Alumni members Julian Ellins (l.) and Renee Blackburn of The Lakewood Project acknowledge audience applause during a Tenth Anniversary Concert held May 25 at the Civic Auditorium. Past and current members of the celebrated Lakwood High School rock orchestra performed onstage together for the one-night only event under the direction of LHS music educator Beth Hankins.
The Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory and Educational Foundation is pleased to present its latest art exhibition, Circle Works: artwork by Amanda Degener, Bridget O’Malley, James Kleiner, and Cave Paper Interns.
The exhibition is on view from June 14-July 25, with an opening reception with artist Amanda Degener scheduled for Friday, June 14, from 7-9 p.m. An exclusive preview for all members of the Morgan will be hosted by Amanda Degener on June 14 from 6-7 p.m., prior to the public opening reception. Become a member and take advantage of this one-on-one opportunity!
As co-founders of Cave Paper Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Amanda Degener and Bridget O’Malley have been working side by side making and selling handmade paper for almost twenty years. In 2012, former intern James Kleiner joined the Cave family as the first studio assistant. The artists’ aesthetic differences enhance their work collectively as they each approach papermaking and art making in unique ways. The handmade paper artwork in Circle Works is often quite un-paper-like and instead evokes rusted metal, stone, leather and vellum.
On Friday, May 24th the Virgina Marti College of Art & Design celebrated the great work of its students at the Annual Student Art Exhibit. Each spring this student showcase features the talents of students from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from fashion design to interior design to graphic design.
As usual, the highlight of the evening's event was the presentation of the Lakewood Arts Festival Scholarship. This year's $500 award went to graphic design major Jessica Sheneman and was presented by Lakewood Arts Festival Foundation board member Karolyn Isenhart.
While the work on display from all of the students was excellent, Jessica's project outside the classroom setting, serving as the graphic designer for the Virginia Marti College Foundation's "Great Women Entrepreneurs" event set her scholarship application apart. Her role with this event was particularly fitting given Jessica's own ambitions to open her own graphic design firm- she is a budding young female entrepreneur herself!
Beck Center for the Arts invites its neighbors and the community to attend BeckFest, a free family-friendly event on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the Beck Center campus. Participants will enjoy art activities, cycling themed artwork, Zumba, yoga, food trucks, and stunt cycling performances by 216Bike; as well as musical entertainment on the Red Stage featuring Jerry Popiel, Chris Hatton, Fireside, The Madison Crawl, and Revolution Brass Band.
Cycling enthusiasts may also ride in the second annual Bike for Beck, a fundraiser to benefit the arts education programs at Beck Center. Cyclists choose from 12-, 15- or 60-mile routes through the scenic Cleveland Metroparks with snack and water stops along the way. Rider registration and the bike tour begin at 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at Beck Center. A $40 registration fee includes a Bike for Beck t-shirt and rider packet. For more information visit bikeforbeck.org.
Beck Center for the Arts proudly presents "The Pitmen Painters," May 31 through July 7, 2013 in the intimate Studio Theater. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are now on sale.
Written by Tony Award-winning author Lee Hall, "The Pitmen Painters" is inspired by a book by William Feaver about the Ashington Group, a group of Northern England coal miners who took an art appreciation class and became overnight art-world sensations. Like Hall’s acclaimed film and musical Billy Elliot, this script tells another inspiring story about the way the arts can change lives and examines the lives a group of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Heralded in London’s West End and on Broadway, "The Pitmen Painters“ was described by Variety as "a feel-good, make that a feel-great hit…inspirational…heartbreakingly funny.” For more information about the Ashington Group, visit http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html.
My name is Ken Tomaro, and I am the owner of the newly-opened Good Day Moon Gallery. The original idea was to open as a non-profit art gallery to help support people with mental illness. Anyone who has started a non-profit knows this is no easy task.
I decided to open as a regular business with the intent of offering inexpensive classes in the future, not only for people dealing with mental illness, but with cancer or Alzheimer's, or for anyone who wants to participate.
I have discovered over the years that there are a lot of people in the community who need some kind of outlet in dealing with the issues life throws at us. Creating art, in my opinion, is a good way to do this. While it may not cure disease or fix all of your problems, it does allow you to immerse yourself in the creative process, which can greatly improve your mood. A healthy mind is a happy mind.
Beck Center Youth Theater presents the Broadway hit musical comedy, "Bye Bye Birdie," May 10-12 and 17-19, 2013 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays with a special student matinee performance 10 a.m. Thursday, May 16. Tickets are now on sale at beckcenter.org.
Winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, "Bye Bye Birdie" is one of the most memorable musicals of our time. A satire on American society in 1958, this musical is set in the fictional small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Conrad Birdie, an Elvis-inspired rock 'n' roll singer, has been drafted into the army. As a final farewell to his fans, the teen heartthrob is scheduled to sing a song ("One Last Kiss") and kiss his most devoted female fan live on the Ed Sullivan Show – a last publicity stunt that sends his fans going wild.
Individuals of all ages and abilities can discover their inner artist this summer at Beck Center. Our camps and classes offer a variety of opportunities to experience the arts. Students learn new skills and build self-esteem as they create unique works of art, develop new friendships, discover hidden talents, stimulate their imaginations, and, most importantly, have fun!
We offer half-day and full-day camps for children ages 7 to 19 in dance, music, theater, and visual arts including a Ballet Intensive with guest instructor Bobby Wesner from Oberlin College, a “Best of Broadway” Musical Theater Camp, a Visual Arts Camp designed specifically for teen artists; as well as two new music camps – Songwriting Camp and Show Choir Camp. Children may also sample all four areas at our Arts Sampler. Camps begin the week of June 10 and continue through mid-August.
Parker Pennington Productions is proud to announce Skate Dance Dream Cleveland presented by the Hampton Inn Cleveland-Westlake. The dance and figure skating show spectacular will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Serpentini Arena at Winterhurst in Lakewood, Ohio.
The event will showcase 2014 Olympic figure skating hopefuls and the best dancers in the World including: 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Men’s Silver Medalist & World Team member, Richard Dornbush; 2012 Junior Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist, Hannah Miller; and U.S. Figure Skating Men’s Competitor, Sean Rabbitt. Also starring Gev Manoukian, Season 4 Top 10 Finalist from Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” *Star cast is subject to change. Joining the Stars will be over 100 of the best local dancers and figure skaters, including The Dance Centre by Heidi Glynias and the Winterhurst Learn-to-skate program.
Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to have been selected as the recipient of the 2013 Storefront Incubator Program by the Tremont West Development Corporation. Starting May 14, Beck Center will begin using a storefront located at 2406 Professor Avenue to offer a series of adult arts education classes in visual arts and improvisational theater. A grand opening reception will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 10, to coincide with the May Tremont ArtWalk.
On March 27th, at Lakewood Civic Auditorium, the 8th grade bands from Lakewood's Harding and Garfield Middle Schools were joined by the Lakewood High School Wind Ensemble for an evening of beautiful music.
Robert Rice, a former Lakewood Schools music director and WWII veteran, was invited to conduct the combined groups in "The American Veterans Last Salute March." This march had first been performed at Garfield School several years ago.
Be on the lookout for one-of-a-kind hand-decorated bikes all around Lakewood as part of Bike Your Art Out, an art installation publicizing Connect to Beck’s second annual Bike for Beck bicycle tour on Sunday, May 19, 2013. With over a hundred riders and several hundred more attendees at Beck Fest following last year’s bicycle tour, the inaugural event was a tremendous success. This year, C2B hopes to build on last year’s accomplishments and offer even more activities, art displays, food, music, and other cycling-related fun.
Registration is now open for Bike for Beck. The cost is $40 per cyclist and includes a B4B t-shirt and rider packet. Riders may register online at bikeforbeck.org. All proceeds benefit the quality arts education programs at Beck Center for the Arts.
The Women’s Board of Beck Center invites the community to play A Game of Musical Chairs. WB/BC volunteers have been busy for months refinishing and intricately hand-painting gently used chairs, stools and a children’s desk as part of their Painted Furniture Project fundraiser. These unique creations are now on display around town during the month of April and will be raffled off at the Women’s Board Victorian Tea Party on Sunday, May 5 at Beck Center for the Arts. All raffle proceeds benefit Beck Center’s quality theater productions and arts education programs.
The ladies are making a game of it! Chairs are currently moving around between 20 different area businesses throughout the month like a game of musical chairs. Raffle tickets are $5 each or six for $25 and may be purchased at these participating locations:
Children aren’t the only ones who can learn something new and have fun doing it at Beck Center for the Arts. With a variety of arts education offerings for students 18 and up, big “kids” can also enjoy dance, music, theater, and visual arts classes – including a few drop-in classes where adults can test the waters and their skills. Now is the perfect time to try out a class in theater or visual arts with two drop-in classes: Life Drawing and Adult Improv Games. Classes started the week of April 8, but students can drop in any time during the five- or eight-week session. No advance registration is necessary – just show up ready to create!
Children aren’t the only ones who can learn something new and have fun doing it at Beck Center for the Arts. With a variety of arts education offerings for students 18 and up, big “kids” can also enjoy dance, music, theater, and visual arts classes – including a few drop-in classes where adults can test the waters and their skills. Now is the perfect time to try out a class in theater or visual arts with two drop-in classes: Life Drawing and Adult Improv Games. Both classes begin the week of April 8, but students can drop in any time during the five-week improv or eight-week life drawing sessions. No advance registration is necessary – just show up ready to create!
Creative Camps for Kids!
Spring is in the air, but it’s time to start thinking summer! Registration is now open for summer camps at Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. Students ages 7 to 19 may choose from a variety of fun, creative camps. Beck Center offers half- and full-day camps in dance, music, theater, and visual arts including a Ballet Intensive with guest instructor Bobby Wesner from Oberlin College, a Show Choir Camp, a “Best of Broadway” Musical Theater Camp, and a Visual Arts Camp specifically designed for teen artists; or children may sample all four areas at an Arts Sampler. Camps begin the week of June 10 and continue through mid-August. For complete camp information including dates, descriptions and tuition, parents may download a Beck Center summer 2013 camp flyer at beckcenter.org.
Easy, convenient online registration is available at beckcenter.org/arts-education or stop by Beck Center at 17801 Detroit Avenue, where a customer service associate is happy to assist you. Camps fill up quickly, so enroll today. Campers can have double the fun when they register for two ore more camps and save 10% off the tuition for each camp (restrictions apply). For more information call Customer Service at 216.521.2540, ext.10.
American musical theatre is brimming with “feel-good musicals” but The Beck Center (in partnership with Baldwin-Wallace University’s Music Theatre program) has made the bold move of presenting what The New York Times called “the feel-everything musical.” It’s "Next to Normal" - a story about family dysfunction and mental illness in a (next to) normal suburban family. But it’s more than that, and this production proves it - it’s also about love and loss, confrontation and denial. There’s no way to hide from emotions in the roller coaster ride of this story, and in The Beck’s production in particular, the intimacy and immediacy of the experience may stun you in every way.
There’s no place for an actor to hide either, in this small performance space, and this ensemble deals with the subject matter with subtlety, nuance and depth. Their natural deftness is a perfect match with Victoria Bussert’s smart direction that both intensifies the finer points of these family relationships and highlights the hugeness of a fractured and off-balance world. If you loved her work in last season’s totally explosive "Spring Awakening" at the Beck, you won’t be let down by this latest piece.
Beck Center for the Arts presents John Guare’s award-winning play, "The House of Blue Leaves," March 22 through April 21, 2013 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. There is no performance on Sunday, March 31. Tickets are now on sale.
Winner of the 1971 Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play and the Obie Award for Best American Play, "The House of Blue Leaves" tells the story of Artie Shaughnessy, an aspiring songwriter who works as a zookeeper by day, performs in seedy lounges at night and lives in Queens with his schizophrenic wife, Bananas, much to the chagrin of his mistress, Bunny. When an old school buddy, now a successful Hollywood movie director, arrives back in town, Artie plans to escape the life he despises. But like many dreams, this promise of glory evaporates amid the chaos of ordinary lives.
Directed by Russ Borski, "The House of Blue Leaves" features Equity actors Robert Ellis as Artie and Juliette Regnier as his mentally ill wife, Bananas. “I am thrilled to direct this zany farce,” remarked Borski, “that explores the dark side of the American dream, the humiliation of our dreams, and examines our collective obsession with celebrity and how we pin our hopes on lives distant from our own.” Broadway.com called "The House of Blue Leaves" a "crazy mix of comedy and tragedy, truth and absurdity," and the New York Daily News said it is “a brilliant play…wacky…and outrageous.”
Beck Center Dance Education proudly presents the light-hearted comedic ballet, Coppelia, March 16 and 17, 2013 featuring the Beck Center Dance Workshop and select dancers. Performances are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16 and 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, March 17 in the Recital Hall of the Music-Armory Building at Beck Center for the Arts. Tickets are now on sale and seating is limited.
Coppelia tells the story of Doctor Coppelius, a slightly mad inventor who has made a life-size dancing doll named Coppelia. Franz, a village boy, sees Coppelia sitting on the doctor’s balcony and falls deeply in love with her, even though he is already betrothed to Swanhilda. When Swanhilda sees Franz throwing kisses at Coppelia she decides to find out more about the mysterious beauty. After Swanhilda discovers Coppelia is only a doll, she impersonates her, in order to win the love of Franz. Doctor Coppelius returns and chaos ensues. Set in a small European village hundreds of years ago, the ballet contains favorite European dances such as the mazurka, czardas and valse (waltz). This condensed version of the classic comic ballet is suitable for audiences of all ages, including young children.
After last season's highly acclaimed Spring Awakening,Beck Center for the Arts partners once again with the Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre program to present three-time Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical, Next to Normal, March 1 through April 21, 2013 in the intimate Studio Theater. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. There are no performances on Sundays, March 31 or April 14. Tickets are now on sale.
The popularity of the Ukulele has exploded in the last few years. It’s an instrument that has gained popularity from songs sung by Train, Jason Mraz, Pink, Glee’s Mathew Morrison and the list goes on. Ukulele orchestras are huge in the UK! Google ukulele orchestras and you’ll be amazed at what you see and hear. Its popularity is bigger in Europe than it is in the United States. Vendors are telling music stores that they are waiting on backorders because Europe is supplied first since their demand for ukuleles is greater than in the US.
Here are a few excerpts from an interview with Jonathan Kronenberger, associate director of Theater Education at Beck Center and director of the Teen Theater production of Avenue Q: School Edition, on the Mackey Main Stage through February 17.
Do you think fans of the original Avenue Q will enjoy the “School Edition”? Why?
A. Yes. Because it is still a really funny and touching show. Because what the authors have created is greater than simply giggling at a puppet swearing profusely and acting profane.
Because although taking out the more blatant moments may alter some comical moments a bit, the show most certainly is not de-fanged. There’s plenty of bite left. And we aren’t dumb. We don’t need everything spelled out. This is simply like watching a movie on network television where a few moments are adjusted to make it viewable to a wider audience. Don’t panic. The full version of Q still exists in the world.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture invites residents of Cuyahoga County to help decide which two large-scale arts or culture projects will receive up to $150,000 each through its new Creative Culture Grants program.
Cast your vote now at www.cacgrants.org/vote!
“We launched this program to both bring new, creative projects to our community and to let our community have a say in which projects would receive public funds,” said Karen Gahl-Mills, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s executive director. “The six finalist projects embody the great creativity of our region’s arts and culture organizations and artists, and we encourage all county residents to get involved in the public vote.”
Residents in Cuyahoga County may vote from February 1-20, in two ways:
February may be the shortest month according to the calendar, but with Northeast Ohio’s wet, wintery weather it sometimes seems like the month may never end. Add a little color and excitement to the dreary days ahead, stop by Beck Center for the Arts and enjoy a music recital or a variety of art exhibits throughout the month. The recital and exhibits are free and open to the public and complimentary on-site parking is available. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.
There’s still time to browse the “Color Lessons” exhibit by award-winning artist Mary Deutschman in the Jean Bulicek Galleria before it closes February 10. Deutschman’s colorful oil paintings include jazz musicians, cafes, markets, and vibrant landscapes. “Painting became my obsession. Not just painting but using color, lots of it,” explained Deutschman. “I saw vibrant color everywhere and where I didn’t see it I imagined it.” Ms. Deutschman is well known for her jazz paintings which have been featured on posters for the annual Tri-C JazzFest.
All of the laughs and life lessons of the Broadway hit musical, but a little less lewdness.
Beck Center Teen Theater presents the regional premiere of Avenue Q: School Edition, Feb. 8-10 and 14-17, on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, with a special student matinee performance 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. Tickets are now on sale.
Based on Avenue Q, the 2004 Tony Award “Triple Crown” winner for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, this laugh-out-loud musical adaptation tells the story of Princeton, a recent college grad who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. Princeton and his not-so-ordinary neighbors struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life. Just like your life, only funnier! This slightly censored version of the Broadway hit musical comedy is rated PG-13 and not recommended for children 12 and under. All of the laughs and life lessons but a little less lewdness – and, of course, the puppets!
A group of eight talented dancers from Beck Center for the Art’s Dance Education program traveled to Chicago January 18 through 20 to participate in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the world’s largest student ballet competition, and proudly came home with top honors.
Beck Center is pleased to announce that the dancers’ ensemble performance entitled “Phantom of the Opera” ranked in the Top 12 for ensembles. The group included Ali Cassidy, Bethany Comienski, Taylor Gerrasch, Julia Horner, Ciara McGlynn, Julia Parrish, Abby Schneider, and Becky Steffen. Beck Center dancers competed against students from such acclaimed ballet schools as The Joffrey Academy of Dance (the official school of the Joffrey Ballet), Interlochen Arts Academy, and Milwaukee Ballet School.
In addition, Julia Horner, 17, who has studied dance at Beck Center since age seven, placed in the Top 12 in the women’s solo category for both her contemporary performance entitled “Revel in the Moment” and her classical piece, a variation from “The Talisman”. This is the first time a Beck Center solo dancer has been awarded this prestigious prize. Ms. Horner has attended the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Detroit and received a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet Intensive in New York City last summer. She plans to continue her dance studies in college next year, and has been offered a dance scholarship to Mercyhurst University, which offers one of the nation’s top ballet programs.
the good goat gallery presents, "Happy Valentine's Day, Jerk!," a fun art opening depicting a humorous look on the pits of love. There will be fine art and jewelry for the loved/unloved, broken hearted & humorous spirit.
Art opening is February 9th with the artists' reception from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Fun Fine Artwork by: A. Nancy Cintron, Ana Luisa Sanchez, Anomaly, Darrelle Centuori, Julie Simon, Knight, Linda Zolten Wood, Lindsay Parker, Saffron, Rafael Valdivieso and Victoria Stanbridge
Jewelry by: Brock Winans, Francine Ruth, Jennifer Worden, Jill Winans, Kelly Bilyeu, Ramona Pacheco, Suzy Q & Sally Too.
Music Cds by: Russell Swallow and the Wolf, Doug Wood.
This winter, beat the blues, get out of the house and join us at Beck Center for the Arts for some creative fun! Learn a new skill, develop a hidden talent and make lifelong friends. We offer more than 200 award-winning classes, lessons and programs for all ages and abilities in dance, music, theater, and visual arts. From early childhood to teen classes and adult courses, there is something for everyone this semester at Beck Center. If you or a family member has always wanted to learn how to act, dance, draw, paint, or play an instrument, now is the perfect time to give it a try.
Creative learning is fun but also provides valuable tools for students to develop academically. According to Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, “Involvement in the arts is associated with thinking, problem-solving, concept understanding, information processing, and overall intelligence.” Lifelong learners of all ages will enjoy stimulating their creativity and imagination through an arts education experience at Beck Center.
Local artist Debra Purcell has received a Special Recognition Award for artwork in the "10th Annual Color: Bold/Subtle Juried Online International Art Exhibition" hosted by Upstream People Gallery. This international exhibition received approximately 225 art entries from around the world. Forty-three artists were selected by the juror Laurence Bradshaw, Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Professor Bradshaw states this about this specially recognized work: "Debra Denise Purcell of Lakewood, Ohio has a wonderful sense of detail and pattern. Her acrylic painting 'Lakewood Painted' is delightful with a amazing arrangement of the city and water."
The exhibition will be featured online during starting in December, 2012 at www.upstreampeoplegallery.com and continuing indefinitely in the archives section of the website.
Debra is a self-taught artist working primarily in acrylics. Inspired by Mexican folk art, she has learned a new color alphabet with images for water, trees, and flowers that repeat themselves. "This is all a very overwhelming experience for me," Debra says. "It's a totally different career path... I'm having so much fun and it's beyond my imagination..."
Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to welcome Jason Weiner as its new Director of Development, effective immediately.
“I’m thrilled to join the team at Beck Center. It’s a privilege to serve one of Northeast Ohio’s major arts organizations and to contribute to the economic vitality of Lakewood, my home community,” said Weiner. “I look forward to being a part of the continued growth and impact of this respected cultural institution.”
Weiner comes to Beck Center with ten years of experience in fundraising, communications, project management, marketing, and community outreach for nonprofit organizations. In his most recent role as Director of Development at University Settlement, an organization that provides social services to residents of Cleveland’s Broadway/Slavic Village neighborhood, he was responsible for staff supervision, board relations, budgetary oversight, and strategic planning, as well as all agency fundraising.
Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to host an art exhibition and concert by celebrated artist Jing Jing Luo on Friday, January 11, 2013 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Jean Bulicek Galleria. This event is free and open to the public, but guests are asked to RSVP online at Art-2-You.com. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available.
A native of Beijing, Luo is a visual artist of calligraphy and ink brush painting. She was self-taught, but later studied under many of the great Chinese artists. Most of her unique ink brush calligraphy art uses one stroke of ink or paint on handcrafted parchment or Japanese rice paper. This use of one stroke, or “Zen” stroke, is a centuries old technique in China and Japan. Her artwork has been exhibited at numerous art galleries and in many private homes.
Fused Art Glass will now be available at Grand River Beads and Gifts, located at 19361 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio. Eva Sherman, owner of Grand River, is excited about the addition of Deby’s Designs and Delphi Glass.
Deby Romaniw, a long time glass instructor at Grand River Beads, is now the only authorized Delphi dealer in this area! Delphi Glass is a large art glass supplier located in Michigan and Deby has been a customer for many years. “Being able to purchase glass locally is great news for our local artisans,” comments Deby. “I look forward to continuing to instruct new/past students with some of my ideas and designs.”
Lakewood's largest holiday art and craft event has been expanded. The Last Minute Market has been delighting visitors for the past four years, but the people wanted more. Cleveland Handmade, the collective of artists and craftspeople, has added another floor to the already large event.
"People loved the event, but they wanted more to see, and to choose from," said Eileen Segura, marketing director for the Cleveland Handmade Markets. "We had about 70 sellers last year, but we were able to work with the building management to add space for 110 this year."
The event is also adding services for visitors like a free photobooth from Blue Button Photo Booth, free gift wrap from the Citizens Committee for the Lakewood Animal Shelter, and a free coat and parcel check courtesy of Western & Southern Financial.
For the second year in a row, Lakewood resident Emily Flood won first place in her high school’s Shakespeare Monologue Competition, held on November 27, 2012.
The Shakespeare Monologue Competition (SMC) is a national program sponsored by the English-Speaking Union in order to promote greater student awareness of and interest in Shakespeare. It begins at participating high schools; school champions then compete regionally, and regional champions vie for the national championship. At the school level, each contestant performs a soliloquy from a Shakespeare play, and is judged on understanding, expression, and vocal and physical presentation.
For nearly 80 years, Beck Center has been offering area residents the opportunity to discover their creativity and experience the arts. For the fourth consecutive year, Beck Center for the Arts has been selected Best of the West in Dance Instruction and Theater Instruction by WestShore live well magazine. Hundreds of readers voted for the best places to eat, shop and have fun on the West Side. After the final votes were tallied, Beck Center once again came out on top in dance and theater education.
Tease Hair + Body Parlor kicks off the holiday season during Light Up Lakewood with a festive reception featuring the work of local artist Brooke Figer, on Saturday, December 1.
Figer, who has worked as a graphic designer, sculptor, painter and mural artist, will show selections of her latest work during the reception beginning at 6 p.m.
“I enjoy doing portrait work and have been most recently inspired by the organic and colorful shapes of otherwise ordinary fruits and vegetables,” she said.
The reception coincides with Lakewood’s annual lighting ceremony and holiday kickoff on Detroit Ave. Lakewood’s festivities starts with a parade at 5:30 p.m.
Tease Hair + Body Parlor is located in the heart of Lakewood, 15112 Detroit Ave. Refreshments will be served and the event is free. For information, call the parlor, 216-228-2440.
Beck Center Youth Theater presents Going Medieval: A Ye Olde Comedie, an original comedy written and directed by resident playwright Rachel Spence, in the Studio Theater December 14-16 and 21-23, 2012. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are now on sale. Seating in the Studio Theater is limited and tickets for youth holiday shows sell quickly.
Shopping for that perfect gift for someone special? Look no further, stop by Beck Center 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 8 as the center hosts its second annual Beck the Halls!, a unique holiday boutique featuring original artwork by local artists and artisans. Select from a variety of media. Artists will display and sell their wares, including beautiful handmade jewelry, ornaments, original photography, pottery, and watercolors, in Beck Center’s main lobby. Buy unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for that special someone on your list and support the arts in our community. Shop local this year and avoid the crowded malls and big box stores. Admission is free and convenient and onsite parking is available.
While parents shop, children can explore their creativity at Super Saturdays at Beck Center – a free monthly arts experience for children ages 1 to 8. Super Saturdays take place 9 to 11:30 a.m. and include special art activities in collaboration with Beck Center’s community partners. On December 8, children can create a holiday-themed craft with Usborne Books. Super Saturdays are sponsored through the generous support of the Lakewood Arts Festival Association.
The Dance Alliance of Beck Center invites children and their parents (and grandparents) to a Holiday Tea Party on December 1 and 2, 2012 in the Recital Hall of the Music-Armory Building at Beck Center. Guests will enjoy entertainment by the Beck Center Dance Workshop as select dancers perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, The Nutcracker.
There are two preview performances on Saturday, December 1 at 4 and 7 p.m. which include complimentary beverages and desserts. High tea will be served at two seatings on Sunday, December 2 at 1 and 4 p.m. including sandwiches, baked goods, tea, punch and an encore Nutcracker performance. Tickets for the Saturday preview performances are $8 per person; Sunday seatings are $12 per person and $10 for children 11 and under (accompanied by an adult). Reserved seating is limited and tickets are selling fast.
My name is Anthony Scaravilli, I am a Lakewood resident and artist/owner of Scaravilli Design and Studio Gallery on Madison Ave. I have recently filled the walls of a thousand square-foot storefront space at 6604 Detroit Ave., donated to me by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization in the Gordon Square Arts District. I have placed over 500 plus framed and unframed fine art prints of my photo art images on the walls. These images include over 40 years of my artwork.
My portfolio of work includes all of Western Europe, including mostly Italy (150 villages where the Cleveland Italians immigrants were born), Ireland, France. I have traveled extensively throughout the USA and have been documenting Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods for many years. Currently, I am polishing up several composites of Lakewood that should be ready by the beginning of December.
With the Holidays only a few weeks away it’s time to start thinking about those last minute gifts.
Garfield Middle School PTSA will help people get those last minute gifts during the First Annual Holiday Craft Show, 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday, December 8th. The Craft Show will be held in the Garfield Middle School gymnasium, 13114 Detroit Ave.
Garfield Middle School would like to help bring holiday shopping closer to home for our school community. The idea is to provide a place for local crafters and local home business owners to sell within their own community for a great cause! The table fees and all proceeds from food sales will go towards field trips, school supplies, and educational enhancements for the students of Garfield Middle School.
Hinged to Highland Avenue is a dynamic staging ground for 21st Century Lakewood's snake land of economic development and shamanic arts. The East End of Lakewood is a portal to the otherworld communitas of tribal occasion. Buried at the Phantasy Theatre is the not so dark secret of Jake the Snake’s 2008 meltdown at the Firestorm Pro Wrestling fiasco. Ghost Busters and Goths were quick lay claim to the city’s haunted East End doorway, still hot on the heels of Jake the Snake’s failure to emerge in a new skin at Firestorm,. Today though, from biker entrainments at Rawhide Cycle & Leather to fruity Columbian refreshments at Helvetica, from ammo art at Galaxy to Somali immigrant dreams of New World resurrection at an apartment complex called “the Snake Pit,” the East End is an astonishingly serpentine launching pad to soul in the city.
Indeed there is a hint of shamanic journey in the very title of the Jane Jacobs urban planning classic—The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961). While death and rebirth are the markers in shamanic journey, the dream of economic development is to be grasped, more concretely, as the struggle over capital accumulation and control of resources needed to sustain humane circuits of exchange and imagination in the city. Yet with the building of each dollar store comes the feeling that high weirdness inside Lakewood storefronts is slipping away. To read about “Main Street’s Landlord” in The New York Times (September 29, 2012), moreover, is to get the dispossessed sense that high weirdness in Lakewood’s storefronts is doomed to Bert Stratton’s dream of monopoly rent on Detroit Avenue.
The sun will come out tomorrow at Beck Center for the Arts when their Professional Theater presents one of the world's best-loved musicals, ANNIE, December 7, 2012 through January 6, 2013 on the Mackey Main Stage. Annie is the touching story of a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents who abandoned her on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Hannigan's evil schemes and finds a new home in the mansion of billionaire Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks.
Beck Center Dance Education presents A Journey with Clara to the Land of the Sweets on Sunday, November 18 in the Recital Hall of Beck Center’s Music-Armory Building. This dance workshop offers 90 magical minutes of fantasy fun for children ages 4 to 8 years.
The magical story of The Nutcracker comes to life for young children as they see, hear and join Clara on a journey to the Land of the Sweets. Students listen to the story, watch portions of the story unfold before them in dance, and learn simple movement and dance steps from Beck Center dancers. The workshop concludes with an opportunity for photos with their favorite Nutcracker characters.
Southern Florida College professor Arthur Pranno (c.) conducts the Northeast Ohio Regional Orchestra during its Nov. 4 performance at Cleveland State University. Several Lakewood High School students performed with the orchestra, including Cooper Brown, Devon Caskey, Moira Horn, Kendall King, Chelsea Polk, Tayler Schnear, Jimmy Toner, Danny Toner, Irina Vatamanu and Nora Varcho.
This year marks the 5th Annual Screw Factory Artists’ Open Studio. In 2008, ceramicist and new tenant Gina DeSantis began organizing two yearly events. A year later, tenant Kathy Patton of Cleveland Handmade brought the Last Minute Market to the building, solidifying the former factory as one of the biggest shopping and art exhibition destinations in the Cleveland area. This one-day event will showcase the work of over 30 resident artists and 20 visiting artists, plus local vendors including the Sweet Spot and the Fired Up Taco Truck.
Open studio exhibitions are held three times throughout the year (the first Saturdays of November and May and the Last Minute Market on the Saturday before Christmas, December 15th). The 5th Annual Open Studio will be held on Saturday, November 3rd from noon to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Get the jump on holiday shopping while supporting local artists and businesses. The artists in the building represent a broad range of media including (but not limited to) glass, ceramics, sculpture, fiber arts, mixed media, painting and printmaking.
Get a jump start on your holiday shopping this year! Beck Center for the Arts is hosting its second annual Beck the Halls! event, a unique holiday boutique featuring original artwork by local artists and artisans, on Saturdays November 3 and December 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artists will display and sell their wares, including beautiful handmade jewelry, ornaments, original photography, pottery, and watercolors, in Beck Center’s main lobby. Buy unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for that special someone on your list and support the arts in our community. Shop local this year and avoid the crowded malls and big box stores. Admission is free and convenient and onsite parking is available.
While you shop, your children can explore their creativity at Super Saturdays at Beck Center--a free monthly arts experience for children ages 1 to 8. Super Saturdays take place 9 to 11:30 a.m. and include special art activities in collaboration with Beck Center’s community partners. On November 3, Cleveland Botanical Garden brings the arts from the garden while Beck Center staff share the fun of drumming at Hear & Touch the Music (more details below). Then on December 8, children can create a holiday-themed craft with Usborne Books. Super Saturdays are sponsored through the generous support of the Lakewood Arts Festival Association.
The leaves are changing and the calendar tells us that fall is officially here, but it’s not too late to register for the fall semester of visual arts classes at Beck Center. The second session of VA classes begins the week of November 5. Budding artists can choose from a variety of classes and workshops for all ages and artistic abilities. From Kids-N-Art for preschoolers, to after-school workshops for elementary students, to Life Drawing for teens and adults.
Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to present Making Pictures, an exhibition by Olwen O’Herlihy Dowling on display October 19 through November 19 in the Jean Bulicek Galleria at Beck Center. Guests are invited to attend an artist’s reception on Friday, October 19 from 6 to 9 pm to meet Ms. Dowling and discuss her work. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. For gallery hours, call Beck Center Customer Services at 216.521.2540, ext. 10. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available.
Beck Center Youth Theater presents Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Our Town, November 1 through 4, 2012 on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is a 10 a.m. student matinee on Thursday, November 1. Tickets are now on sale.
A new alternative to craft fairs, art shows, and gallery exhibitions is popping up in Lakewood. Inspired by the abundance of talented jewelry designers in the Cleveland area and the public's love for unique, handmade pieces of wearable art, the Pinned & Pined For event is the jewelry hound's dream come true. Forty jewelry-makers (in a wide range of styles, materials, and techniques) will present their work at this four-day show, which kicks off with an opening reception party on Thursday, October 18th.
Tease Hair + Body Parlor will host a book-signing for “Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology,” October 25 from 6 - 9 p.m.
“Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology” is a collection of essays by the region’s best-known authors about life and culture of Cleveland and the revitalization of Rust Belt cities.
Edited by Richey Piiparinen, an urban researcher at Case Western Reserve, and Anne Trubek, a professor at Oberlin College, "Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology," provides an inside-out snapshot of the city, containing contributions by established authors such as Connie Schultz and Michael Ruhlman as well as 47 others.
Local visual artists Garie Waltzer and Randall Tiedman are featured and profiled. Rust Belt Chic tells stories about failure (mills closing), conflict (Harvey Pekar's constant grousing), growth (a thriving Iraqi immigrant community) and renewal (moving away only to, finally, return home). Put together, these stories create a new narrative about Cleveland that incorporates but deepens and widens the familiar tropes of manufacturing, stadiums and comebacks.
Beck Center Dance Education presents two dance master classes in October. The first will be led by Kapila Palihawadana, artistic director of nATANDA Dance Theatre of Sri Lanka on Thursday, October 4 from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in the Recital Hall of Beck Center’s Music-Armory Building.
This master class includes a warm-up session, yoga exercises and exploration of rhythmic moves and improvisation. Dance experience is preferred. There is no charge for this class but students must register by emailing Melanie Szucs, Beck Center’s Associate Director of Dance Education, at mszucs@beckcenter.org, including the student’s name and contact information, with "Master Class" in the subject line.
Kapila Palihawadana is in residence with Inlet Dance Theatre through November as part of the Cleveland Foundation’s Creative Fusion International Artist Residency Program. He studied traditional dancing in his native country of Sri Lanka, was the principal male dancer of the Channa Upuli Performing Art School and has toured India and Germany. As a choreographer, Kapila creates an innovative dance style blending traditional dance elements with western dance techniques. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kelaniya, is one of the principal dancers of Oosha Garten Ensemble and has performed as a Kandyan and modern dancer.
Beck Center for the Arts presents the smart, satirical comedy The Little Dog Laughed, Oct. 5 through Nov. 11, in the Studio Theater. There is no performance on Saturday, Nov. 10. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are now on sale.
Directed by Scott Plate, The Little Dog Laughed features equity actors Laura Perrotta as the tough-as-nails Hollywood agent Diane and Phil Carroll as Mitchell Green, her closeted movie star client. “The Little Dog Laughed takes a sharp, humorous look at what happens to you when we live too fast in a world where image is everything,” said Plate. “How do we reconcile what we think the world expects from us with what our heart really wants?”
Start off your family’s weekend creatively with Super Saturdays @ Beck Center. Each month Beck Center offers a free hands-on arts experience for children ages 8 and under. Children and their parents may enjoy these special activities provided by Beck Center in collaboration with various community partners. Super Saturdays take place 9:00 to 11:30 am in Beck Center’s Main Building on select Saturdays each month, October through May. Specific dates and activities are listed below.
Lakewood Senior Health Campus’ assisted and independent living residents unveiled their latest creation! They transformed a large ugly cement retaining wall into a beautiful life-size nature scene using mosaic tiles made of wood squares. The wall was an unattractive eyesore for residents when they opened the blinds in one of their activity rooms. But after a lot of hard work, they get to see a sunny mountain lake view every day. The men prepped and primed the wood squares, then they were each hand-painted by residents to fit together like puzzle pieces. The project was coordinated by the facility’s activity director, Margaret Anderson and CherylAnn Meredith, private duty aide and volunteer. Special thanks to CherylAnn’s husband for mounting the mural and to all the residents who spent their time and talents creating this special work of art! The Mural was unveiled on August 17, 2012.
To celebrate Hispanic Cultural Heritage Month, Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to present the Hispanic Art, Hispanic Heritage exhibit on display September 14 through October 14, 2012 in the Jean Bulicek Galleria. Discover the beauty of Hispanic culture through the eyes of 13 Hispanic artists from Northeast Ohio in artwork demonstrating their brilliant use of color, materials and expression. Guests can meet the artists from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at an Opening Receptionin Daniels Lounge while enjoying the sights, tastes and sounds of Hispanic culture. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
The Hispanic Art, Hispanic Heritage exhibition features the unique works of the following area artists: Augusto Bordelios, Bruno Casiano, Hector Castellanos, Maria Dejesus Paz, Gabriel Gonzalez, Angelica Pozo, Maria Pujana, Alejandro Rivera, Dante Rodriquez, Bess Rodriquez Richard, Will Sanchez, Jose Vasquez, and Hector Vega. “By showing the works of local Hispanic artists during this year's Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration,” commented Beck Center Board member Maria Pujana, “Beck Center is helping viewers to read the biography of each artist through his or her present work, and allowing them to speculate on the artist's future works.”
Beck Center for the Arts proudly presents the AIDS Taskforce’s production of CLUE: The Musical at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27 on the Mackey Main Stage. Based on the classic board game by Parker Brothers, this benefit production features many favorite performers from the Cleveland theater community. Tickets are now on sale. All proceeds benefit the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.
Directed by Curt Arnold with musical direction by Butch Marshall and choreography by Allison Butler, CLUE: The Musical includes a comic cast of well-known area actors including Tricia Bestic, Brian Bowers, Patrick Ciamacco, Amiee Collier, Dan Folino, Dana Hart, Jonathan Kronenberger, and Rachel Spence. Music Director Butch Marshall leads band members Gregory Cross (percussion), Vicki Hamm (cello) and Tim Keo (bass) in playing the show’s many toe-tapping tunes.
Beck Center for the Arts kicks off its 2012/2013 Professional Theater season with the first locally produced production of Xanadu, the award-winning Broadway hit musical based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Xanadu runs on the Mackey Main Stage Sept. 14 through Oct. 14. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are now on sale.
Visitors at the 35th annual Lakewood Arts Festival last Saturday enjoyed music, entertainment and visual arts demonstrations by talented Beck Center faculty and friends including clay throwing on a potter’s wheel, a drop-in drum circle, international music, and improv comedy by Something Dada improvisational comedy troupe. The arts center also provided a free children's craft and other visual arts activities for festival goers. Beck Center instructors were on hand to demonstrate life drawing and print making - just two of the many visual arts classes offered at Beck Center for the Arts.