Summer 2019 Events

Summer 2019 Events

Creature, by Mark Rubelowsky, courtesy of the Cleveland Institute of Art

Your easy, chronological guide to what Northeast Ohio galleries and museums have coming up in the next few months. More information about many of these exhibits can be found elsewhere in the pages of CAN.

by Anastasia Pantsios

CONTINUING EVENTS

THROUGH MAY 19
Artist in Residence: Ricardo Ruiz, Richmond, Virginia
ZYGOTE PRESS

THROUGH MAY 24
Work by Adam Shirley & Phillip Scarpone
THE SCULPTURE CENTER

THROUGH MAY 26
Beyond Truth: Photography After the Shutter
Since it was invented in 1839, there have been endless arguments about how “truthful” photography is, or even should be. Over the years, photographers have ranged from priding themselves on capturing the world as it is, to interpreting the world and bringing out unseen things. This exhibit looks at the ways in which photographers have altered the “truth,” through alteration of negatives and prints, multiple exposures, and composite printing, among other techniques. The show features both works from the museum’s collection, including seven recent acquisitions, and works from the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Collection.
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH MAY 26
Women Bound and Unbound
The Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo and Plum
Centripetal/Centrifugal: Calibrating an Asian American Art
The Thingness of Things: Portraits of Objects
ALLEN MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM

THROUGH MAY 31
Douglas Max Utter: Falling from the Sky of Now
HEDGE GALLERY

THROUGH MAY 31
11th Annual Advanced Ceramics Students Exhibit & Sale
BAYARTS

THROUGH JUNE 1
A Room of One’s Own: Artists-in-Residence Exhibition
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

THROUGH JUNE 1
Canvas City Portfolio & Julian Stanczak Paintings
As a fundraiser for the second edition of FRONT International, taking place in 2021, FRONT has released a limited edition portfolio of six screenprints based on the Canvas City murals—a series of six outdoor murals based on abstract paintings, which was begun as part of FRONT 2018. Created by artists Julian Stanczak, Heimo Zobernig, Sarah Morris, Kay Rosen, Michelle Grabner, and Odili Donald Odita, the portfolio will be on view at Bonfoey Gallery, along with a small selection of paintings by Stanczak, for a limited time.
BONFOEY GALLERY

THROUGH JUNE 2
Looking at Appalachia
Contemporary photography curated by Roger May
MASSILLON MUSEUM

THROUGH JUNE 1
John Sargent: Recent Paintings
ART IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE

THROUGH JUNE 2
Nick Cave: Feat
AKRON ART MUSEUM

THROUGH JUNE 7
Susan Squires: Circling
1POINT618 GALLERY

THROUGH JUNE 7
Jewelry + Metals Student Show
ORANGE ART CENTER

THROUGH JUNE 8

Merit Scholar Exhibition
48th Student Show
THE GALLERIES AT CSU

THROUGH JUNE 8
Hadley Conner, Katy Richards & Eric Rippert: Should I, or Shouldn’t I?
Curated by Dawn Tekler
SHAKER COMMUNITY GALLERY

THROUGH JUNE 9
Emergent 2019
HEIGHTS ARTS

THROUGH JUNE 9
Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940–1950
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH JUNE 14
Monika Meler & Kerri Cushman: Stitched, Cut, and Bound
ZYGOTE PRESS

THROUGH JUNE 14
William Harper: The Beautiful & the Grotesque
William Harper’s jewelry exists at the intersection of skilled craftsmanship and the conceptual rigor of a fine artist. This show is a 20-year retrospective of his work, featuring more than 60 items including jewelry, paintings, display boxes crafted from assemblages of found objects, and Japanese-style folding books. He incorporates a disparate range of materials, both those considered precious and those usually seen as disposable: pearls and precious metals on one hand, nails and plastic beads on the other, creating a tension between high and low art.
CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART

THROUGH JUNE 16
Donna Coleman: Three Graces & Other Beauties
MASSILLON MUSEUM

THROUGH JUNE 16
Nature & Nostalgia in Early 20th Century Japanese Art
ALLEN MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM

THROUGH JUNE 23
The Body Is the Map: Approaches to Land in the Americas after 1960: Art and Being in the Garden of Ryōan-ji
ALLEN MEMORIAL MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH JUNE 23
Karen Sandstrom: Such Agreeable Friends

Sandstrom is well known in the community for her long-time byline in the Plain Dealer, but in addition to her journalism degree she has a degree in illustration from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her sympathetic sketches and drawings share people’s stories in a style that could be called visual journalism. This show focuses on the relationship between humans and the animals they share their lives with.
HEIGHTS ARTS

THROUGH JUNE 28
Fabulism
YARDS PROJECT

THROUGH JUNE 30
Shinto: Discovery of the Divine in Japanese Art
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH JUNE 30
Zao Wou-Ki: Prints in Context
ALLEN MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM

THROUGH JULY 6
EVAC: Experiencing Veterans & Artists Collaboration
ARTISTS ARCHIVES OF THE WESTERN RESERVE

THROUGH JULY 7
Jim Ptacek: A Retrospective
SHAKER HISTORICAL MUSEUM LISSAUER GALLERY

THROUGH JULY 12
10th Annual May Show at Lakeland Juried Art Exhibition
THE GALLERIES AT LAKELAND

THROUGH JULY 14
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
AKRON ART MUSEUM

THROUGH JULY 21
Food for Thought
Organized Ambiguity: Recent Grids of David Kuntzman
Drafting Dimensions: Contemporary Midwest Ceramics
John Jude Palencar: Between Worlds

CANTON MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH AUGUST 11
Lee Mingwei: You Are Not a Stranger
Sunrise
Abe Frajndlich: Portraits of Our Early Years
Double Takes: Historic & Contemporary Film + Video

This group of four shows honors moCa Cleveland’s 50th anniversary. The centerpiece is the group of four interactive works (including sculpture, performance, video and photography) by Taiwanese artist Mingwei, who had his first museum show at moCa 20 years ago. Sunrise tells the story of the three women who founded the institution as the New Gallery, the first gallery in the city to focus on contemporary art, through artworks selected by their daughters. These represent the women’s artistic interests, while Frajndich’s pictures capture some of the artists whose work has been shown at the institution.
MOCA CLEVELAND

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 8
Mernet Larsen: The Ordinary, Reoriented
AKRON ART MUSEUM JUDITH BEAR ISROFF GALLERY

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22
A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

THROUGH OCTOBER 11
George Kozmon & Guy-Vincent: Symbiology
Symbiology features 45 mixedmedia works by these two Cleveland artists who use a variety of strategies to look at the mechanics of image-making, and how landscapes, people and symbols interact. “Symbiology relates to the idea of symbiosis. The context is usually in biology, the interrelationship between species,” says Kozmon. “We’ve extrapolated the essence to examine the conceptual duality of our work in relation to one another in broad terms of creative output, and the dichotomy of earth/water, the underpinnings of landscape in the abstract sense.” It’s the latest project from these two long-time collaborators, whose work will be on display in the concourse art gallery of the convention center for six months.
CLEVELAND CONVENTION CENTER GALLERY

THROUGH OCTOBER 27
Joe Vitone: Family Records
AKRON ART MUSEUM

THROUGH FEBRUARY 9, 2020
Color and Comfort: Swedish Modern Design
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

MAY

17

CAN Summer Issue Launch Party
LA COSECHA

Third Friday
5-9 pm
78th STREET STUDIOS

Jack Bialosky Retrospective
JUDSON PARK STREETER GALLERY

John Nativio: Space Time Explorations
Through July 20th
KENNETH PAUL LESKO GALLERY

18

Family Open Studio
1-3 pm
ARTHOUSE

Get Out! Festival: Outdoors, Wellness & Art
11-3 pm
BAYARTS

Joe Vitone: Family Records Gallery Talk
10:30-11:30 am
AKRON ART MUSEUM

20

Summer Registration Begins
ORANGE ART CENTER

23

Emergent Ekphrastacy
7pm
HEIGHTS ARTS

24

Emergent 2019
Gallery Talk 7 pm
HEIGHTS ARTS

25

Poor Sunshine Fashion Show
6 pm
LA COSECHA GALERIA

Cao Guo-Qiang: Cuyahoga River Lightning
This show includes three massive gunpowder works by the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, who is known for his explosion events, gunpowder-ignited paintings, and installations that utilize environmentally friendly materials. Cuyahoga River Lightning: Drawing for the Cleveland Museum of Art was created specifically for this exhibition. The other two works address the state of our planet, including its threatened wildlife and its diminishing supply of fresh water. The show is part of Cuyahoga50, an array of exhibits and events marking the 50th anniversary of the last and most famous Cuyahoga River fire and its role as a catalyst for progress on protecting the environment.
Through September 22
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

30

Artists-in-residence talk: Taro Takizawa, April Bleakney, Ann Marie Kennedy
7 pm
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

31

Little Italy Summer Art Walk
5-9 pm May 31
Noon-9 pm June 1
Noon-5 pm, June 2
LITTLE ITALY NEIGHBORHOOD

Artists in Bloom Ministry Exhibition
Through June 28
FLORENCE O’DONNELL WASMER GALLERY AT URSULINE COLLEGE

JUNE

1

Sidewalk Chalk Drawing Contest 2
2 pm
LA COSECHA GALERIA

Xtinguish Celebration: Crooked River Contrasts
Through December 30
CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Last Look at Nick Cave: Feat., talk with chief curator Ellen Rudolph
10:30-11:30 am
AKRON ART MUSEUM

5

Good Neighbors
This exhibit, cosponsored by the Beachwood Arts Council and the Shaker Arts Council, features the work of four Beachwood-based artists (Debra Bream, Hazel Brown, John Martin and Susan Cone Porges) and four from Shaker Heights (Leslye Discont Arian, Karen Mehling-DeMauro, Kathleen McKenna and Tatiana Tate).
Reception: 5-7 pm June 8
Through June 27
BEACHWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER

7

Walk All Over Waterloo
6-10 pm
WATERLOO ARTS DISTRICT

Waterloo Arts Juried Exhibition
Reception 6-9 pm
Through June 29
WATERLOO ARTS

The Elemental Imagination
6-10 pm
ARTICLE

Eric Rippert: The Man Whose Head Expanded
Plain Err: The Landscapes of Timothy Herron
As an artist, Eric Rippert, who works at 78th Street Studios, is something of a shapeshifter. He initially became known for his photography-based work that included first subtle and then greater artist interventions. He’s introduced other materials and media into his work until it’s easy to forget his photo background. The new work at BAYarts features surfaces completed with ink, pencil and glaze, where color, form, shape and line evoke the personal memories and imagery upon which his diverse work has always been based.
Receptions 7-9 pm
Through July 6
BAYARTS

Traces Past: Ana Fernandez, Mary Manusos, Nane Wenhammar, Maggie Denk-Leigh
Reception 6-9 pm
Through July 20
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

Workshop Instructors Exhibition (Part I)
Reception 6-9 pm
Through July 6
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

Praxis Digital Weaving Lab
Grand Opening 5-9 pm
PRAXIS FIBER WORKSHOP

Gary Bukovnik: Forever Spring
Reception & book signing: 5-7:30 pm June 7 & 10:30-noon June 8
Through July 6
BONFOEY GALLERY

8

Water: Edward Burtynsky
Through September 22
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

14

Walkabout Tremont
6-10 pm
TREMONT

After the Pedestal: the 12th exhibition of small sculpture from the region
Reception 5:30-8 pm
Through August 2
THE SCULPTURE CENTER

Call + Response
Through July 28
HEIGHTS ARTS

15

Family Open Studio
1-3 pm
ARTHOUSE

17

Summer Class Session
Through August 30
VALLEY ART CENTER

Summer Art Camps
June 17-21 & June 24-28
ORANGE ART CENTER

Sacred River Walk with Sharon Day
Ojibwe elder Sharon Day will lead this walk commencing at the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River and ending four days later where it empties into Lake Erie. Day will sing, speak and pray to the river, and participants can walk as much of the length as they are able or inspired to, as they pray for the return of the river to its pristine, unpolluted origins. It’s part of the anniversary week that culminates the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the last Cuyahoga River fire.
June 17-June 20
CLEVELAND PRINT ROOM

19

Xtinguish Torch Fest
Through June 22
CUYAHOGA RIVER

21

Third Friday
5-9 pm
78TH STREET STUDIOS

Beautiful Mess: New Work by Liz Maugans
Reception 5-9 pm
Through July 26
HEDGE GALLERY

Michael Tsegaye: Crooked River
Reception 5-8 pm
Through August 10
CLEVELAND PRINT ROOM

28

Student Faculty Exhibit
Reception 6-8 pm
Through August 7
VALLEY ART CENTER

Spotlight: Jennifer Leach
Through August 11
HEIGHTS ARTS

Xtinguish Celebration: Crooked River Contrasts
Through August 3
THE GALLERIES AT CSU

29

Dread & Delight: Fairy Tales in an Anxious World
In this show, multiple artists take on the promise and peril implicit in fairy tales from different cultures and time periods, some well-known, some not so much. They explore—in media ranging from film to sculpture to photography to installation—the messages of hope and “happily ever after” that sit side by side with messages about poverty, power dynamics and exploitation and look at what they say about what qualities are valued and desired. For instance, the classic Cinderella story offers videographer Ericka Beckman a way to explore society’s expectations of women, while Timothy Horn fashions a nearly life-sized carriage from crystallized candy to speak about the “American dream” as well as queer identity.
Through September 22
AKRON ART MUSEUM

Summer Art Garden 2019
3 pm
LA COSECHA GALERIA

JULY

1

Xtinguish Celebration: Crooked River Contrasts
Through July 31
STANDING ROCK CULTURAL ARTS

5

Walk All Over Waterloo
6-10 pm
WATERLOO ARTS DISTRICT

Ursuline Invitational/Five Generations
6-10 pm
ARTICLE

I Sing the Body
Members Reception 6-7 pm
Public Reception 7-9 pm public July 12
Through September 29
TRANSFORMER STATION

7

Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders
Through October 6
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

8

Summer Art Classes Begin
ORANGE ART CENTER

11

FRESH AIR Exhibition
Reception 6-9 pm
Through August 31
YARDS PROJECT SPACE

12

Walkabout Tremont
6-10 pm
TREMONT

Misty Hughes: Experiential Poetry
Christy Gray: Liquid Invitations
Receptions 7-9 pm
Through August 3
BAYARTS

Amber N. Ford: Portraits
Through September 8
LISSAUER GALLERY,
SHAKER HISTORICAL SOCIETY

13

Farm to Table Benefit
Outdoor dinner featuring local seasonal fare, live entertainment and art auction
5:30-9:30 pm
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

Legacy Fundraising Event: No Art Left Behind
ARTISTS ARCHIVES OF THE WESTERN RESERVE

18

Environmental Impact: Stress, Hope, Transformation
Reception 5:30-8 pm
Through September 7
ARTISTS ARCHIVES OF THE WESTERN RESERVE

19

Third Friday
5-9 pm
78TH STREET STUDIOS

20

Family Open Studio
1-3pm
ART HOUSE

26

Community Culture Night
7-8:30 pm
ART HOUSE

27

Family Clay Day
10 am-12 pm
ART HOUSE

Corridos: Ballad of La Villa
6 pm
LA COSECHA GALERIA

AUGUST

2

Walk All Over Waterloo
6-10 pm
WATERLOO ARTS DISTRICT

Hampton R. Olfus
Washington DC artist Olfus creates striking figurative images of African Americans in a variety of two-dimensional media, some in acrylic on fabric or canvas, others in pencil or ink on paper. In doing so, he tells stories of diverse lives, inspired by beauty, music, art, literature, nature and history. He’s had work on display at Framed Gallery on Waterloo, which specializes in black artists in various media; now he’ll be getting his own show there to showcase his range of stylistic approaches.
Reception 6-9 pm
FRAMED GALLERY

Curators Mia Miller & Ava Collyer
Through August 25
HEIGHTS ARTS

Some Disassembly Required
Through September 21
MARIA NEIL ART PROJECT AT WATERLOO ARTS

Ursuline Invitational/Five Generations
6-10 pm
ARTICLE

Flourish: Melissa Haviland, Melissa Harshman, Ann Marie Kennedy, Adrienne Slane
Workshop Instructor’s Exhibition (Part II)
Reception 6-9 pm
Through September 14
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

Ama: The Gathering Place
Through November 24
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

3

ART/VENTURES: Plein Air in the YARDS: Venture out to our own backyard!
1-4 pm
YARDS PROJECT SPACE

9

Walkabout Tremont
6-10 pm
TREMONT

Cleveland Video & Film Night
9 pm
YARDS PROJECT SPACE

Phyllis Fannin: Still a Family, Still Standing
Jackson Koch: Impressioni d’Italia: A Photographic Journey
Receptions 7-9 pm
Through October 5
BAYARTS

12

Fall Registration Begins
ORANGE ART CENTER

16

Third Friday
5-9 pm
78TH STREET STUDIOS

Identity & Growth: The Art of Menna Asrat & Erin McCall
STREETER GALLERY AT JUDSON PARK

17

Family Open Studio
1-3 pm
ART HOUSE

22

Artists-in-residence talk: Andrew Mancuso, Toby Millman, Ashley Lynn Pastore
7 pm
MORGAN CONSERVATORY

23

CAN Fall Issue Launch Party
KINGS & QUEENS OF ART/THE ART PALACE

24

Notes from the Underground
6 pm
LA COSECHA GALERIA

 

Summer Festival Guide

compiled by Anastasia Pantsios

White tents full of artists and vendors. City streets and warehouses revitalized. Art. Music. Spectacle. Northeast Ohio is busy with arts festivals just about every weekend of the summer.

Rooms to Let: CLE
MAY 18 & 19 | SATURDAY NOON-7PM & SUNDAY NOON-5PM
This weekend event, now in its sixth year, moves back to its original May time slot after moving to July last year to fall within FRONT Triennial’s time frame. It takes over three vacant houses in Slavic Village slated for demolition (this year located on East 53rd and East 54th Streets), and transforms them with temporary art installations and performances. This year’s curators are The Visit Arts Collective, acerbic, and Shari Wilkins of the Cleveland Print Room. The surrounding area features vacant lot installations (including an outdoor installation by neighborhood students), performances and hands-on activities.
slavicvillage.org/roomstolet
FLEET AVENUE, SLAVIC VILLAGE

Art in the Village
JUNE 1 & 2 | SATURDAY 10AM-8PM & SUNDAY 10AM-6PM
The 29th annual Art in the Village festival takes place at Lyndhurst “lifestyle center” Legacy Village. In addition to the art fair with more than 100 artists—both local and from around the country—offering painting, sculpture, prints, ceramics, jewelry and photography, it includes a separate craft marketplace.
legacy-village.com/play/art-in-the-village-6
LEGACY VILLAGE, LYNDHURST

Hessler Street Fair
JUNE 1 & 2 | SATURDAY 11AM-11PM & SUNDAY 11AM-10PM
Hippies of all ages converge on the two-block, wooden bricked Hessler Court on the Case Western Reserve campus for a festival straight out of the 1960s, which is when it started; it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. This festival is all about local—music, food, arts, poetry, vendors, booths staffed by local activist groups. There’s plenty of art and handcrafted items, ranging from painting and photography to the inevitable jewelry and handmade tie-dyed garments.
hesslerstreetfair.org
HESSLER COURT, UNIVERSITY CIRCLE

Parade the Circle
JUNE 8 | 11AM-4PM
Parade the Circle, now in its 30th year, invites the community to be art makers and performers. Marchers include families, work buddies, scout troops, and neighborhood, church and school groups who create costumes, props, puppets and masks—either on their own or in workshops sponsored by host, the Cleveland Museum of Art. This year’s theme is “Mythology of Illusion.” It’s all about the costumes and props: no motorized floats, political messages, advocacy, commercial logos or characters are allowed. The giant puppets, stilt walkers and other spectacular creations fashioned by organizer Robin Van Lear and her crew always elicit oohs and aahs from the thousands who gather to watch. The parade kicks off at noon, followed by a variety of games, entertainment, and hands-on activities on Wade Oval until 4pm.
clevelandart.org/events/special-events/parade-the-circle/about
WADE OVAL, UNIVERSITY CIRCLE

Art by the Falls
JUNE 8 & 9 | SATURDAY 10AM-7PM & SUNDAY 10AM-5PM
The Valley Arts Center has been hosting this fine art and crafts fair for 36 years. It takes place in Chagrin Falls’ historic downtown in the park along the Chagrin River, where about 120 artists from around the country display their work and demonstrate how they make it for the browsing crowds. You’ll find art to hang on your walls and art to wear, along with crafts such as furniture or garden décor.
valleyartcenter.org/abf
RIVERSIDE PARK, CHAGRIN FALLS

BAYarts Art + Music Fest
JUNE 15 | 10AM-4PM
Bay Village arts organization BAYarts moves outside its gallery in the historic buildings that make up its campus for its annual BAYarts Art + Music Festival. This one spotlights local art, local food, wellness, kids activities and music by Rey Cintron’s Rice and Beans Band. It’s also Destination Bay Day when visitors can explore other landmarks in Bay Village, including the Bay Village Historical Society, the Village Project, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and the Bay Village Fire Department, with a shuttle to take them between locations.
bayarts.net/events/art-festival
28795 LAKE ROAD, BAY VILLAGE

Boston Mills Artfest
JUNE 28-30 & JULY 5-7 | FRIDAY PREVIEWS 6-9pm, SATURDAYS 10AM-6PM & SUNDAYS 10AM-5PM
The granddaddy of northeast Ohio fine arts fairs at 48, this two-weekend affair takes place at Boston Mills ski resort located between Cleveland and Akron. Each weekend opens with a preview party on Friday evening—with wine, food and first crack at the art—before the doors open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. It’s actually two art fairs in one: Each weekend features a completely different group of artists drawn from applicants across the country.
bmbw.com/artfest
BOSTON MILLS / BRANDYWINE SKI RESORT, PENINSULA

Waterloo Arts Fest
JUNE 29 | NOON-7PM
The Waterloo Arts Festival was started 17 years ago by Waterloo Arts (then known as Arts Collinwood), one of the pioneers in the Waterloo Arts District, just as the street was starting to come to life again. It’s spread over three blocks and has a casual neighborhood vibe. The street’s dozen or so galleries and artist studios open their doors—along with its other businesses—while mostly local art and crafts vendors have booths and tents outside. Music is key to this event, with bands and musicians performing inside venues such as the street’s hub the Beachland Ballroom, and on five or six outdoor stages. Food trucks join the offerings available at the Beachland, Citizen Pie and Callaloo Café.
waterlooarts.org/fest
15605 WATERLOO ROAD, CLEVELAND

Edgewater Street Fest
JUNE 30 | NOON-7PM
The former Clifton Arts & Musicfest, which took 2017 off due to street construction, came back in 2018. For 2019, it’s changed its name to indicate a more expansive neighborhood scope. It still takes place on Clifton between West 115th and West 117th Streets, right on the Cleveland/Lakewood border, which is bursting with new businesses and housing. There are other changes too. This year’s show is focusing on the growing neighborhood: It’s featuring primarily local artists, arts and crafts vendors, musicians and food vendors. And it’s augmenting its sales-oriented vendors with installations, especially interactive ones.
cudell.com/edgewater-street-fest
CLIFTON BOULEVARD, CLEVELAND

Cain Park Arts Festival
JULY 12-14 | FRIDAY 3-8PM, SATURDAY 10AM-8PM & SUNDAY NOON-5PM
This juried show, directed by local artist George Kozmon, is celebrating its 42nd year in the expansive park in the middle of Cleveland Heights. Around 150 vendors set up along tree-lined paths, selling everything from $50 lawn ornaments to $5,000 sculptures. It features a constantly changing mix of local and traveling artists with about two dozen prize winners from the previous year automatically accepted, maintaining a mix of about 55% two-dimensional art & 45% fine crafts. There’s also entertainment in the pavilion and food offerings from local restaurants up on the deck.
cainpark.com/338/Arts-Festival
CAIN PARK, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS

Lakewood Arts Festival
AUGUST 3 | 10AM-6PM
The 42nd annual festival takes over several blocks of downtown in this diverse, arts-oriented community to showcase the work of about 165 artists, selected by a jury process. It gives out awards sponsored by local businesses and organizations, as well as a scholarship for a local high school graduate and grants to community arts programs. It also features an all-day lineup of local musical entertainment and lots of food—and, since Lakewood is one of northeast Ohio’s biggest foodie cities, plenty more at surrounding restaurants.
lakewoodartsfest.org
DETROIT AVENUE BETWEEN ARTHUR & BELLE, LAKEWOOD

Flats Festival of the Arts
AUGUST 17 & 18 | SATURDAY 11AM-8PM & SUNDAY 11AM-5PM
With the recent re-creation of the East Bank of the Flats as an upscale living, eating and partying destination, this festival launched in 2016 to add arts and culture to the mix. Hundreds of both local and national artists will have their work on view, and dancers and musicians from around the region make it even more festive. There’s plenty of food and drink as well, both at the festival and the surrounding eateries, some of which have patios with beautiful riverfront views where you can watch the sun go down.
artfestival.com/festivals/flats-festival-arts-cleveland-ohio
1055 OLD RIVER ROAD, CLEVELAND

Made in Ohio Arts & Crafts Festival
AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 1 | FRIDAY NOON-5PM, SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10AM-5PM
Hale Farm & Village in Bath Township recreates a 19th-century Ohio village and showcases the era’s lifestyle—including its crafts—all season long. But for this weekend, it brings in more than 160 additional Ohio artisans, including potters, woodworkers, jewelry makers, soap and lotion makers and quilters. It also features food, performers and workshops in crafts such as paper marbling and wool felting.
wrhs.org/events/made-in-ohio-arts-crafts-festival-2019
HALE FARM & VILLAGE, BATH

Berea Arts Fest
SEPTEMBER 8 | 10AM-5PM
The Berea Arts Fest, now in its 29th year, turns Front Street in downtown Berea into a hive of activity with more than 100 fine artists and craftspeople setting up along the sidewalks and more art inside storefront businesses. Demonstrations and performers in the area surrounding Coe Lake are also part of this festival. It also has an area dedicated to artists with disabilities of all ages and a “Kids Kreation Station” where families can join in adding their work to a handful of cooperative art projects such as a chalk walk (also along Coe Lake) that is sponsored by the Berea branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
bereaartsfest.org
FRONT STREET, BEREA

FireFish
SEPTEMBER 20 & 21 | FRIDAY & SATURDAY 4-11PM, SATURDAY ARTISAN MARKET 11AM-4PM
FireFish returns to downtown Lorain for the 5th year to activate empty spaces in the once-booming town that’s now working on reviving itself. Art exhibits, installations, films, dancers, spoken-word artists, acrobats and musicians fill the street, empty storefronts and vacant buildings. Costumed street performers—such as fire jugglers, stilt walkers, magicians, hula hoopers and mimes—mingle with the crowd and, at the culmination of the festival on Saturday, they lead visitors down by the waterfront’s Black River Landing for the spectacular burning of the ceremonial fish, representing the area’s ties to the nearby lake.
firefishfestival.com
BROADWAY & WEST ERIE AVENUE, LORAIN

Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival
SEPTEMBER 28 & 29 | SATURDAY NOON-7PM & SUNDAY NOON-5PM
Taking place in leafy Lincoln Park in the middle of one of Cleveland’s first areas to be colonized by artists, this festival situates artists—mostly local but some traveling artists—along two of the paths radiating out of its iconic gazebo, while dedicating others to local food vendors, area businesses and local organizations, even Tremont’s many neighborhood churches. Several stages host musicians and dance ensembles. It also devotes an area to artists who live and work in Tremont. Your dog is welcome too! Heads up: This festival is usually held the third weekend of September but it moves to the last weekend this year.
tremontartsfestival.com
LINCOLN PARK, TREMONT

Ingenuity
SEPTEMBER 27-29 | FRIDAY 6PM-1AM, SATURDAY 1PM-1AM & SUNDAY 1PM-6PM
With its own dedicated space in the Hamilton Collaborative for year-round creation, the distinctive Ingenuity Festival enters its second decade with renewed energy and a return to its original concept of exploring potential interactions of the arts and technology. The former industrial complex’s array of diverse spaces, both indoors and out, provide stages for installations, displays, vendors, performers of all types, and arts-related activities that engage visitors rather than relegate them to mere spectators. Plan on spending time here because you’ll want to poke around the huge building where a surprise is around every corner.
ingenuitycleveland.com
5401 HAMILTON AVENUE, CLEVELAND