Curating Cleveland

6.22-6.29.05

Curating Cleveland

In this week’s issue:

* Cool Cleveland Night Out at Blossom Sat 7/9: get your ridiculously discounted tix before midnight 6/23 here
* Cool Cleveland People Progressive Insurance art curator H. Scott Westover
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here
* Cool Cleveland Sounds Kenny Wheeler & Joe Lovano CD reviews
* Birol’s Business on Why I Hire Consultants
* Cool Cleveland podcast click here and Cool Cleveland blog click here
* Cool Cleveland Preview of Matt & Ben @ CPT Parish Hall 6/24

Cool Cleveland People
H. Scott Westover, Progressive Insurance art curator

Progressive Insurance’s art collection was initiated by Peter B. Lewis in 1974 and developed into a world-class contemporary collection by his ex-spouse, Toby Lewis, who served as Progressive’s first in-house art curator. Progressive’s current curator, H. Scott Westover emits a spark that connects their art collection dimensionally with Progressive’s iconoclastic work environment. This Gen Xer maneuvers a jaw-dropping mixed media and installation collection at Progressive, igniting the company with his missive to educate not only its Cleveland employees, but also to instill arts evangelizing to Progressive’s 27,000 employees nationally. Tisha Nemeth-Loomis spoke with Westover and Kristin Rogers, Art Education and Communications Manager, about their art activism in the workplace.

The art at Progressive has received recognition from Business Week, and Art and Antique Magazine rated Progressive as one of the 10 best Corporate Collections in America. It’s impressive recognition, but what is the value of it if Progressive’s employees look at the art passively?
H. Scott Westover: Progressive people do not look at art passively. They can’t. Employees and guests at Progressive are surrounded by art and engulfed by an atmosphere charged with creativity and the pursuit of excellence. To disregard or overlook art at Progressive is to live without verve, without a pulse.

Collaboration within Cleveland’s existing leadership is a popular topic in our city right now, but often I come across young professionals who integrate collaboration more quickly than our predecessors, in terms of interacting and problem solving in the work place. As young professionals in Cleveland, we ultimately have to rely on our own resourcefulness. In the workplace, we create what we need out of what we have…
We are inherently youthful in our attitude and it may contribute to why our age group [Gen X] is brave in our different approaches within the workplace, collaboratively or otherwise… I think our generation had its own struggles that defined us…because we [the three of us] all grew up during the ‘80s; I grew up in a family that was shaped by Reagan’s mismanagement, and we were shaken up by that era. The struggling Cleveland mentality that currently exists was affirmed during the ‘70s and ‘80s and ‘90s; it is so close to all of us and been part of us for so long that we can’t even define exactly what it is that went wrong….
Read the Cool Cleveland People interview with H. Scott Westover by Tisha Nemeth-Loomis here and send your comments here: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Buy Blossom lawn tix, get CC party at no charge!

Why are these cool Clevelanders smiling? Because they just found the deal of the summer. Indulge yourself and meet friends, lovers and significant others at our next big Cool Cleveland Night Out at Blossom Music Center with the one and only Cleveland Orchestra on Sat 7/9. If you haven’t experienced Tchaikovsky’s Fourth performed by the Cleveland Orchestra under the starry skies, you haven’t lived in Northeast Ohio! The happenings start at 6PM and include a pre-concert party Cool Cleveland-style just inside Blossom’s main gates. Groove to the tunes of DJ Anonymous, and sample varieties of complementary wine and beer and delectable cheese offerings — as the perfect complement to a summer evening. Order by midnight Thu 6/23 here, and you’ll pay for a lawn ticket and get the CC Party at no charge!

Spice it up with delicious frozen and specialty drinks at the cash bar. The concert starts at 8PM and opens with the overture to Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night, telling the story of two young lovers. Performed by Cuban-born pianist Horacio Gutierrez, an American citizen who studied at the Julliard School and has been performing professionally since 1970. The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s emotional and stirring Fourth Symphony. Parking is complimentary, up close and personal, with a mere walk over the bridge into Blossom’s main gates where the party begins. Bring your ID to drink. More info here. Bring your own lawn chairs, toys, Frisbees and your other peripherals (Hint: use your imagination) and join us center stage at Blossom. To get the best prices, sign up your friends for tickets here.

Buy before midnight Thu 6/23 and you’ll get all this: the wine, the beer, the appetizers, a lawn ticket and the CC party for the same price as a regular lawn ticket alone! No kidding! And you’ll enjoy the company of Cleveland’s hippest group of young professionals. Click here for the best price for this event, and before next week’s inevitable price increase.
http://www.coolcleveland.com/tickets/nightoutsix

Rave reviews & a wake-up call While our vastly talented Cleveland Orchestra continues to receive rave reviews from near and far (here), there also seems to be a growing consensus that our Musical Director, Franz Welser-Möst, is not equally matched to the great talent of our orchestra. San Fran’s Chronicle called the pairing a “mismatch” and the LA Times called one piece “inexplicable.” Find out why Plain Dealer Classical Music Critic, Dan Rosenberg, a huge fan of our internationally acclaimed orchestra, laments the lack of inspiration of our current musical director. Read the story here. What do you think about Franz Welser-Möst’s musical direction? Send your letters to Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Science Center builds a windmill There will soon be an addition to Cleveland’s lakefront skyline. Great Lakes Science Center has received approval to go ahead with the build of a 145 feet high wind turbine that will provide the Center with an estimated 10-12% of its energy needs. Similar projects in other cities have become tourist attractions. The turbine, easily accessible to visitors, will feature outdoor panels displaying data in real time providing a vivid learning opportunity to visitors of all ages. This renewable energy source will be a powerful demonstration of the correlation between science, technology and the environment. Learn more here. Like the idea of windpower? Send us a note: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

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Groove to the Jungle Beats at the Huntington Bank “Twilight at the Zoo,” Fri 8/5 from 7PM to midnight. Guests will groove their way through the Zoo listening to the sounds of reggae, rock, swing and salsa while enjoying delicious delectables and refreshing beverages courtesy of Samuel Adams. Can’t get enough of the summer’s wildest party? Join us for the VIP Pre-Party at 6PM by the Zoo’s Waterfowl Lake where you’ll enjoy an extra hour of festivities, preferred parking, food by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and music by Madison Crawl. Huntington Bank Twilight at the Zoo offers 16 bands on 15 stages, along with one of the best times you’ll have all summer, and it happens to benefit the Cleveland Zoological Society in support of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Contact www.ClevelandZooSociety.org to purchase tickets or call (216) 661.6500 x4421.
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Convention Center design is critical LMN Architects of Seattle and Osborn Architects & Engineers of Cleveland were hired to update plans for building a convention center on the Downtown mall site. The firms submitted two alternatives with expansion either north by creating a Mall D or west by razing buildings between Ontario Street and Mall B. The exhibit hall would remain out of sight underneath the malls in both options. Read more about the proposals here. Find out why Cleveland’s Planning Commission proposed a design competition similar to the one that netted Pittsburgh’s innovative and highly praised center on the Allegheny River, in order to get a design worth of the landmark civic space here. Just in case you have an opinion on the convention center: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Cuyahoga is now an arts district! Cuyahoga County commissioners voted last Thursday to create an arts and cultural district that will make the county eligible to levy tax increases for the purpose of raising funds for arts and culture. The resolution cited the tourism, new business and $1billion + generated annually by regional arts and culture. The move comes just in time to take advantage of a proposed change in Ohio law that would allow arts districts to receive public money other than through property taxes. Ohio legislators may look to smokers for additional arts funding. Read the story here.

Chief Barrista In case you didn’t know, barrista is Italian for bartender, and typically, it’s used to denote a person who makes coffee beverages professionally. Cool Cleveland’s Chief Information Officer, George Nemeth is featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business as one of the Who’s Who in Technology 2005. Cool Cleveland creator Thomas Mulready comments “People like to disparage Internet and online news sources… [b]ut when you peel it away, (bloggers and other online news sites) are doing it out of a sense of community and a sense of duty to communicate and hook people up.” Coffee anyone? Read more here

Cool Cleveland wins First Place from Press Club for Mayor Jane Speaks, in the category of General News in the division of New Media. We picked up our First Place plaque at the Excellence in Journalism dinner last Friday, hosted by the Press Club of Cleveland. Congrats to all the deserving winners. Check our award and browse the other winners here, and read the award-winning interview with Mayor Jane Campbell here. To put this award-winning expertise to work for you, contact Cool Cleveland and ask how we can help promote your business Info@CoolCleveland.com

Build a new Innerbelt Bridge Everyone should support the construction of a NEW Innerbelt Bridge. Steven Litt of the Plain Dealer advocates the building of a new Innerbelt Bridge. He calls ODOT’s plans to rehabilitate and maintain the existing bridge “a mediocre compromise… unlikely to achieve the highest potential in either beauty or economic development” and continues to advocate for a span that would be built south of the existing bridge. Transportation advocate Ken Prendergast provides a drawing that shows the downtown development opportunities that would be created by relocating the bridge to the south. Download the PDF here and read the PD article here. Your opinion on the Innerbelt bridge project? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Cool Cleveland Kids If kids could vote, this would be a much different world, wouldn’t it? We think there’s so many awesome things to do in Cleveland with your family each week, that we’d like to start pointing you to Cool Cleveland Kids, an occassional feature wherein Cool Cleveland correspondent 9-year-old Max Mulready offers a few select events appropriate for kids and families. Catch his inaugural podcast here, and watch for the “CC Kids” tag on family-friendly events below. Hey, kids deserve the best that Cleveland has to offer, too! Click here

Hip-Hop Summer Arts Camp Progressive Arts Alliance in cooperation with Hathaway Brown School is offering the camp for students age 12-19 Mon 8/1 through Fri 8/12. Campers will learn the history and technique of DJing, MCing, Breakdancing and Aerosol Art. Have no clue what that means? Ask the nearest kid or click here to learn more. Professional artist-educators will guide young participants in the creation of a performance piece that will be featured the last day of camp. This dynamic, contemporary art form will serve as a catalyst for teaching participants to make friends, work as a team, improve their public presentation skills and explore their personal self expression through music, art, dance and poetry. Call 556-0337, email summerprograms@paalive.org or visit http://www.paalive.org. Hathaway Brown, 19600 North Park Blvd, Shaker Heights

Under-appreciated Atlanta’s leading gay journal thinks “Cleveland surprises as lively burgh with a bustling arts scene, gay activities and great restaurants… Cleveland’s gay nightlife is spread across the city without a specific gayborhood.” See Southern Voice here

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Bring Your Friends, Family and Dance Partner for non-stop Summerfest entertainment at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds on Sat 7/2 and Sun 7/3 from noon to midnight (both days). Here’s your chance to experience over 50 bands (Rock, County, Blues, Reggae, Latin, Disco, Big Band and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra) and Northeastern Ohio’s largest and most extraordinary fireworks display. Prices are low so you can bring the whole family! Other attractions include a rock-n-roll movie theater, a children’s area with entertainment, lots of delicious food, a full service bar with ice cold beer, liquor and vodka slushy drinks. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children under 36 inches tall. Toddlers in strollers are free. Contact www.Summerfest05.com for more information.
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Research in trouble The Ohio legislature is at it again. Now the Ohio House has added language to House Bill 66 that would ban embryonic stem cell research with Ohio’s cutting-edge Third Frontier technology funding. Even President George Bush has taken a position to support federal funding of such research. The only response it to urge our Governor to use the line-item veto. Please phone, fax, or email Governor Taft now (614-466-3555/phone, 614-466-9354/fax, Governor.Taft@das.state.oh.us) and urge him to line-item veto the ban on embryonic stem cell research in H.B. 66.

Ingenuity robot needs a name: suggest one & get tix Reserve the Labor Day weekend for Cleveland’s first Ingenuity Festival of Art & Technology, taking place in a dozen venues Downtown, featuring hundreds of Cleveland artists and some mighty cool art-tech collaborations. Our robot-mascot, designed by IMG and Liggett-Stashower (click here) is made of artistic, medical, scientific and hi-tech parts, but s/he needs a name. Get two complimentary tix to Ingenuity, co-directed by Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, and CPT’s James Levin, even if we don’t use your name. Send your suggested names to: Info@CoolCleveland.com.

Call for Ingenuity art Attention artists or artist teams from Northeast Ohio: you are invited to submit proposals for ingenious exhibitions or installations that fuse the expression of art with the progression of technology. Three to five artists or artist teams will be selected to exhibit their proposed work within storefront spaces in the Colonial ARTcade during Ingenuity and through the month of September 2005. Each selected artist/artist team will receive an honorarium of at least $500. Better hurry: proposals are due 7/10/05. Send a one-page outline of the proposed project and appropriate supporting visual materials on disk (jpeg or pdf), or on a 30″ x 40″ presentation board to: 530 Euclid, Suite 43, Cleveland, OH 44115. Artists selected by the jurors will be notified by 7/29. For detailed information, contact ArtPower@Yahoo.com

Summer Brown Bag Lectures The ACLU has scheduled a series of highly interesting and controversial discussions to nourish our minds during the lunch hour. The lectures will take place every Thursday from noon to 1:30PM; just bring your own lunch, the drinks and dessert will be provided. The current lineup covers topics like the USA Patriot Act (Thu 6/23), Beat Bullying: A Mother’s Experience with Harassment and Societal Pressures on LGBT Youth (Thu 6/30), Why Racial Profiling Does Not Work (Thu 7/21) and The State of Reproductive Rights in Ohio (Thu 7/28). Visit www.ACLUOhio.org for the complete schedule. Call 472-2200 or email contact@acluohio.org to RSVP for these events. Max Wohl Civil Liberties Center, 4506 Chester Ave

CC blogs It started with an obsessive rant on last week’s CMJ/Rock Hall Music Fest, which Cool Cleveland blogger Peter Chakerian attended front to back, and continues daily with his anticipation of upcoming cool Cleveland events, his experiences, and his reaction, comments, ruminations, questions and general enthusiasm at the wonder of all that is Cleveland this week. If you haven’t picked up on it, click here to read his posts, then click on the blog to add your own comments, questions and attitude.

SayYES! Business Plan Competition Do you have what it takes to convince investors in other cities that Cleveland is ripe for their investment dollars? Successful entrepreneurs in need of additional funding to grow their current ventures are encouraged to polish up their business plans, download the application here then either mail or fax it no later than Fri 7/15. The top five successful entrepreneurs will get an opportunity to present their plans at the conference in Palo Alto from 9/22-24. City officials and successful entrepreneurs will talk up our town to encourage a flow of dollars. Call 776-6172 for info. http://www.YesCleveland.org

Save public broadcasting The House Appropriations Committee gave the okay to colossal cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds public television through its partner, Public Broadcast Service. The cuts include slashing $100 million for programs, nixing $39 million to help local stations transition to digital transmission, slicing $40 million to upgrade outdated satellite technology and yanking $23 million from the “Ready to Learn” program, which enables the creation of shows like Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow. You don’t need a red cape to come to the rescue of Big Bird, Elmo and PBS lovers everywhere; just click here and take two minutes to let your representatives know how you feel. Send a copy of your PBS pleas to Letters@CoolCleveland.com

See photos of last week’s Night Out in the Heights at Studio You at the corner of Cedar & Lee Roads here. Many Cool Cleveland partiers also attended The Secret Garden at Cain Park later that night, and were shuttled back and forth to the party. A special poem for the occassion from Cle Hts Poet Laureate Meredith Holmes, lovely entertainment from CIM and Andrew Smith & Carrie Hall & Brad Wyner from Kalliope Stage, delicious snack from a dozen Lee Road chefs, unlimited beer and wine outside under the tent, and a few hundres of Cleveland’s coolest people. What more could you ask? Get your tix now for our next Cool Cleveland Night Out, this time at Blossom Music Center under the stars with the Cleveland Orchestra on 7/9: click here.

FusionFest will feature multi-arts It’s about time we got interdisciplinary in this town! The Cleveland Play House’s new artistic director Michael Bloom is pushing a wild idea: to be the first regional theatre in the country to present a festival that includes opera, ballet, theatre, dance and music, and all of it new work. He’s calling it FusionFest, and it’s set for 5/2-21, 2006, with top-notch area arts groups such as Dobama Theatre, Karamu House, City Music Cleveland, MOCA, Cleveland Opera, the Cleveland Museum of Art and others “to create a context for discovery and exploration of new work for audiences and performers,” says festival co-producer Seth Gordon, who is the Play House’s new associate artistic director. We’ll be watching for it. See release here.

Wal-Mart and small biz Congressman Sherrod Brown’s office contacted NoClevelandWalmart.org this week, looking for small businesses willing to participate in a congressional field hearing. Are you a small business person concerned about competition from Wal-Mart? Email info@NoClevelandWalMart.org or call 274.9860 for details. Details for contacting Congressman Brown are here. Send your opinion of Wal-Mart to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com. One comment per family, please!

Corrections In the Cool Cleveland Interview with Scot Rourke, the correct response to the first question should read: “OneCleveland is about using the technology as an enabler in that we take away all the barriers. So, we try and take away any kind of barriers, sometimes it’s pain, sometimes it’s educational, sometimes it’s technology driven… we take out the barriers to adopting advanced communications and technologies to make sense.” See full interview here.


Cool Cleveland This Week

6.22-6.29
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

SNAG Conference Intersection Learn about the art and science of bling bling. The conference for the Society of North American Goldsmiths, co-hosted by the Cleveland Institute of Art and Kent State University runs Wed 6/22 to Sat 6/25. Keynote speaker Gijs Bakker, world-renowned Dutch jeweler, will discuss the dynamic intersection between Craft and Design. Speakers discuss how design has transformed the world, the artist’s role in public art and how hip-hop jewelry has become a cultural phenomenon. Related area exhibits will run simultaneously and the event culminates with a party at the Rock Hall featuring Cool Cleveland faves Cats On Holiday on Sat 6/25 at 9PM. Call 503-329-2352 or visit www.SnagMetalSmith.org for info. Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre, 777 St. Clair Ave.

Bebe Moore Campbell Community Care Network’s Annual Meeting on Thu 6/23 from 12-2PM will feature the noted author as the keynote speaker. Her provocative fourth novel 72 Hour Hold will be published on Tue 6/28. It explores our culture’s treatment of mental illness through the story of one mother’s desperate attempts to save her teenaged daughter with bipolar disorder. Advanced copies will be available for purchase and signing. Learn more about the author at http://www.BebeMooreCampbell.com/. Call 476-0333 or email mlivers@ccnworks.org for tickets. http://www.CCNworks.org/

Cleveland Scholarship Program Happy Hour Grab some friends and come to this Thu 6/23 event from 5:30-8PM in support of the CSP and their goal of making higher education accessible to more of our area’s workforce. Tickets include an open beer and wine bar, and there will be a 50/50 raffle with cool prizes. This is a great opportunity for CSP alum to reconnect and show their support. Check out www.TheBlindPig.com for a peek at the menu of yummy enticements. Call 241-5587 or visit www.CSPOhio.org for more info or to register. The Blind Pig Tavern, 1228 West 6th Street, Warehouse District

Mandel Center Info Session Need a career boost but don’t have time for school? Attend this informational session on one of the nation’s top ten Master’s in Nonprofit Organizations Degree programs. There is also a certificate program. Both current students and alumni will share their experiences in this flexible evening and weekend program on Thu 6/23 at 5:30PM. Call 368-6025 to RSVP. Trinity Commons, Conference Rooms A & B, 2021 East 22nd Street http://www.Case.edu/mandelcenter

Vision in Action Live the Life You Always Dreamed Of – NOW! David Akers will discuss “Creating a vision and making it happen” on Thu 6/23 at 6PM during this “Future in Action” party, a celebration of that which you WILL achieve. Visit here to learn more, or register or call 330-990-0788. Lockkeeper’s, 8001 Rockside Road, Valley View http://www.Lockkeepers.com

Art of Living Course Lacking harmony and balance in your life? Discover your innate ability to calm your mind, heal the body and energize your entire system in minutes with the skillful use of breath. This six-day course teaches simple and effective breathing techniques that bring greater harmony on all levels of life and equips you with practical tools that will enable you to develop to your full potential. Begin your journey on Thu 6/23 from 7-9PM. Call 221-5712 or visit www.ArtOfLiving.org to learn more. India Community Center, 12421 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights

Wine Tasting Among the Bugs Sip & Swirl with David Rogers’ incredible installation Big Bugs on the beautiful grounds of the Holden Arboretum this Fri 6/24 from 6-7PM with Reserve Tasting, and from 6-9PM with General Tasting, for 21 & over, featuring regional wines and food from the best area chefs. Groove to Blue Cadillac’s soft Brazilian jazz. For tix, call 440-946-4400 X 224 or http://www.HoldenArb.org

Inside/Out Tour The Charenton Theater Company is treating Clevelanders to a complimentary evening of not one, but two single act plays. If Men Played Cards as Women Do, is a light-hearted satire featuring a group of bridge-playing men who speak, think and behave the way that men believe women do. Overtones is a brilliant dramatization of the unconscious mind. See how two women appear both to each other, and their inner selves. See these shows on Thu 6/23, Fri 6/24, and Sat 6/25 at 8PM. Call 781-9987. Café Limbo, 12706 Larchmere, Near Shaker Square http://www.Charenton.org

Regional Sustainability Forum Join Ed Morrison from the Case Center for Regional Economic Issues on Fri 6/24 from 8:30-11:45AM for a discussion and networking session that will identify activities and resources (e.g., informational, financial, human) that will provide synergistic benefit for the region. Call 330-263-3799 for an agenda and registration form. Fisher Auditorium, Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center,1680 Madison Avenue ,Wooster www.oardc.ohio-state.edu

Enamel: Beyond the Object SPACES Gallery showcases a new era in this enduring medium within the context of contemporary art. See Cleveland artist, Kate Ward Terry’s installation, Party On consisting of bright, cool colored circles of varying sizes symbolizing human interaction while reflecting individuality. Experience the play of light and shadow, movement and gravity in Cleveland artist Margaret Yuko Kimura’s recycled material 3-D installation. The exhibit runs from Thu 6/23 to 8/5, in conjunction with Intersection, the SNAG conference. Attend the opening reception Fri 6/24 from 6-10PM. See www.SpacesGallery.org or call 621-2314 for a list of events. SPACES, 2220 Superior Viaduct

Matt & Ben and Polaris Experience a full night of entertainment on Fri 6/24 & Sat 6/25 at 8PM and Sun 6/26 at 5PM. First take a journey into the lives of the Hollywood golden boys before J-Lo, Gwyneth, or Oscar in an Ohio premiere written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers. Next, enjoy Polaris, written by Cleveland Playwright Tom Kondilas, which depicts three friends struggling to reclaim the former glory of their now strained relationships. Harry Bacharach performs mellow tunes one hour before each performance, so come early. Call 956-7996. Parish Hall Theatre, 6415 Detroit Avenue http://www.LessProductions.com http://www.HarryBacharach.com

Lizz Wright at Nighttown If you haven’t already heard of this incredibly talented young artist who took the world by storm in 2003, here’s your opportunity to experience her soulful sound. Find out why The New York Times’ Stephen Holden labeled her “a young singer and songwriter of astonishing maturity and poise” and declared “Ms. Wright delivers spun gold, stir(ring) jazz, gospel, and rhythm-and-blues into a reflective, flowing style that elongates songs into prayerful meditations…” Hear her latest offering, Dreaming Wide Awake, performed live on Fri 6/24 at 8 & 10PM. Call 795-0550. Nighttown,12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights www.NighttownCleveland.com http://www.LizzWright.net

CC Kids Sidewalk Cinema in Kent Bring your family to an exciting evening of film, food, and fun on Fri 6/24 at 9PM. Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Kent Businesses present the screening of the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. This costless community event features food and beverages by local vendors, and a costume contest, so come dressed up as your favorite character from the movie. Rain date is Sat 6/25 at 9PM. Home Savings Plaza, Intersection of Main & Water, Kent http://www.StandingRock.net

WCLVnotes Tonight, Wed 6/22 at 8PM, WCLV 104.9 presents a live concert from the Summer Music Festival at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. The program includes two works by Robert Schumann, his Piano Quartet in E-Flat Op 47 and Piano Quintet in Eb, Op. 44, as well as Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche. Tomorrow night, it’s a concert by the Imani Winds recorded on Sunday, 6/19 at the Summer Music Festival. The program features Jeff Scott’s Titi Layo; Valerie Coleman’s Speech and Canzone (for CD and Wind Quintet); Elliott Carter’s Woodwind Quintet of 1948; and Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango. Saturday night’s Weekend Radio at 10PM interrupts the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series for the bi-monthly Goon Show from the BBC. It’s called Dishonored. Details of WCLV’s programming can be found at www.WCLV.com a Cool Cleveland partner

Lakewood Kickball Tournament Revisit happy childhood memories of playing kickball with friends in this one day event at Cove Park on Sat 6/25 at 10AM. Email info@burningriversports.com for info, click here for a refresher on the rules of the game and visit www.BurningRiverSports.com to register. Cove Park, Off Cove Avenue in Lakewood

CC Kids Dedication of Wendy Park Celebrate our lakefront and this brand new green space in a day of family activities that includes food, music and outdoor fun on Sat 6/25 from 11AM-7PM. Roam the lakefront, walk trails and enjoy stunning views of the Lake, the Flats and the Downtown Skyline. Hear The Whiskey Island Ramblers, a Celtic Irish rock band and Jam Be and Friends, an eclectic Jazz ensemble. Sample a variety of delicious food and beverage offerings including a pig roast and let the kids enjoy the petting zoo, or get their faces painted. Wendy Park, 2800 Whiskey Island Rd. http://www.WendyPark.org

Ohio Wine and Food Celebration Don’t miss your opportunity to experience rich flavorful wines produced by local award-winning wineries while sampling some of the region’s most appetizing cuisine on Sat 6/25 from 12-9PM. You can also view imaginative works of area artisans, see cooking demonstrations and enjoy live entertainment. Proceeds support the KSU Ashtabula Community Scholarship Fund. Call 440-964-3322 for pricing and details or click here. Kent State University, 3300 Lake Road West, Ashtabula. www.Ashtabula.Kent.edu

Tantra Workshop Explore Intimacy & Spirituality in this workshop designed to help you create space that will allow you to experience life and love more fully. Learn to love yourself and discover the divine within, create loving relationships in your life and move from sex to super consciousness with Shakthi, a certified Ipsalu Tantra Instructor whose been practicing the art for many years. The workshops will run the 4th Saturday of each month beginning on Sat 6/25 from 5-8PM. Check out their full list of offerings here. Call 721.1055. Passport Project’s Global Community Arts Center, 12803 Buckeye Rd. http://www.PassportProject.org

Chandelier Show Functionality and contemporary design will merge on Sat 6/25 from 6-10:30PM as glass artists Brian Benchek, Zac Gorell and Jimmy Swyt showcase their work in Burning River’s first Chandelier Show. Sip fine wine and sample scrumptious fare while exploring sculptural goblets and unique chandeliers created by the individual artists. The evening will feature a glass blowing demonstration at 8PM. Call 214-2120 for info or learn more about these fascinating artists and see their breathtaking pieces at www.BurningRiverGlass.com. Burning River Glass, 2218 Superior Avenue East

Baby at Kalliope Stage Enjoy Maltby and Shire’s groundbreaking musical comedy Baby, the tale of three unexpecting couples that suddenly find themselves expecting. This moving exploration of impending parenthood tells the story of the college students, the thirty-somethings who’ve had trouble conceiving and the middle aged parents who were looking forward to their last child’s graduation from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them right back where they started. Call 321-0870 or visit http://www.KalliopeStage.com to purchase tix for the Sat 6/25 show at 8PM. Kalliope Stage, 2134 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights

The Industry Party Notch up your networking at this party for models, fashion designers, show producers, make-up artists, photographers, special event promoters, and the media. The Industry party will set the mood for networking all night long, along with a Designers’ Sample Auction, Lite Hors D’oeuvres, a Cash Bar, and Exciting Raffles. Dance to the sounds of the exclusive DJ and Sound Tech of Waki Wear Productions during this evening of fashion, beauty and entertainment on Sat 6/25 from 8PM-1AM. Call 374-2455. The Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre Hotel, 777 St. Clair Ave. Dorothy Fuldheim Room, 1st Floor. Email djquest95@yahoo.com

Michael Feinstein The North Coast Men’s Chorus, one of Northeast Ohio’s highest profile gay organizations, will join forces with the four-time Grammy nominee for a magical evening that will take concertgoers on a grand tour of “The Great American Songbook.” The benefit performance for the NCMC at the Allen Theatre on Sat 6/25 at 8PM will include solo sets by both Mr. Feinstein and the NCMC, replete with their trademarked song and dance routines designed to explore the entire rainbow of emotions. Purchase tickets at www.PlayhouseSquare.com or call 531-3156 for info. http://www.NCMchorus.org/ http://www.MichaelFeinstein.com/

McBride at B Side Join DJs ESP Woody McBride from Minnesota, Mike Parker of Buffalo, and Dub Mos Papa from Detroit for a sensual rhythm adventure and techno with a totally new mindset at this Midnight Mixer event on Sat 6/25 at 9PM. B Side Liquor Lounge, 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland Heights http://www.MidnightMixer.com/ http://www.BSideLiquorLounge.com/

Larchmere Antiques Fair Looking for your own piece of history? Discover this unique outdoor antique event on Sun 6/26 from 10AM-5PM on Larchmere Boulevard, one of Cleveland’s “best kept secrets”, just 1 block away from Shaker Square. The event will feature 30 different dealers from throughout the state. Browse furniture, art, jewelry, pottery, books, china, vintage clothing and other items dating from 1880 to 1960, then visit some of the area shops and eateries. Call 229-8919 for info. Larchmere Blvd, Between East 122nd & East 130th Streets http://www.ShakerSquareAreaDevelopment.org/events.htm

CC Kids Historic Brooklyn Centre Garden Tour, Ice Cream Social & Decorative Arts Sale. Enjoy an afternoon of touring distinctive gardens, an old fashioned ice cream social and learning about decorative arts and browsing the unique wares of local artists. Hand painted silk scarves, patio stones, ceramics,stained glass, jewelry and other fine crafts will be available at this event in the historic Brooklyn Centre neighborhood sponsored by the Archwood Denison Concerned Citizens, Inc. & Art House on Sun 6/26 from 1-5PM. Call 398-8556 for info or 351-0254 for tix. The event will commence at the Art House, 3119 Denison Avenue. http://www.ArtHouseInc.org/

Fashion Knockout: Round 10 Celebrate Waki Wear Productions 15 Year Anniversary of promoting and showcasing African-American Fashion Designers at their 11th Annual Designer of the Year Competition. Designers will duel it out with fashion weaponry for serious money and recognition. See the creativity and couture on Sun 6/26 at 6:30PM; doors open at 5PM. The Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre Hotel, 777 St.Clair Avenue, Grand Ballroom, 6th Floor. For more information, email wakiwear@yahoo.com

Jim Gill & Friends in Concert Bring your lawn chair or blanket and picnic basket to this no cost folk-rock concert featuring hometown hero, singer-songwriter, Jim Gill on Sun 6/26 at 7PM. The concert is part of the Summer Calliope Series. Call 987-5536 for info. Tri-C West, 11000 Pleasant Valley Road, Parma www.Tri-C.edu

NOCA Networking Carnival This Northeast Ohio Communication Affiliates’ event will feature a fun, carnival atmosphere including midway games, a variety of tempting treats, a cash bar and plenty of opportunities to network. Visit their website for more information and to register for the Tue 6/28 event that begins at 5:30PM. Tower City Amphitheater, 351 Canal Road http://www.NOCAnet.com/carnival.htm

Last Tuesday at Beachland Join the melodic punk outfit, Last Tuesday for an evening of intense music and high octane performances as they are joined by the This Awkward Silence, The Evan Anthem and The Honor Role for an all ages show on Tue 6/28 at 7:30PM. Visit http://www.Starloft.com for info and tickets. Beachland Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Road

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Cool Cleveland Sounds
Joe Lovano
Joyous Encounter
Blue Note

Kenny Wheeler
What Now?
CamJazz

Joe Lovano is Cleveland’s favorite saxophone son. His “Joyous Encounter” is a more varied sequel to “I’m All For You,” his 2004 album of ballads, which I didn’t think swung that much. Like the ballad album, “Encounter” features the great Hank Jones on piano, along with bassist George Mraz and the deft, light drums of Paul Motian.

“Encounter,” in part, is the Cleveland native’s tribute to the Jones brothers: Hank, composer-trumpeter Thad (one of Lovano’s early New York gigs was with the Mel Lewis-Thad Jones Big Band) and drummer Elvin. It’s more, however: the standards, particularly “Alone Together” and “Autumn in New York,” are embracing, and Lovano’s originals, particularly the Charlie Parker tribute, “Bird’s Eye View,” sparkle. The best tracks are Oliver Nelson’s tricky “Six and Four,” a crackling lesson in group interplay, and a soprano sax take of Monk’s bittersweet “Pannonica.” Lovano sounds energized here; having a pianist like the 86-year-old Jones to learn from surely helps.

Kenny Wheeler is a great flugelhornist with as much duende (Spanish for soul with a pinch of sorrow) as Miles Davis. On What Now?, Wheeler heads a drumless quartet featuring Chris Potter on tenor, John Taylor on piano and Dave Holland on bass. The music is a travelogue traversing the plangent “Iowa City” and the even more wistful “Verona.” The Cleveland connection? Wheeler’s music was the focus of a terrific Cleveland Jazz Orchestra concert last fall.

Wheeler’s is interiorizing, paradoxically resonant music of great empathy, performed by musicians comfortable with stretching out, giving a tune all the room it needs. You can put this on as background. Or you can join in it, your attention and consideration becoming instruments contributing to the harmony. A native of Canada, Wheeler has been living in Britain for decades and first gained prominence with Johnny Dankworth’s band. He wrote all the pieces here. He turned 75 in January. He’s making strong music, as Clint Eastwood, also in his 70s, makes strong films.
from Cool Cleveland contributor Carlo Wolff CWolff7827@aol.com

Birol’s Business
Why I Hire Consultants
By Andy Birol

Recently I traveled to the Bahamas to meet with a group of my peers and our consultant. While many rolled their eyes at the perceived junket (yes, the Atlantis Resort was fabulous), our Thomas Mulready of Cool Cleveland remarked, “That’s interesting, Andy, tell me why do you have a consultant?” Here goes.

Since starting my business in 1997, I have been repeatedly surprised that what I thought would be easy was hard and what was hard, easy. And, when easy challenges suddenly became hard and hard become easy I was convinced I needed outside objectivity. So how have my consultants helped my success?…
Read Birol’s Business here and here, and your letters here: Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Instant Karma
Quick reviews of recent events
Going out this weekend? Take along your PDA and your digital camera. Scratch out a few notes to send us with a picture of it for our Instant Karma real-world reviews of what’s really happening. We’d love to hear from you. Send your stuff to Events@CoolCleveland.com

Ghosts @ Tyst, Hiram College 6/16
What: The sins of patriarchy, religious fundamentalism, and social hypocrisy combine to destroy a dysfunctional family. Ibsen’s iconoclastic Ghosts was so shocking to 1881 Norway that he ended up in voluntary exile; his excoriating social critique still has power and resonance.
Reasons to go: With infidelity, incest, a fatal STD, and assisted suicide on the table, this is the great-granddaddy of modern social drama. Juliette Regnier is affecting as Mrs. Alving, a hyper-respectable widow whose marriage has been founded on a tissue of secrets and lies. Justin Tatum has a dramatic second act as her tragic son. The production values are handsome, especially David Vosburgh’s set. The translation by Brian Johnson & Rick Davis pares Ibsen’s 5 acts down to two hours.
Caveats: Ibsen always ramps up slowly, and this is no exception; it takes a while for the fireworks to begin. Michael Regnier makes Pastor Manders a study in bluster and denial, but lacks other colors. Director Vosburgh doesn’t always shape the many revelations, and the rest of the cast isn’t up to the difficult material. Even so, it’s still a haunting play, seldom seen.
Backstory: This is the first production of Tyst, a new theater company dedicated to classic and contemporary Scandinavian plays. Their daring four-show season, in residence at Hiram College in a spacious, air-conditioned auditorium, deserves support and an audience.
Target audience: Audiences open to serious drama.
Details: Tyst, Bates Hall, Hiram College, Hiram. Thru 6/26. 216-771-9118, http://www.tyst.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

The Spitfire Grill @ Porthouse 6/17
What: A female parolee moves to a tiny country town, where she finds work and brings redemption to The Spitfire Grill, the town’s only restaurant – a fable of forgiveness and healing.
Reasons to go: With an affecting story and good tunes, this is a first-rate audience-pleaser, one of the best new small musicals out there. James Valcq and Fred Alley’s bluegrass-inflected score has a number of haunting modal ballads, and the comic “Out of the Frying Pan” is delightful. With an able cast, Terri Kent’s production hits most of the right notes. Especially good are Lenne Snively as the crusty proprietor, Kacey Cummings as a beaten-down wife who finds her spine, and Mary Ann Black as the delightfully gossipy postmistress. And with its outdoor picnic pavilions on the Blossom grounds, Porthouse is one of the most pleasant venues to see a summer show.
Caveats: As the feisty but vulnerable protagonist, Lisa Marie Schueller’s voice is thin in places, yet her acting pulls its weight.
Backstory: Based on the indie film that won a Sundance Audience Favorite Award, The Spitfire Grill won a Richard Rodgers Award and great reviews, but had an abbreviated Off-Broadway run, thanks to its opening just before 9/11. It’s been sweeping through regional theaters ever since; this is its area premiere.
Target audience: Teens & up; people who love musical theater with heart and substance, not empty glitz.
Details: Porthouse Theatre, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls. Thru 7/2. http://www.porthousetheatre.com
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

Ruthless! @ Mercury Summer Stock 6/18
What: A campy hoot of a show-biz musical about people so stage-struck they’d literally kill to get ahead – including a 3rd grader who murders a fellow student to get the lead in her school play “Pippi Longstocking Goes to Tahiti”.
Reasons to go: The more you know show-biz, the funnier this tongue-in-cheek pastiche is – it’s “The Bad Seed” meets “Gypsy” meets “All About Eve”. Director Daniel Marshall gets his cast to play the stylized takes exactly right – it’s a fabulous diva parade, beginning with Artistic Director Pierre-Jacques Brault’s plumy drag turn as Liza-with-a-Z look-alike Sylvia St. Croix. In her Shirley Temple ringlets, Angela R. Holecko is laugh-aloud funny as the murderous Tina, and Dana Aber goes from Stepford Mom to clawing Broadway diva as her mother Judy. Pamela LaForce is a wonderfully bitchy critic with her show-stopping “I Hate Musicals”, and Jackie Cassara a delightful tippling teacher. The costumes, credited to the company, are fabulously over-the-top, and the sets are witty, too.
Caveats: For such a perfectly camp show, it’s ironically performed in the unhippest imaginable venue: Heskett Auditorioum, a middle school in Bedford Heights, just off I-271 & Rockside. But wend your way past those lockers – at $12 for a top ticket, this is one of the entertainment bargains of the summer.
Backstory: This is the third year for Brault’s brainchild, a traditional summer stock company where a group of actors gets the intense experience of mounting 4 shows in 3 months. The production values and professional polish continue to climb every year. A 2001 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, Brault now gets acting and choreography work around the region.
Target audience: Love campy old movies and show tunes? This one’s for you.
Details: Mercury Summer Stock, Heskett Auditorium. Thru 6/26. http://www.mercurysummerstock.com
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

RoldoLINK
by Roldo Bartimole
City Politicians Been Veery, Veery Good to Two

Probably the most delicious quote in the Plain Dealer in years came at the end of a front-page story about the Nate Gray trial.

PD reporter Mike Tobin quoted from FBI tapes of Gray’s Shaker Square telephone conversation with attorney Ricardo Teamor. Gray recited Sam Miller’s advice on how to treat council members.

“And Sam taught me this – the more you treat them like a trick, or exactly what they are, the more better results you’ll get. Sam said treat them like a straight prostitute,” Gray told Teamor.

Yes, indeed, Sam has lots of experience with these “prostitute” Council members.

He and Dick Jacobs have worked over the politicians in town in the past two decades or more. We’ve picked up the bills.

The County Commissioners just bought a few white elephants, asbestos-filled buildings from Jacobs along East 9th at Euclid Ave. Thank you, Jimmy Dimora, Tim Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones. The three stooges plan is to knock down the environmentally deficient buildings (except for the historic Cleveland Trust gem) and build new county offices. So we will see you later, taxpayers, – some $100-million or more later.

The purchase by the County Commissioners pleased Jacobs very much. Who else would buy these downtown buildings that one has to knock down?

However, it DISpleased Sam Miller’s and Al Ratner’s Forest City family. Seriously DISpleased them….
Read RoldoLINK here and send your letters here: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write
We encourage our readers to speak out by sending us letters and commentary. Send your letters to Letters@CoolCleveland.com. You must include your full name (required) and you may include your e-mail address (optional). You may also create a new Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail e-mail address and submit it with your letter. Letters submitted to Cool Cleveland, or edited portions, may be published in an upcoming issue of Cool Cleveland at our discretion.

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

On Cool Cleveland (See Yr Turn Not Cool Cleveland here) I wholeheartedly agree with the person who sent the critique about your photos featuring attractive white women surrounding a white man. A coworker and I have been constantly amazed by the same thing. Every week we’re like, surprise!, more “pretty” white people. I think it’s important to think about why these are the photos that have made it into your newsletter so often. Also, I think it’s good that you included that reader’s feedback in this week’s edition.
from Cool Cleveland reader Kristen Schmidt makethemomentATyahoo.com

On Wal-Mart (See Wal-Mart’s first unionized store in Cleveland? here and Yr Turn On Wal-Mart here) Let Wal-Mart come — just don’t shop there. I hate Wal-Mart as much as any Union person and absolutely refuse to shop there. But I live in this neighborhood — just a few blocks from the proposed steelyard commons — and I see how Wal-Mart could really benefit the people who actually live here. First, our local grocery store, TOPS on Clark Avenue just shut their doors last month. A majority of the people in this area are poor or elderly and cannot easily afford transportation to other grocery locations. Secondly, it would give the many people in this area who are desperately looking for employment an opportunity to work somewhere better than fast food chains — which is truly a poverty job. Finally, this area would gratefully welcome the tax money it would bring.
from Cool Cleveland reader Julia Briggs atstarmailATaol.com

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Top 5
Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Which American dialect do you speak? Take this test to figure out your linguistic profile; it’s amazingly accurate.
http://www.BlogThings.com/amenglishdialecttest
2) RoldoLINK Roldo points out that the Mayor and the Plain Dealer are falling all over themselves to sell somebody’s development as a “neighborhood”.
www.CoolCleveland.com
3) Cleveland’s building boom Joe Frolick’s list of opportunities for mayoral candidates to wear a hard hat.
www.Cleveland.com
4) Cool Cleveland Interview: Scot Rourke Our interview with the president of OneCleveland.
www.CoolCleveland.com
5) Summer plans for NC Harbor Looks like families are interested in activities at our North Coast Harbor.
www.Cleveland.com

Hard Corps thanks With their frenetic weekly contributions, they deliver abundant events, critical reviews and cultural content with aplomb, thanks to Tisha Nemeth-Loomis, Andy Birol, Roldo Bartimole, Linda Eisenstein, Carlo Wolff, TL Champion, George Nemeth, Roxanne Ravenal and everyone who partners with us. Want to contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Download the Cool Cleveland podcast each week at http://www.CoolCleveland.com. Click on the Cool Cleveland Blog here. Read the Cool Cleveland column each month in Cleveland Magazine here. Listen to Cool Cleveland on WCLV-FM 104.9 twice each Friday during drive time. See the Cool Cleveland TV Update on WKYC NBC TV by clicking here. Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com, and your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com. For your copy of the free weekly Cool Cleveland e-zine, go to http://www.CoolCleveland.com and forward this e-mail to a friend by clicking your “Forward” button.

If you could choose anything for Cleveland,
what would you curate?

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com

all contents ©2005 MulreadyGROUP all rights reserved

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