After all the hard work (on all sides), it’s nice to live in a Democracy where we can look back after an election and say: the People have spoken. But with Issues 1 and 2 passing by convincing margins statewide, and given that Ohio had been trending red, one also has to feel that a backlash is taking hold, that a momentum is building, all of which has tremendous implications for the key 2024 election cycle. It’s too soon to call Ohio a swing state again, but statewide elections transcend gerrymandering, and it does feel that the People are turning out to let their voice be heard. From Cleveland City Council to the Ohio Legislature, this election shows just how out of touch our politicians are from the constituents they are sworn to serve.Ready to move on?
Maybe take in a drag show/sausage-making class at Saucisson, or Akron Soul Train’s presentation of Consider This Your Trigger Warning by Cleveland poet/visual artist Raja Belle Freeman, or maybe a Secret Movie Night at the Grog Shop, or the members show & sale, with refreshments and entertainment, as the Parma Art Center celebrates their move to a new location.Get ahead of things by staying active politically so you’re ready for next spring’s primary season and next fall’s big election. The Lorain Palace will melt down with reggae; the Cleveland Comedy Festival will stay hilarious for four whole days; the Rock Solid Fundraiser will benefit the nonprofit Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future; and finally, 10 years after the initial idea, the Vietnamese Cultural Garden dedicates a new nine-foot white marble statue as the latest gem in the crown of our Cultural Gardens.
And get this: with less than a week’s notice, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has scheduled a much-needed public session to help explain how they fund the arts. We are planning to be there, as we have lots of questions, and we hope you can attend as well. Get it on.
This holiday season, treat yourself to an after-hours visit to the Museum! From November 24 through December 29, the Museum will keep the lights on every Friday night until 8PM.
Take part in the highlight of the evening: The Dark Side of the Moon! Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd’s iconic album with an immersive experience in the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium.
Each Friday evening will also include Eclipse Fever, an educational planetarium program; 3D movies; access to the newly opened Visitor Hall; and guided walks through the Perkins Wildlife Center, weather permitting. Read more.
You’ve probably read a lot about the Greater Cleveland Music Census, which aims to poll people working in the music community about their perceptions and needs in order to address them and grow the area’s music scene.It’s based on a survey that started in Austin and it’s funded by the Cleveland Foundation. If you work in music to NE Ohio you can take the survey between Wed 11/8 and Fri 12/1.
“The core questions are the same across each of the cities, so we will be able to compare apples to apples, but we will also be able to measure the total number of responses relative to other cities,” Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson, one of the leaders of the initiative, told CoolCleveland. “We added a couple of Cleveland-specific questions asking whether folks think there is a need for a music commission, and if so, how folks would prioritize what areas they would like to see a music commission focus.”Read more.
Every November the CWRU Department of Dance produces a concert featuring faculty and guest artists. This year three major 20th-century artists are represented in Cave of the Heart, Martha Graham’s treatment of the myth of Jason and Medea with a set by Isamu Noguchi and a commissioned score by Samuel Barber. Dance writers Victor Lucas and Elsa Johnson spoke with key members of the creative team.
In the interviews, they talk about the challenges involved in pacing and transporting the legendary set pieces, and reconstructing the distinctive costumes. They also spoke with visiting associate professor Richard Oaxaca, who dances the role of Jason in this retelling of the ancient Greek story. He shares his take on Graham’s approach to women’s and men’s roles in her dances. Read more.
There’s a new perk to membership at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. As long as you’re a member, you can get 15% off truffles at Lakewood’s Sweet Designs Chocolatier. And Sweet Designs is right in the spirit of things, offering chocolate “dinosaur eggs” with gummy dinos and mini dino Jelly Bean eggs inside.Read more.
The Cleveland Photo Fest is starting to host year-round events, instead of just a one-shot festival. It’s just announced a new show, Cleveland in the Streets, opening next January at the Tri-C East Gallery. Anyone can submit their best street-style shots, now though December 15. Read more.
Taking place Tue 11/14 through Sat 12/30 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Wild Winter Lights presented by NOPEC features more than one million lights across holiday-themed areas including Enchanted Forest and Santa’s Workshop, where guests can take photos with Santa Claus.
For the first time ever, two dynamic musical light shows will be featured including an enchanting 50-foot tree as well as a show directly on Waterfowl Lake. Experience this year’s event on foot or in a personal vehicle on select dates at the Wild Winter Lights Drive Through Experience presented by Serpentini Chevrolet. Read more.
MON 11/13 Yuk It Up Start the week on a positive note at Make Em Laugh Monday at the Grog Shop with a half dozen local comedians to put you in a good mood.
Ten years ago this past February Clevelander Gia Hoa Ryan, a native of Vietnam, and Cleveland lawyer Joe Meissner, a Vietnam War Veteran, met with the City of Cleveland to discuss adding a Vietnamese Cultural Garden to the 35 or more nationality themed gardens along Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Now, ten years after that planning session, and three years after the official dedication, the Cleveland Vietnamese Cultural Garden marked a significant milestone. On Friday November 3, Gia Hoa’s dream came true with the installation of a statue of a young Vietnamese woman named Mother Vietnam. Read more.
