Look up. For those who have rarely seen such a thing in our recent past, those are construction cranes up in the air. And because of international immigration, both our town and our state are seeing our population rise for the first time in decades. CMNH is upping their open hours for Chill @ CMNH so you can check out the exhibits and partake in a silent disco. Lakewood shops are upping the ante and staying open late with “Sip & Shop” along Detroit Avenue this Thursday. The Tri-C JazzFest is upping the diversity of the music with 10 ticketed shows and 2 days of free stuff with music outside right on the street at E. 14th & Euclid.
It’s up to you: an animation fest at Waterloo Arts, a food truck festival all weekend on Tremont’s Lincoln Park, the Scottish Games & Celtic Festival taking over the fairgrounds, Mulberry Creek Herb Farm hosting a two-day market with food, vendors and cultural performers, and Pride events at Near West Theatre, Cain Park and Wade Oval Wednesday.
But things don’t always go up, as CoolCleveland CULTURATI columnist Liz Maugans points out, suggesting instead that the arts sector, pressured by demographic shifts, political winds, philanthropic trends and economic realities may need to reckon with its own sustainability by pivoting, resetting or even sunsetting their programs. What goes up usually comes back down. Or just evolves.
-Thomas Mulready