Summertime and Lincoln Park have gone hand-in-hand since July 4, 1880, when the park was first opened to the public. The Independence Day celebration included a barbeque and remarks by numerous local dignitaries. More than a century later, after Tremont Art Walkers braved months of 2014’s fierce winter, their patience will be rewarded as the arts in Tremont head for the great outdoors and take up Summer residence in the neighborhood’s recreational centerpiece: that same Lincoln Park.

 

This year, Arts in August (a partnership between Tremont West Development Corporation, LAND Studio, Cleveland Public Theatre and Ward 3 Councilman Joe Cimperman) enters its twelfth season of celebrating local music, theater and dance in Lincoln Park. Each weekend of the month brings more varied programming than in previous years. The series opens Friday, August 1, with an original production of Cleveland Public Theatre’s Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP). To Cleveland teens (ages 14-19 years) who successfully audition, STEP gives an 8-week summer job-training experience, mentored by local professionals.

That Saturday and Sunday, August 2 and 3, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival takes up residency in Lincoln Park with performances of the classic tale of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The following weekend the Lincoln Park stage hosts three blockbuster contemporary dance performances: Inlet Dance, one of the region’s most exciting professional contemporary dance companies (Thursday August 7); Groundworks DanceTheater, offering groundbreaking work in contemporary dance that embraces risk and imagination while exploring the human experience (Friday, August 8); and Verb Ballets, which strives to support and foster emerging talent and to revive and honor modern dance classics. (Saturday, August 9).

The following two weeks continue the variety of offerings with performances by Mo’ Mojo, a hard driving, high energy, Zydeco-based “Party-Gras” band, as well as Opera Per Tutti, which for eight years has challenged conventional notions of how opera can be experienced. All Arts in August events are free and open to the public. Bringing lawn chairs and/or blankets is strongly encouraged. Picnic baskets are most welcome.

Also, save the date now, September 20 and 21 to bookend the summer celebration of the arts in Lincoln Park with The Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival. The festival occurs each year on the third weekend of September. This year’s juried visual arts showcase of work from throughout the region will be judged by three of the neighborhood’s most esteemed resident artists: Bruce Edwards, Steven Mastroianni, and Angelica Pozo. In addition to more than 100 visual artists, you can expect the Festival to include more than 20 performing arts groups and 75 to 100 cultural, community, children and food vendors.

 

Brandt Gallery

1028 Kenilworth

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

brandtgallery.org

216.621.1610