Cleveland's A Slum

The evening of November 14th is shaping up and going to be a blast. Most importantly is the All Things Cleveland show @ Asterisk Gallery. Already preparations for the show are having some funny speed bumps. You may have seen the Cleveland - logo in anticipation for this group show, well, from the gallery owner:

"for now please use the ' Cleveland's a Slum' logo or any of the images that I have attached for the press release if you forward the info. I received a cease and desist letter from The Greater Cleveland partnership/CLE+ lawyer on Monday, stating I must immediatley discontinue using the CLE- mark. I contacted a friend that happens to be a corporate copyright lawyer downtown and he is going to take care of it. There is a parody defense that I am protected under as well as other free speech issues. So please use the plum image for now until I have this resolved by mid-week."

Classic. Especially considering the first line in the press release:

"If you cannot laugh at yourself, you cannot laugh at all. Just think of the overwhelming cabbage smell of grandma’s house, the Big Chuck and Little John show on a black and white television with tinfoil on the antenna, etc. The work exhibited is produced solely by Cleveland artists to emit that bleak perspective of a Clevelander. This exhibition will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The object was to produce an exhibition that promotes a self deprecating view of Cleveland by Clevelanders. The work must represent or depict Cleveland in some way, shape, or form. Think more of a less positive Harvey Pekarian viewpoint, burnt perogies, , 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 opening reception will be complete with a live polka style performance covering all the great Cleveland inspired hits like – Bernie, Bernie, Cleveland Rocks, The Heart of Rock n Roll, etc. Sauerkraut and kielbasa will be available and will be slow cooked overnight to give the gallery that special sensory smell we are all accustomed to being from Cleveland. Opening Reception - Friday, Nov 14th., 6-10pm. Show runs through Dec. 6th"

If that wasn't enough, later in the evening after 10pm, head over to Now That's Class for the Pink Eye Magazine issue 2 release party and cheap-ass art sale. Located at 11213 Detroit Ave. bands playing will be Hot Cha Cha, Mystery of Two, Dimeras + Artist Flea Market! There will be quality art donated by incredible local artists. All work is available for under $20! It is $5 at the door. This is a fundraiser to help cover the magazine print costs, this is DIY baby.

More September Shindigs

Saturday, September 6th: The good folks over at The Lit are getting down with "Writers & Their Friends", a literary showcase honoring and celebrating the award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and newly emerging literary artists who live and work in Northeast Ohio. Ten jury-selected works are woven into one unique dramatic (and often comic) script that is performed to a sold-out audience one night only...and you can be a part of it! @ The Ohio Theater at Playhouse Square.
7pm - Pre-performance Reception, Hors d'oeuvres and Cash Bar, Browsing Book Sale
8pm - Live Performance in the Ohio Theatre
10pm - Post-performance Reception, Dessert and Cash Bar, Meet the Featured Writers and Cast, Browsing Book Sale. Call The Lit at 216-694-0000 or visit www.thelit.org Tix are $25

Friday, September 12th: There's a big ole group show reception @ Vision Art Gallery, with Amy Casey, Keith Marlowe, and guess what, I'm in it! I mean, that's reason enough for you to come isn't it? And holy crap -- looky what Pink Eye wrote about www.pinkeyemag.com. Guess they cut out the part about me being "freaking hilarious", but its true, I am funny. Well actually I use humour to mask my insecurity, body issues, and alcoholism. Ha! Just kidding, I'm not alcoholic -- I'm festive. I seriously never understood painters like Francis Bacon who could get pissed drunk and paint; any paintings I ever did drunk just looked like exactly what it was, a girl who drank too much Johnny Walker Black and scribbled lines in-between falling over furniture and drunk dialing people.

Friday, September 19th: "Shiner Number Two" is the second comic anthology release from John G., Kevin Fagan, and George McDougall, also featuring Paul Sydorenko, Andy MacDonald, M.L. Wagner, Paul Rogers, Para Celsus, as well as cover art by Ryan Jaenke. This self-published, 30-plus page zine showcases eclectic works by the close-knit group of writers and illustrators. Highlights include McDougall's autobiographical stories of war, John G.'s fictional "Clevelyn" and more. This premier event will also include on-spot illustrations by the creators and original artworks used for publication. Opening reception 7-10 pm @ Artchitecture Gallery.

Yep.

Painterly Paintings

Cleveland Institute of Art graduate, Craig Kucia, does what I sometimes call, the "Laura Owens effect". Not that she was the first to do brightly colored child-like paintings where the paint is laid on extremely thick (my former Dean at CalArts seems to think so for some reason) but just that when she became an "it" thing in the art world I have a feeling art schools around the country started pushing students into that direction as it seemed a profitable trend. Dana Schutz is another example -- a Cleveland graduate too. Anyways, Craig is one of the few that takes this approach, but does it well, as most paintings I've seen in this style I find boring or just contrived in a sloppy way. Craig will be having a solo show starting June 16th at Shaheen Gallery
I'm assuming the reception will be on Friday the 20th, contact the gallery for more info.


One of my favorite Cleveland artists, Thomas Froniti, has been up to quite a bit the past year. A trip to Hong Kong in the Fall of 2007 has been a big influence in his latest body of work, and he has done a series based on Ohio birds. You can email him about pricing and studio visits: thomas@thomasfrontini.com