We are approaching the first anniversary of the demolition of Frank Giglio's house on W. 14th. I read through the posts here on realneo, and continue to have more questions than answers. A common theme is that of outrage of the situation and the desire to help somehow. How can we help Frank? To the best of my knowledge, I have never met Frank, but many of you have. Would Frank welcome help? What is the best help at this moment? Is it to raise some money now to prevent foreclosure on the property so that some options can be tossed around later?

On my way to hear the amazing Loung Ung at Cleveland Public Library, I caught a few minutes of Busker Bradley J. on East Fourth St. 

He is scraping by in NEO by playing guitar on the streets.  So far, he has eluded the authorities, and he admits he hasn't checked the cost of a busker license. 

Sally Grizell Larson's photo-realistic, chromogenic, digital assemblage prints are something quite extraordinary.  Recently I had a chance to speak with her while she was in the midst of screening one of her films in South America. 

Visit Art Digital Magazine to read the interview and see more work.

Robert Maschke Architects is pleased to sponsor the arrival of a traveling exhibit featuring winning and top submissions from the d3 Natural Systems international design competition.   The exhibition will be on display at 1point618 located in Gordon Square at

Ursuline College Students for Historic Preservation is a student association, which seeks community outreach to actively engage interested persons in Historic Preservation. Without active engagment in preservation past critiques of the discipline will ultimately be the reality... we need to expand the premise of historic preservation to address contemporary problems to benefit future communities.

Julian Stanczak - "Continuous Line + Black" 2005 - Acrylic on board, 28 panels, 16x16 inches each

Happy 81st Birthday, Julian Stanczak... born November 5, 1928. Julian is an originator and continuing master of Op Art - one of the most important and renowned artists ever - and his work is stronger now than ever.

All that is seen without doubt in 116 remarkable paintings exhibited as compositions in Julian's amazing body of expansive, precise, cohesive "Recent Work", now showing at MoCA. Grouped as three colorful masterpieces, and a series of 10 individual black and white expressions, all these paintings stand together as one conclusive, vibrant statement, that life is an amazing experience, as only Julian may know.

Real NEO's favorite librarian, Laura McShane, recently posted on REALNEO "we can agree that aerosol art can be a thing of beauty", which made me think of the graffiti above, which inspired the first novel by Tony Vigorito, Just A Couple Of Days. 

From Wikipedia, "The title Just a Couple of Days comes from a piece of graffiti which appeared on both sides of an overpass just outside of Athens, Ohio on U.S. Route 33 and remained there for over two years. The open-ended tone of the declaration is related to the plot of the book, and the way the words can mean different things to each person who sees them."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/president-obama-and-first-lady-attend-classical-music-reception

Passport Project's mission is to provide exciting educational experiences that build community through the arts, encourage respect for diversity and rejection of racism, and inspire a passion for learning and the global community. On November 21st, 2009 at 2PM in the Louis Stokes Wing auditorium of the Cleveland Public Library (325 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, 44114), the Passport Project Global Dance & Music Collective will present music and dance from around the world, with a special interactive presentation of dance and percussion of Guinea as shared by Mohamed Tounkara, Passport Project's guest artist from this West African country. A slide show of photographs from Guinea will be shared as well, as we consider community in one of the poorest nations in the world and how we can build community in Northeast Ohio. For more information on this FREE performance call 216.623-2848. 

Passport Project is based in the Buckeye neighborhood of Cleveland. 12801 Buckeye Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44120, (216) 721-1055. http://www.passportproject.org/

Location

Thursday, November 5th--2009

See http://www.arthouseinc.org for more information and http://www.brooklyncentre.org for more reasons to live well in Brooklyn Centre.

All the damn vampires.

FOR CLOSURE: VISIONS OF REALITY, WORDS OF PROMISE & DISCARDED AMERICA: EVIDENCE OF LOST IDEALS

Location

It's not all gloom and doom--here are some uplifting images from a grey day in Cleveland.

Artists, Arts Adminstrators and Educators--please take note--see Playhouse Square venue.

Friday, November 6, 2009

SEE:

http://www.oac.state.oh.us/events/ViewPublicEvent.asp?ID=203

You MUST register electronically for this EVENT.  There is NO COST for this event.

I received a flyer in the mail today from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) . They are coming to Cleveland on Friday, November 6, 2009 to learn from the community. OAC is conducting Listening Tours to learn how communities value creativity and the arts. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE!

I have posted here that Lincoln West is one of the schools in the City of Cleveland, which provides critical after hour community recreation and classes.  The program is called School as Neighborhood Resources. 

I was sent two of these three by friends...

I am still marveling at them. (Not my friends, but what they sent).

These can all be found on here: http://www.thefuntheory.com/

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

Where is this $180,000 sculpture, who is the artist, why is it located here, how was it selected, who  paid for it, who will maintain it, what does it say, is it successful, does it represent serious problems in unreal NEO, and how may you get it to speak for you, in the future?