All Things Cleveland @ Asterisk Gallery 11/14 This past Friday evening marked the opening of yet another insightful show at Dana L. Depew's Asterisk Gallery on Professor Avenue in Tremont. All Things Cleveland, curated by Depew, features the work of 37 regional artists who examine a topic near and dear to the hearts of many Clevelanders, insecurity. The dark clouds of the current financial crisis were looming, but had not yet burst open when Depew put out a call to area artists this past summer to submit work that examines our relationship with this city, this economy, and this place that some of us reluctantly call home. Now that the rest of the world is trying to find shelter from the economic storm, Cleveland seems to be used to the rain, even if we have to occasionally share an umbrella.
A commonality shared by the multiplicity of styles, mediums, and subjects in the exhibition is a self-conscious view of our city that, while occasionally being celebratory, is, more often than not, simply ironic. A drawing by Cleveland Institute of Art alumna Amy Casey features a new R.T.A. Euclid Corridor Project bus perilously traversing a bent and battered bridge in the sky, presumably the Innerbelt, over a sea of discarded orange construction barrels. Construction barrels can also be observed in a downstairs gallery in an installation by Joe Ayala. This features a triptych of orange impediments to speedy travel as well as an appropriately awkward arrangement of cones on the floor with yellow caution tape strung between them that direct patrons through the gallery. As the opening night progressed and more people populated the small room a traffic jam developed.
Paul Sydorenko’s short film New York is an Attitude was shot at a previous Asterisk opening and features dozens of art scene denizens buzzing about an impressive new painting by an artist of unusual talent. A talent that was perceived to be unusual for Cleveland at any rate since the unnamed artist was, in fact, from New York.
“That is some of the best work I have seen in a long time.”
“You know the artist is actually from New York?”
“Oh! That explains it.”
The majority of the people in the film enjoyed their pseudo-intellectual superiority while sipping from miniscule glasses of Champagne. A platter of those same small flutes of domestic bubbly was made available for consumption to those viewing the film.
I want to make it clear that I did not find the message of All Things Cleveland to be negative. The art in this exceptional exhibition was created by Clevelanders who have earned the right to poke fun at our history, our local “celebrities”, and our economic malaise. The future of this city depends on people willing to buck the attitude that says, “The good get out.” There exists an attitude pervasive among many of us that fosters an inferiority complex about the home team. Cleveland is not New York or Los Angeles and it never will be, nor should it be a goal to become like them. We have outstanding artistic talent in this city that does not have to apologize for anything.
All Things Cleveland curated by Dana L. Depew
Show runs through Saturday, December 6th, 2008, hours by appointment. Call 330-304-8528 for details. http://www.asteriskgallery.com
Featuring the work of: Joe Ayala, Zachary Hart Baker, Josh Banaszak, Matt Bartel, Amy Casey, Bruno Casiano, Jeffry Chiplis, Cleveland SGS, Munroe Copper, Pedro Dell, Eileen Dorsey, Stephe DK, Bridget Ginley, John Howitt, James Hurley, Beth Kappa, Mark Keffer, Ryan Jaenke, Noel Maitand, Jerry Mann, Sam Mazzola, Doug Meyer, James Miles, Lou Muenz, Frank Oblak, Scott Pickering, Arabella Proffer, Donald Rogers, Thom Rossino, John Ryan, Anna Tararova, Jess Samuelson, Dott Schneider, Debra Sheperd, Paul Sdorenko, RA Washington, and Chris Zahner.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Daniel G. Neforos danielneforosATgmail.com
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
BENEFIT for local Collinwood artist, JOAN DEVENEY
BENEFIT for local Collinwood artist, JOAN DEVENEY
aka Joan of Art – OLDE HOME NIGHT @ THE BEACHLAND TAVERN, Sunday, December 21, 2008.
Joan was involved in a serious car accident in October, breaking 5 ribs and fracturing her hip. Since her release from the hospital, she has had to rehab away from her home, as going up and down stairs is problematic.
To help her to defray medical and other expenses, a short auction will be held during the festivities, featuring a number of Joan’s stained glass pieces, custom made jewelry by Margo Maimone King and a 50/50 raffle, whereby ½ of the money will go to Joan and the other 50% will go to the lucky winner!
The entertainment lineup includes Home and Garden, featuring Scott Krauss and Tony Maimone, Jamie Klimek & Paul Marrotta, California Speedbag, The Kidney Brothers and readings by Mike DeCapite.
Invite all your friends and come down, enjoy the great local talent and support a really worthy cause.
Donation fee of $5.00 –Doors open at 6:00 P.M.
aka Joan of Art – OLDE HOME NIGHT @ THE BEACHLAND TAVERN, Sunday, December 21, 2008.
Joan was involved in a serious car accident in October, breaking 5 ribs and fracturing her hip. Since her release from the hospital, she has had to rehab away from her home, as going up and down stairs is problematic.
To help her to defray medical and other expenses, a short auction will be held during the festivities, featuring a number of Joan’s stained glass pieces, custom made jewelry by Margo Maimone King and a 50/50 raffle, whereby ½ of the money will go to Joan and the other 50% will go to the lucky winner!
The entertainment lineup includes Home and Garden, featuring Scott Krauss and Tony Maimone, Jamie Klimek & Paul Marrotta, California Speedbag, The Kidney Brothers and readings by Mike DeCapite.
Invite all your friends and come down, enjoy the great local talent and support a really worthy cause.
Donation fee of $5.00 –Doors open at 6:00 P.M.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Contact: Hannah Verbeuren
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2008
TWISTED INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HOLIDAYS at LOW LIFE GALLERY
Cleveland, OH November 20, 2008:
The holidays aren’t always the happiest time of year!
Nestled within a seemingly festive family ritual burrows the buckle of an anxious stomach or the pop of frustrated knuckles. Therefore, in both holiday merriment and perplexity, Low Life Gallery is kicking off the holiday season with a collection of artists who have put a magnifying glass to the otherwise obscure holiday sentiment.
In the name of our profound love/hate relationship with the season, observe an endearingly twisted group show that bears a warped rendition of the classic American holiday.
Featured artists include but are not limited to:
Amanda Davidson
Chris Kulscar
Ed Boyle
Hannah Verbeuren
Gabriel Van Horn
K. Stewart
Kerry Lange
MalPractice U.J.
Mik Mackey
Low Life Gallery
16001 Waterloo Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
Opening Reception
Friday, November 28th, 2008
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Hannah Verbeuren and Kerry Lange recently curated “Crying Polyester Peckers” their first show in a series of shows that include multiple artists attacking a common theme from their own idiosyncratic perspective.
Kerry and Hannah have started a different approach to independent art shows by setting up shows that keep their work and subject matter fresh and contemporary. “We want to keep ourselves and our audience interested or inspired” says Hannah, “by choosing one topic, then creating the art around that theme, we initiate a challenge for ourselves and the artists we chose to work with. For us, this formula is more stimulating than simply compiling a regurgitation of our past work.”
"Crying Polyester Peckers" opened to an encouraging crowd of 100 plus art lovers/Clevelanders and took sightseers on a journey into the unconventional world of John Waters.
# # # #
Hannah Verbeuren Photography
http://web.mac.com/hannah138
http://hannahverbeurenphotography.blogspot.com
Kerry Lange
http://kerrylangeoffbeatart.blogspot.com
Low Life Gallery
http://www.myspace.com/lowlifecleveland
Die Crawling Media
www.diecrawlingmedia.com
www.myspace.com/diecrawling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2008
TWISTED INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HOLIDAYS at LOW LIFE GALLERY
Cleveland, OH November 20, 2008:
The holidays aren’t always the happiest time of year!
Nestled within a seemingly festive family ritual burrows the buckle of an anxious stomach or the pop of frustrated knuckles. Therefore, in both holiday merriment and perplexity, Low Life Gallery is kicking off the holiday season with a collection of artists who have put a magnifying glass to the otherwise obscure holiday sentiment.
In the name of our profound love/hate relationship with the season, observe an endearingly twisted group show that bears a warped rendition of the classic American holiday.
Featured artists include but are not limited to:
Amanda Davidson
Chris Kulscar
Ed Boyle
Hannah Verbeuren
Gabriel Van Horn
K. Stewart
Kerry Lange
MalPractice U.J.
Mik Mackey
Low Life Gallery
16001 Waterloo Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
Opening Reception
Friday, November 28th, 2008
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Hannah Verbeuren and Kerry Lange recently curated “Crying Polyester Peckers” their first show in a series of shows that include multiple artists attacking a common theme from their own idiosyncratic perspective.
Kerry and Hannah have started a different approach to independent art shows by setting up shows that keep their work and subject matter fresh and contemporary. “We want to keep ourselves and our audience interested or inspired” says Hannah, “by choosing one topic, then creating the art around that theme, we initiate a challenge for ourselves and the artists we chose to work with. For us, this formula is more stimulating than simply compiling a regurgitation of our past work.”
"Crying Polyester Peckers" opened to an encouraging crowd of 100 plus art lovers/Clevelanders and took sightseers on a journey into the unconventional world of John Waters.
# # # #
Hannah Verbeuren Photography
http://web.mac.com/hannah138
http://hannahverbeurenphotography.blogspot.com
Kerry Lange
http://kerrylangeoffbeatart.blogspot.com
Low Life Gallery
http://www.myspace.com/lowlifecleveland
Die Crawling Media
www.diecrawlingmedia.com
www.myspace.com/diecrawling
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Creative laughing:
Creative laughing:
The "All Things Cleveland" exhibit that opened Friday night at the Asterisk Gallery is billed as a "visual roast" of the city highlighting our trademark self-deprecating sense of humor.
But it took awhile for the Cleveland Plus booster campaign to get the joke. The symbol for the show is a clever twist piece on the CLE+ bumper sticker, which is modified to read CLE--. A lawyer from the Greater Cleveland Partnership sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gallery, an "only in Cleveland" move that seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the show.
But now everything's cool.
"Our attorney did send that letter. That's what she does whenever there is a violation," said Cleveland Plus spokesman Rick Batyko. "We had a chance to talk to [owner] Dana (DePew) at the gallery and we think it's a great exhibit."
Which is a plus.
The "All Things Cleveland" exhibit that opened Friday night at the Asterisk Gallery is billed as a "visual roast" of the city highlighting our trademark self-deprecating sense of humor.
But it took awhile for the Cleveland Plus booster campaign to get the joke. The symbol for the show is a clever twist piece on the CLE+ bumper sticker, which is modified to read CLE--. A lawyer from the Greater Cleveland Partnership sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gallery, an "only in Cleveland" move that seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the show.
But now everything's cool.
"Our attorney did send that letter. That's what she does whenever there is a violation," said Cleveland Plus spokesman Rick Batyko. "We had a chance to talk to [owner] Dana (DePew) at the gallery and we think it's a great exhibit."
Which is a plus.
ALL THINGS CLEVELAND
ALL THINGS CLEVELAND
A little sensitive, are we? Asterisk Gallery proprietor Dana Depew conceived a show of self-deprecating humor about Cleveland and branded it with clear parody - a riff on the white oval stickers once used to indicate where a car came from when it crossed some international border. Lately those stickers have been appropriated for every promotional cause under the sun, including the Cleveland Plus campaign, which placed the abbreviation CLE+ in the little white oval. Depew's answer was CLE-, which didn't go over well with the Greater Cleveland Partnership; it sent a cease-and-desist letter to the little Tremont gallery. As a result, Depew has issued a disclaimer, ensuring anyone who might be confused that GCP and Cleveland Plus don't have anything to do with the art show, called All Things Cleveland. Depew assembled approximately 35 artists whose work represents "the continual grief and despair we feel each and every day, the adverse effect our sports teams have on our mental state, our bleak and depressing outlook on life, etc, etc. All the good things." The show opens with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. and continues through December 6. There will be a live polka band (with members dressed as Superhost), sauerkraut and kielbasa, and lukewarm POC beer. Asterisk is at 2392 Professor Ave. in Tremont. Call 330.304.8528 or go to asteriskgallery.com.
A little sensitive, are we? Asterisk Gallery proprietor Dana Depew conceived a show of self-deprecating humor about Cleveland and branded it with clear parody - a riff on the white oval stickers once used to indicate where a car came from when it crossed some international border. Lately those stickers have been appropriated for every promotional cause under the sun, including the Cleveland Plus campaign, which placed the abbreviation CLE+ in the little white oval. Depew's answer was CLE-, which didn't go over well with the Greater Cleveland Partnership; it sent a cease-and-desist letter to the little Tremont gallery. As a result, Depew has issued a disclaimer, ensuring anyone who might be confused that GCP and Cleveland Plus don't have anything to do with the art show, called All Things Cleveland. Depew assembled approximately 35 artists whose work represents "the continual grief and despair we feel each and every day, the adverse effect our sports teams have on our mental state, our bleak and depressing outlook on life, etc, etc. All the good things." The show opens with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. and continues through December 6. There will be a live polka band (with members dressed as Superhost), sauerkraut and kielbasa, and lukewarm POC beer. Asterisk is at 2392 Professor Ave. in Tremont. Call 330.304.8528 or go to asteriskgallery.com.
All Things Cleveland will be on display in Asterisk Gallery
All Things Cleveland will be on display in Asterisk Gallery
by John Petkovic/Plain Dealer reporter Tuesday November 11, 2008, 6:01 PM
Courtesy of Asterisk Galley
CLEVELAND, YOU GOTTA BE TOUGH: That's the message of "All Things Cleveland," an art show opening tonight at Asterisk Gallery in Tremont. It roasts the city and the things associated with it. I've never eaten pierogis. My parents never played polka in the wood-paneled rec room.
Who stole the kishka? Uh, what's a kishka anyway?
And yet I'm a Clevelander. Or am I?
I guess I should go to "All Things Cleveland" to find out for sure. The art exhibition at Asterisk Gallery -- 2393 Professor Ave., in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood -- features artists roasting the city, its associations, stereotypes and psychology.
It's a "nostalgic trip down memory lane," as the show mission states, the show "promotes a self-deprecating view of Cleveland." It also roasts Cleveland pride and chest-thumping, not to mention Clevelanders' sense of defeatism.
Woohoo, let's party hearty!
At 6 tonight, the show opens with a Cleveland-themed party. You, a polka band, people singing "Bernie Bernie," and sauerkraut and kielbasa.
Just gimme a can of P.O.C.
The free show runs through Saturday, Dec. 6. Call 330-304-8528.
CALL FOR ARTISTS - INGENUITY 09
AN OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS TO PARTICIPATE IN INGENUITY 09 WHICH WILL BE HELD JULY 10 -12 TO BE HELD IN THE PLAYHOUSE SQUARE AREA. OPEN TO ALL FORMS OF VISUAL AND PERFORMED ART. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE YOUR TALENT ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND REPRESENT CLEVELAND. FOR QUESTIONS CALL 216-589-9444 OR EMAIL james@ingenuitycleveland.org by Dec. 1, 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)