“Nobody’s ever—kind of—done this before…” Fred Bidwell glances distractedly through his office windows. Outside, the square brick façade of the Bidwell Foundation’s new Transformer Station renovation and expansion can be seen directly across West 29th Street – the “this” that he’s talking about. I think he means the qualifying phrase “kind of” as a disclaimer. But in fact nobody has done it before, or at […]
Read moreA museum of contemporary art should catch one’s eye. Appropriately, then, one’s first reaction on seeing Farshid Moussavi’s new museum of contemporary art for Cleveland is: “What’s that?” With its unusual angles sheathed in dark, mirror-like stainless steel, one might well suppose that it’s not a building at all, but a piece of abstract sculpture. It’s hard not be provoked and intrigued, and it’s hard not to want […]
Read moreby Erin O’Brien For some artists, simply depicting Cleveland in their work isn’t enough. From a metal sculptor who hand forges steel in order to evoke the Cuyahoga’s iconic bridges, to a pop artist who uncovers secret messages within our retail cast-offs, CAN Journal showcases three who literally imbue their work with essence of the city. Stephen Yusko At first blush, Stephen Yusko’s Cuyahoga Bridge series tables reflect a gossamer delicacy, […]
Read moreArtists build careers by their individualism. They function on their own clocks, and get attention with original ideas. That means the people who organize them have a tough job. They not only take time away from their own art, but also to tiptoe around opinions and hover above chaos. And they’re almost always volunteers. Nonetheless, Cleveland has plenty of artists working to organize their colleagues at the grass […]
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Randall Tiedman’s body of work spanned nearly five decades. It began with a comic book cover when Tiedman was 15 and included forays into portraiture, abstract and experimental depictions, and romantic Hudson River School inspired landscapes. Tiedman’s most recent work featured industrial landscapes with factories bordering cascading waterfalls, unseen lighting sources spilling over sporting arenas and tumultuous lake water sloshing over entire city blocks. The dramatic industrial images […]
Read moreOn the Cleveland Museum of Art’s atrium, opening October 29, 2012: “The striking atrium will serve as the heart of the newly renovated and expanded Cleveland Museum of Art. It is our gift to the community–a free space for people to gather, reflect, and refresh before or after their experience in our galleries. We’ve designed the space to be flexible, […]
Read moreThis fall, as two of Cleveland’s most prominent art exhibitors unveil undeniably spectacular pieces of new construction, it’s fair to say we’re enjoying the fruit of an arts building boom. MOCA Cleveland for the first time ever will have a purpose-built home in which to present the best of the world’s contemporary art. It anchors the intersection of Euclid and Mayfield like a faceted block […]
Read moreSaturday, Sept. 15 SPAR X City Hop If an art exhibit is like a visual circus, then Sparx City Hop has a little bit in common with the a jungle safari. Multitudes of artists open their studios for the curious to come and see them in their natural habitat. You can ride the trolley on four routes where varied species dwell—The Orange Route runs from 11:00am […]
Read moreThere is no word for a space such as this, but until someone establishes said word, “atrium” will have to do. No matter. In here, insufficient words and spatial statistics slip away along with the rest of the world. Contradiction blooms from all points, starting from points within, such as your expectations. Instead of feeling daunted by the vastness, you are wholly absorbed in a […]
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