Fri 5/23 @ 6pm
Sat 5/24 @ 7pm
UPDATE: Drawn & Quartered has been moved to the Great Lakes Brewing Company Tasting Room.
This weekend, Loren Naji Studio Gallery hosts its first events since authorities raided the gallery during the opening reception of Undercurrent earlier this month. While there are many issues still being debated among art professionals, community developers and local politicians, this weekend’s events should remind us all of how special (and valuable) our arts community truly is.
On Friday evening, the gallery will host the Summer Issue Launch Party for CAN (Collective Arts Network) Journal. Due to the ongoing nature of Naji’s legal concerns, he and CAN Journal’s editor-in-chief, Michael Gill, have decided to host a dry reception in the gallery. It will also serve as a closing reception for Undercurrent, the exhibition that was raided during its opening reception earlier this month – featuring work by Ron Copeland, Steve Ehret and Bob Peck. In the wake of the raid earlier this month, galleries all over the city from Tremont to 78th Street Studios have decided to stop serving alcohol at their events.
“I’m honestly really surprised to see both Tremont’s galleries and 78th Street Studios buckle like this, due to one person with nothing better to do than complain,” says Peck. “In my opinion, by doing this, you’re saying ‘You win. We don’t object’ and are forfeiting what you’ve had as the norm this whole time. I understand that there’s a gray area here and that you have concerns. As artists and creatives, we take risks. We would be nowhere without them. The risk here is a relatively simple one. Carry on uninterrupted with business as usual. Harassment may happen, but I can guarantee you, solidarity will prevail over this type of nonsense.
“We live in a city that has real crimes to be dealt with. Drug dealers, shootings and robberies. Often, within minutes of these venues. Let’s put that back into perspective, and expose the real threats of this city. Run out the artists, musicians and anyone else who’s afraid to express themselves and what do you have left? This goes for restaurateurs and any small business that doesn’t fit into the cookie cutter template of product and clientele that is being scrutinized. We can keep this city moving forward and becoming a progressive, mid-western hub, but we need to stand tall and stand together.”
In recent conversations, Naji expressed similar concerns regarding his gallery’s alcohol policy. He’s in a very difficult position right now — having to balance his ethics with obeying the law. After discussing the many factors with him, it is clear that there is no “right answer.” He’s proverbially “damned if he does; damned if he doesn’t.” It’s not a very enviable position to be in. As of right now, he’s the only gallery owner in town facing legal repercussions for the standard practice of giving away beer and wine at a gallery reception.
“I have to deal with legitimate issues that don’t get this kind of attention,” says Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman in an article regarding the Undercurrent raid written by CAN’s Michael Gill for the upcoming Summer Issue (featuring cover art by Undercurrent artist Steve Ehret). The issue will feature a number of other interesting articles – including Fred Bidwell’s response to last issue’s extremely well-articulated argument for resurrecting the Cleveland Museum of Art’s May Show by local, noted art historian Henry Adams (and Steven Litt’s follow-up).
In this quarterly issue, Adams discusses Cleveland native and Monument Man James Rorimer, and Douglas Max Utter offers an insider’s perspective of the judging of the Cleveland Arts Prize. The issue features even more articles, previews and listings for art events throughout the region. The best part is that it’s FREE! Pick up a copy at any of the participating institutions (see website for complete list).
Saturday night, the gallery hosts Drawn & Quartered VI – a life drawing competition featuring collectives of artists from all over the region. This year Naji will be joining a new group, The West Side Markers, to compete against Dr. Sketchy Cleveland, The Pretentious Tremont Artists of the Literary Café, the Northern Ohio Illustrator Society (NOIS) and The Murray Hill Life Drawing Group. The five groups will compete against each other (and the clock) by drawing live models in the gallery. You might just have the opportunity to participate as a model during one of the sessions.
If you’ve never been to Drawn & Quartered, imagine art as a spectator sport. The gallery will be filled with dozens of talented artists drawing the same subject from unique perspectives with individual styles. Seeing so many interpretations of the same subject matter may inspire you to see your world from a new point-of-view. It’s unlike anything else you’ll experience in town. With such a large, diverse group of artists, you’re sure to find a “favorite” to cheer for.
Prizes for the artists will be provided by Carol & John’s Comics, and the event is MC’d by poet and educator Michael Salinger. Councilman Cimperman has offered to obtain a permit through a nonprofit in order to provide alcoholic refreshments to the guests on Saturday evening. As of yet, that permit has not been confirmed.
“We now live in a unique city in this great United States,” says Naji sarcastically. “We should be proud to be the only city that will not serve wine or beer at gallery receptions! What an embarrassment! Can you imagine what other forward thinking cities think of this? New York, Chicago…Pittsburgh.
“This issue stems from a few short-sighted knuckleheads that don’t realize the importance of the arts and the community. They are busy pointing out cracks in the sidewalk rather than enjoying the landscape or planting flowers. Well this weekend I am hosting 2 events where I will be happily surrounded by forward-thinking, exciting, intelligent people.
“Friday night will be the launch party for CAN Journal, a visual arts magazine that our city CAN be proud of. In conjunction with that we will celebrate the art and artists with the closing of the Undercurrent show! We will present another art form…music! With The Gentleman of Leisure, a very cool Cleveland band!
“The following night we will celebrate drawing meets entertainment with a fun/talent-filled evening – Drawn & Quartered! If all goes well, Joe Cimperman will pull through and have an alcohol permit to add to the enjoyment and celebration. Art, music, culture, fun, community, collaboration, excitement. This is what makes a great city. This is what Cleveland should be about!”
Indeed, this weekend is sure to be a celebration of art and community. However, there are still a number of questions as we move forward. We still don’t have a justifiable explanation for the unnecessarily aggressive actions of the authorities. We have no reassurance that this sort of thing will not happen again in the future. No one has offered a viable, sustainable solution to the legality of this traditional gallery practice. There are plenty of things worth celebrating this weekend, but a successful resolution is not one of them.
Both events are FREE and open to the public. Stop by Loren Naji’s gallery this weekend to show your support for the many artists and organizations involved in the events.
Josh Usmani is a 27 year old local artist, curator and writer. Since 2008, his work has been featured in over 50 local and regional exhibitions.