In Cleveland’s art world, 2018 was a year of landmark exhibits, new beginnings and portentious change, sometimes all rolled into single events. Here’s a look at some of the milestones, and what they will mean in 2019 and beyond. Triennials: The most noteworthy events of 2018 both included the word “triennial,” and both coordinated broad realms of the region’s art […]
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Michael J. Marefka’s Notes from the Interior: A Guide for Romantics, ongoing now in the upper level of Mahall’s 20 Lanes, is a happy marriage between artwork and creative curation. Marefka’s Modernism-inspired paintings are enhanced by their display in the apartment-like second story of Mahall’s. Lakewood’s triple threat bowling alley/concert venue/bar has long been a respected player in the West […]
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In junior high, I began covering the walls of my childhood bedroom with clippings from fashion and music magazines. The growing collages began to the cover the adjoining walls and door frames, containing images as disparate as Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran to Claudia Schiffer channeling Brigette Bardot in a Guess jeans ad. Sprinkle in some horses, Dali Paintings, and […]
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The subtle patterns and collage-like layers of Petra Soesemann’s textile-based works are like core samples, skimmed or extracted from a not-quite-physical dimension found near the frontiers of memory and human understanding. At the same time, they read as desirable, touchable, and the tension between these qualities lends them a lapidary oscillation – like precious stones seen in a shallow lake. […]
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James Peake, Comb When most people hear the word “origami,” they probably think of small folded paper animals. Although I am sure James Peake can create a paper bunny or bird, that is not where his passion for paper lies. Peake creates sculptural paper forms. Peake creates non-representational origami through corrugation and tessellation techniques. Corrugation is a fold pattern […]
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Cleveland’s Loftworks Gallery had the look of a miniature Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with its recent Rock and Roll Perspectives 2 show. The exhibition featured the works of Cleveland-area concert photographers Joe Kleon and (CAN contributor) Anastasia Pantsios. Gallery walls were plastered with mostly 16×20 matted prints of rock and roll legends from Paul McCartney to Tina Turner […]
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“Those guys are being jerks” – a message from Nikki popped up as I was in the midst of dealing with something that every female writer has to contend with, but was new for me – being trolled and mansplained at the same time. “Well, I guess I’m officially a journalist now!” I said. “Baby’s first empowered white male trolling! […]
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Since his death in 2006, Rev. Albert Wagner’s family has been working to establish a museum to commemorate the self-taught artist and minister. After many years and setbacks, the Wagner Museum of Art has officially been established as a nonprofit. Bonita Wagner Johnson, the reverend’s daughter and driving force behind the museum, said she is also close to regaining […]
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Josh Usmani’s Funny Money series shows the power of a medium as a kind of collaborator with the artist to give meaning to the work. The series consists of paper currency, which the artist has vividly colored with markers and pens. A new set of these drawings, Altered Value, is on view at Tregoning & Company October 19 through December […]
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Democracy rules every edition of the biennial People’s Art Show in the Galleries at Cleveland State University, an unjuried, un-curated, uncensored display of just about every artistic pursuit on the Cleveland art scene. The 23rd iteration is on view October 26 – December 7. This year, a couple of interactive works in the show are particularly relevant to democracy, and […]
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