CLEVELAND (April 27, 2017) – This summer, Cuyahoga County residents and visitors to Public Square in downtown Cleveland will be able to enjoy a variety of free arts and culture events thanks to
Arts & Culture in the Square, a program to bring additional programming to downtown Cleveland’s outdoor Public Square. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) will support nine new projects in
Public Square with funding from
National Endowment for the Arts and
Group Plan Commission, and in partnership with
LAND studio. Arts & Culture in the Square will take place from May to August 2017 and programs and events will be free and open to the public.
“Arts & Culture in the Square is bringing additional public dollars to our community to help enliven one of Cleveland’s newly redesigned public spaces,” said CAC’s CEO + Executive Director Karen Gahl-Mills. “We’re proud to support artists and small to mid-size organizations that may not usually have the opportunity to share their work with Cuyahoga County residents in this vibrant public setting."
“As the heart of downtown Cleveland, Public Square is the perfect setting to connect our community to new arts and culture experiences,” said Sanaa Julien, CEO of Programming & Operations at Public Square. “Through Group Plan Commission, we’re proud to invest in Arts & Culture in the Square to bring residents and visitors to our recently renovated and inviting public park.”
”Through Arts & Culture in the Square, CAC will invest $100,000 to help bring new ideas to life and connect residents to programs in Public Square. Selected projects and events include:
- Brendan Trewella: “Common Threads” is a participatory, large-scale art installation that utilizes a series of circular shapes with wooden pegs outlining the shape.
- Cleveland Opera Theater: “Opera for All” is a free summer concert series.
- Daniel Gray-Kontar: “Poetry for the People” will share slam poetry with residents by hosting three mock poetry slams.
- Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center: “Fiesta Latina at the Square” is a lively and colorful one day event with music and hands-on activities.
- Karamu House: “An Evening of Jazz and Blues” will feature live music.
- Lake Erie Ink: “Story Building in the Square” will inspire and engage folks in the act of "building" stories using giant word blocks.
- Literary Cleveland: “Crossing Borders: Immigrant Narratives” is a free staged reading of original work by local writers on the theme of immigration.
- Pandora Robertson: “Incendiaries in the Square” is a performance based on the 1966 Hough uprising. Cleveland history is brought to life by actors, a post-show discussion and workshop.
- Roots of American Music: “Rust Belt Roots: A Family Day of Music” will feature musical entertainers and teaching artists.
A committee of local residents reviewed and recommended project ideas based on their feasibility and potential to enliven Public Square. The committee included: Cavana Faithwalker (Left Thumbprint Solutions), Jason Estremera (Hispanic Business Center, Trunk Collective), James Jones (East End Neighborhood House), Sanaa Julien (Group Plan Commission), Kamla Lewis (City of Shaker Heights), Garry Regan (Grove Programming at Mayfield Village), and Nora Romanoff (LAND studio).
Arts & Culture in the Square events will take place from May to August 2017. All events will be free, open to the public, and listed on CAC’s events calendar,
ClevelandArtsEvents.com. Cuyahoga County residents and visitors are encouraged to attend.
For additional information about Arts & Culture in the Square visit
cacgrants.org/square or call 216-515-8303.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) is one of the largest public funders for arts and culture in the nation, helping hundreds of organizations in Cuyahoga County connect millions of people to cultural experiences each year. Since 2007, CAC has invested $158 million in more than 300 organizations both large and small, making our community a more vibrant place to live, work and play. For more information, visit cacgrants.org. #####