The Huntington Convention Center is pleased to continue spotlighting the talent of Northeast Ohio’s regional artists by inviting the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) as a guest exhibitor for the 2019 fall and winter season. The mission of the Cleveland Convention Gallery matches closely with that of the Archives, a unique facility and regional museum founded by noted sculptor David E. Davis in 1996. Davis, along with other prominent regional artists, felt that it was important to preserve Northeast Ohio’s irreplaceable visual artistic heritage.

“As a Cuyahoga County-owned facility, the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland belongs to the people, and our mission in creating an art gallery is to honor the broad diversity, history, and significant momentum and growth in our community,” said Dave Johnson, director of public relations and marketing for the Huntington Convention Center. “Our goal with the Cleveland Convention Gallery is to create a memorable destination by presenting thoughtfully crafted experiences that support education and the commerce of art in the City of Cleveland and throughout Northeast Ohio.”

The Foundations exhibition is the third exhibition presented by the Convention Center Gallery. It highlights the accomplishments of Davis and eight artists: Shirley Aley Campbell, William Martin Jean, David Haberman, Robert Jergens, Randall Tiedman, Phyllis Seltzer, Phyllis Sloane and Patricia Zinsmeister Parker, who were the first to follow his lead and commit to supporting the Archives. Their goal was to create a “living” archive where works, along with oral histories and other documentation of artists’ lives, would be made available to the public through ongoing exhibitions and programs.

Each of these featured artists has contributed greatly to the arts community via their accomplishments, and several are octogenarians who continue to create and exhibit important work.

Foundations highlights the individualism of each of these artists. Their voices are unique, and as a group they are held together by the strength and quality of their work rather than a shared conceptual vision. Thanks to the initiative of these nine artists, the AAWR of today has 82 Archived Artists, and 10,000 works in its collection. The Archives proudly continues to enhance its role and that of its artists in the Ohio community.

 

FOUNDATIONS | NOVEMBER 7–MAY 7
Reception 5:30-8pm Thursday, November 7

 

Cleveland Convention Gallery

Free. Open M–F 8:30am–5pm

1 St. Clair Avenue NE

Cleveland, OH 44114

(Located inside the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland)

clevelandconventions.com

216.920.1437