTL to create a children’s educational activity book featuring a river otter. The book won an international award and the otter has been made into a plush stuffed animal.
In fact, OTL won five international awards in two competitions in 2013 for its work on projects for Akron Children’s Hospital, ACRT, Jergens Industrial Supply and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
OTL recently was awarded a $5,000 loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which Reynolds plans to use to update her website and post some work samples. She also plans on hiring a second cartoonist.
Source: Denise Reynolds
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I wanted to take all of my knowledge about benefits, wellness, policies and procedures and make it fun,” she says of her newfound venture. “I thought, this stuff is so boring. If only we’d put cartoons with it, people would actually read it.”
So she recruited nationally syndicated cartoonist Jenny Campbell to illustrate Reynolds’ HR messages. Reynolds uses humor and illustrations to communicate sometimes not-so-exciting subject matter, like dress codes and employee safety rules. “Companies love it,” she says. “And employees think it’s great.”
Currently, OTL has about 20 clients, ranging from Jergens Industrial Supply to the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In fact, finding clients hasn’t been too hard, says Reynolds. “You have to find clients who want to do something innovative."
Jergens liked Reynolds’ campaign so much they asked that the cartoon characters be painted on the plant’s machinery. “Companies try everything to get the attention of employees, but they haven’t tried cartoons yet,” says Reynolds. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park hired OTL to create a children’s educational activity book featuring a river otter. The book won an international award and the otter has been made into a plush stuffed animal.
In fact, OTL won five international awards in two competitions in 2013 for its work on projects for Akron Children’s Hospital, ACRT, Jergens Industrial Supply and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
OTL recently was awarded a $5,000 loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which Reynolds plans to use to update her website and post some work samples. She also plans on hiring a second cartoonist.
Source: Denise Reynolds
Writer: Karin Connelly
Developer Rick Foran has made a career out of saving buildings, yet his latest project involves repurposing elements of one structure that was beyond repair.
Foran was hired by the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio two years ago to evaluate the condition of the long-vacant Emmanuel Church at 8614 Euclid. After discovering that the building needed structural repairs, the diocese marketed the property, but no buyers were willing to reinvest in it. When the Cleveland Clinic bought it, approval for demolition was granted with the condition that some parts be preserved.
Today, Foran's crew is carefully disassembling the stone facade, numbering, photographing and cataloguing each piece, and palletizing, shrink wrapping and storing them for later use. The goal is to reconstruct the narthex facade at another location to be determined. Additionally, the Skinner organ, woodwork, baptismal font, French floor tiles and historic light fixtures also are being salvaged.
"Nobody likes to tear down a landmark church, but if the decision has been made, I'm pleased that we can repurpose artifacts of the church and give them a new life," says Foran. "By the time the demo occurs, many of the more distinctive features will have been salvaged and relocated. There's also been an effort to keep them in a religious environment, or to keep them in the city of Cleveland."
The baptismal font, French floor tiles and stained glass window have been relocated to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Mentor. Light fixtures are being dispersed among various churches in Cleveland. The hand-carved lectern and bible stand are being added to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
The Clinic plans to build a hotel on the site that will provide families a place to stay while a loved one is in the hospital. The Clinic's previous guest house was displaced by the new medical school building recently developed in partnership with Case Western Reserve University. Groundbreaking on the new hotel is expected to occur next year.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Foran was hired by the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio two years ago to evaluate the condition of the long-vacant Emmanuel Church at 8614 Euclid. After discovering that the building needed structural repairs, the diocese marketed the property, but no buyers were willing to reinvest in it. When the Cleveland Clinic bought it, approval for demolition was granted with the condition that some parts be preserved.
Today, Foran's crew is carefully disassembling the stone facade, numbering, photographing and cataloguing each piece, and palletizing, shrink wrapping and storing them for later use. The goal is to reconstruct the narthex facade at another location to be determined. Additionally, the Skinner organ, woodwork, baptismal font, French floor tiles and historic light fixtures also are being salvaged.
"Nobody likes to tear down a landmark church, but if the decision has been made, I'm pleased that we can repurpose artifacts of the church and give them a new life," says Foran. "By the time the demo occurs, many of the more distinctive features will have been salvaged and relocated. There's also been an effort to keep them in a religious environment, or to keep them in the city of Cleveland."
The baptismal font, French floor tiles and stained glass window have been relocated to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Mentor. Light fixtures are being dispersed among various churches in Cleveland. The hand-carved lectern and bible stand are being added to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
The Clinic plans to build a hotel on the site that will provide families a place to stay while a loved one is in the hospital. The Clinic's previous guest house was displaced by the new medical school building recently developed in partnership with Case Western Reserve University. Groundbreaking on the new hotel is expected to occur next year.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Have you ever walked into a sweet li'l shop with a bevy of well-displayed merchandise and thought, Wouldn't it be fun to do something like this? That's exactly what artists Jen Buchanan and Colleen Bridegum always thought -- and they decided to act on it by launching Girl's Best Trend boutique this fall.
Girl's Best Trend, located at 17007 Madison Avenue, offers "art and accessories for you and your home," according to the tagline. The selection includes art, candles, glassware, pillows, clocks, frames, handbags, jewelry, scarves and perfume, all made by local artists and craftspeople.
"Colleen and I have known each other for 20 years, and we're both just really creative people," explains Buchanan. "We always thought on our own, 'Boy, I'd like to do something else.' We were talking one day, and both realized we were thinking about the same thing. Then we found the space, and boom, it all happened really quickly."
Buchanan works as an interior designer during the day, while Bridegum works as a home health care professional in the evenings, so they run split-shifts at the shop. Buchanan makes handbags and Bridegum is a painter. They hope to eventually offer interior design services out of the shop, as well.
Girl's Best Trend is about 600 square feet currently, but will expand to 1,200 square feet early next year when the space is fully renovated. Next door, a new pottery workshop is going in, and there are other galleries in the area.
"They're building up Madison now," says Buchanan of Lakewood's increased focus on that commercial strip. "There's a new Madison Arts District group that's going to start doing art walks in the summer."
Source: Jen Buchanan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Girl's Best Trend, located at 17007 Madison Avenue, offers "art and accessories for you and your home," according to the tagline. The selection includes art, candles, glassware, pillows, clocks, frames, handbags, jewelry, scarves and perfume, all made by local artists and craftspeople.
"Colleen and I have known each other for 20 years, and we're both just really creative people," explains Buchanan. "We always thought on our own, 'Boy, I'd like to do something else.' We were talking one day, and both realized we were thinking about the same thing. Then we found the space, and boom, it all happened really quickly."
Buchanan works as an interior designer during the day, while Bridegum works as a home health care professional in the evenings, so they run split-shifts at the shop. Buchanan makes handbags and Bridegum is a painter. They hope to eventually offer interior design services out of the shop, as well.
Girl's Best Trend is about 600 square feet currently, but will expand to 1,200 square feet early next year when the space is fully renovated. Next door, a new pottery workshop is going in, and there are other galleries in the area.
"They're building up Madison now," says Buchanan of Lakewood's increased focus on that commercial strip. "There's a new Madison Arts District group that's going to start doing art walks in the summer."
Source: Jen Buchanan
Writer: Lee Chilcote