A Celebration of Art in the Offing
Plotting Out Cle's Art Festival Circuit
Two rows of white tents paraded down the middle of Detroit Road for blocks during the Lakewood Arts Festival last summer. Adjacent local businesses took advantage of the crowds and pulled merchandise out onto the sidewalk. There was a carnival feel in the air, with people pushing strollers, stopping for lunch at Melt or Chipotle, and sipping wines on Rozi’s outdoor patio. People who knew each other stopped to talk and catch up. Artists explained how they developed their film, the way designs were created with horse hair on pottery, and the story behind the water color of a lighthouse on the Maine coast. People connected with stories and artistic technique, or they simply browsed to find unique pieces for their homes, from birdhouses to painted salad bowls. Attending an art festival is a lively and creative experience -- and something quintessentially Cleveland during our brightest weather months. Artists get great exposure as they pass out business cards and take orders. Business spills over into nearby stores. People connect. We learn to appreciate artistic technique. You can experience all of this and more in my list of art festivals (which misses church bazaars and craft shows supporting worthy causes). These events are no-cost and open to the public unless otherwise noted:
June 7-8 - Art in the Village: A juried art show and music lighten the moods of shoppers at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst. http://www.legacy-village.com.
June 7-8 - Art by the Falls: A juried international art show, children’s activities, music, and entertainment wander along the river at Riverside Park in Chagrin Falls. This is one of the top 25 art festivals in the United States and includes a taste of local restaurant fare and live entertainment. and Sunday of June. http://www.valleyartcenter.org.
Mid-June - Murray Hill Art Walk:' Private and public studios open their doors to the public to explore photography, sculpture, textile art, glassware, mobiles and wall art. In addition to the shops along Mayfield and Murray Hill, the three floors of artists’ studios in the Murray Hill School will participate. http://www.murrayhillartwalk.com.
June 14 – Parade the Circle: International and national guest articles join Greater Cleveland artists, schools and community groups for spectacular display of bright costumes, giant puppets, stilt-dancers, handmade masks and color floats, while the Village features activities, entertainment and food presented by University Circle, Inc. http://www.clevelandart.org/educef/parade/html.
June 14-15 - Fine Art Fair: at Crocker Park, this show features ceramics, glass, paintings, jewelry, and photography. Click.
June 21 - Clifton Arts & Music Fest: music, arts, crafts, food, and childrens’ activities meander along Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood between W. 112th and W. 117th streets. Click.
Weekends of June 27 and July 3 - Boston Mills Artfest: A juried art show with music and food, on Riverview Road, Peninsula. There will be different artists each of the two weekends. The event brings people in from all over the country, and it's not very expensive. Click.
June 28 - Larchmere Flea Market & Festival: with arts and crafts, on Larchmere between N. Moreland and East 121st street. http://www.larchmere.com.
July 11 – 13 - Festival of the Arts: St. John West Shore Hospital’s annual event serves a hearty helping of music, food, entertainment, arts, crafts, and juried art shows. http://www.sjws.net/festival-arts.
July 11-13 - Cain Park Arts Festival: This juried art show features speeches, poetry and fireworks, and is located in Cleveland Heights on Superior between Lee and South Taylor. Much more than an art festival, it’s an “arts” festival with an “s.” http://www.cainpark.com.
Mid-July until Labor Day - NEO Show: sponsored by the Cleveland Museum of Art, this annual juried event features artists from northeast Ohio. The art is displayed at the Museum of Art, with works on paper, sculpture, media painters, photography, textiles, film, video and web-based interactive arts. http://www.clevelandart.org.
July 17-18 - Chagrin Falls Annual Art Walk: with exhibitions, food, arts, and crafts, and entertainment, along North Main, Bell, East Orange, and West Orange Streets in Chagrin Falls. http://www.chagrinfalls.net/ArtWalk/artwalk.htm.
July 25-27 - Ingenuity Festival: Innovation and creativity abound in the festival village where techno art, dance, life music, visual and performance arts compete with food and people-watching. http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com.
July 26-27 - Akron Arts Expo: at Hardesty Park, 1615 W. Market Street in Akron, this event captures over 165 artists, an interactive children’s area, family entertainment and food. http://www.akronperforms.com.
August 2 – Lakewood Arts Festival: on Detroit between Belle and Elmwood. Like many of these shows, there’s lots of jewelry and serving dishes. http://www.lakewoodartsfest.org/index.htm.
August 3 - Chardon Square Arts Festival: Juried show is enhanced by food and entertainment. Click.
August 2-3 - Nature Arts Festival: arts and crafts in the West Woods, 9465 Kinsman Road, Russell/Newbury Townships, Geauga County. Click.
August 13 - Medina Affair on the Square: general crafts gain appeal amidst this historic downtown backdrop. Food and entertainment make the scene as well. http://www.affaironthesquare.com.
August 23-24 - Art on the Green in Hudson: held on the Green in downtown Hudson amidst Western Reserve architecture. Attracts thousands of visitors. Click.
Last Three Weekends in September – Yankee Peddler Festival: art is displayed in the woods and fields of a pioneer village that rambles over a hug campground. Fires burn, costumed hosts parade, and the food includes corn-on-the-cob and pulled pork sandwiches. http://www.yankeepeddlerfestival.com.
September 13-14 - Village Peddler Festival: old-fashioned outdoor festival of Revolutionary-war time food, folk music, and crafts at Lake Metroparks Farm Park. http://www.villagepeddlerfestival.com.
September 14 - Berea Arts Festival: an art raffle, a chalk walk, and a family art park are unusual features the 18th annual Arts Fest at Coe Lake. Entertainment is provided by an assortment ranging from the Baldwin Wallace Marching Bad to the Trash Talkers. Click.
Even when we get back home, art festivals leave a trace. I see the art bought at art festivals all around my house—a collection of pottery parades across the sofa table, a photograph of the Chagrin River hands above the family room couch, and a gold-framed modern art painting hangs in the upstairs foyer. I still remember the artist who sold me that painting in Tremont. The woman who made a horsehair vase explained how the black markings are made with heated horsehair.
The art tells a story. The stories and the art, and the people behind the art stay with me.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Claudia J. Taller ctallerwritesATwowway.com
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