Nan’s Neighborhood News: March 26, 2009

ART AFTER SCHOOL

Are your children’s eyes beginning to go square from watching television? Do they let off steam by running screaming round the house? Two days a week, Arts Collinwood can help you. Bring all that energy and potential creativity to the Art Center after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From 3 pm to 6 pm, your kids can learn to draw, sculpt, paint – plus to organize, cooperate and (even) clean up. And they can also learn to hurl themselves about without getting hurt, in a lively dance form called capoeira (developed, it is told, by Brazilian slaves who were secretly keeping in shape, presumably in case an escape opportunity arose). Capoeira is fun to do, fun to watch, and uses a LOT of energy.

Call 216-692-9500 and talk to Sarah or Amy; the program is free to children of qualified families.

ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

The SKETCHBOOK JOURNALING session with Karen Sandstrom was so much fun that we’re thinking of starting a group that would  meet maybe monthly to trade ideas and try out new techniques. Let us know if you’d be interested.

Go to Karen’s gorgeous Web site at http://karensandstrom.blogspot.com to see her work. You’ll probably want to visit every day!

MOMMY AND ME WORKSHOP Thursday April 2, 10-noon: Creative toddler time. Let small people explore and play in our wide open space with others their age. For parents and their children four and under. Free to members!

FAMILY OPEN STUDIO Saturday April 25, 1-3 pm: Come play with clay! Have fun making art with your family in our new community Art Center, and let us clean up the mess. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free to members!

ARTS COLLINWOOD 5TH ANNIVERSARY BASH Saturday, May 16, 6-9 pm: Saturday, May 16, 6-9 pm. Rock the Art Center with live music, free food, prizes and goodies. Our way of saying thanks for helping us come so far in such a short time – we couldn’t have done it without you! Free to members!

CLASSES, TOO

Monday: Jewelry And Stained Glass

Michele Biondo is leading a series of 90-minute sessions in stained glass and jewelry on Monday evenings, 7-8:30 pm, through April 6; $15 a session. This can easily become a potluck party; get your friends organized and call 216-692-9500 to tell them you’re coming.

Thursday: Life Drawing (Free!)

Open sessions in life drawing are being offered on Thursday evenings (7:15-9:30) at the Art Center (15605 Waterloo Road). They took a break last week, because the model wanted to work at the Cleveland Film Festival, but tye’ll be back on Thursday.

ART ON WATERLOO

SEE YOUR WORK ON A GALLERY WALL

Cleveland’s All City Art show, presented in conjunction with the National Arts Program, will open with a free public reception on April 9, 2009 at the Arts Collinwood Gallery.  The city’s popular program, which features art from Cleveland residents of all ages and artistic backgrounds, is in its second year at this North Collinwood venue.  Last year, nearly 200 entries filled the gallery, and this year looks to be even more successful.

All Cleveland residents are invited to submit work by the March 28 deadline, to be considered for valuable cash awards.  Judging takes place April 4.  And whether you enter work in the show or not, you can enjoy the free public reception, with food, drink and entertainment on Thursday, April 9 from 6-9pm.  Art enthusiasts of all ages are welcome.

To get an entry form or more information, call Arts Collinwood at 216-692-9500. Or download the attached registration form.

YOUR CHILD’S WORK, TOO

March 28 is also the last day for entries to the first show at Wunderkind, the gallery Jerry Schmidt and Miles Kennedy are opening at Waterloo 7, Jerry’s gorgeous gallery in the Zaller Building at 16006 Waterloo. The Wunderkind show opens on April 3 (along with Spring in Bloom at Waterloo 7; more on both next week) and will take work from artists aged five to 16. Art must be framed or matted. For more information call Jerry Schmidt at (239) 293.9548.

DRAMA ON WATERLOO

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, April 3, 4 and 5 at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home on Waterloo. Tickets from Bud Hilf, Tickets, 891 E337 St., Euclid 44123. Or use the ticket form in the attached flyer. 15335 Waterloo, 481-4378. Tickets are going fast – – UpStage is getting a warm welcome from the Waterloo neighborhood – which is not surprising. UpStage has a history of keeping kids involved and happy, never turning a kid away, and finding theatre projects for all ages. Besides their massive musical productions, they have a Teen Theater group and have recently opened an Improv Group; watch this space for announcements.

ZOMBIES AT ARTS COLLINWOOD

CSU’s Student Organization of Fine Arts (SOFA) presents a music and movie extravaganza – and they’re presenting it on Waterloo.

Come rock to the 70’s psychedelic sounds of the band Electric Lucifer in the Arts Collinwood Gallery, March 27, 9pm, and stay for the zombie horror flick …. if you can handle it!

VINTAGE BRECORDS (ON THE FLOOR) ON WATERLOO

Pete Gulyas, record collector and co-owner of the former Renaissance Parlour vintage clothing and accessories store on Coventry, is opening Blue Arrow Records and Books at 16001 Waterloo Road, in the vintage Blue Arrow building. You ‘ll find jazz, country, classic rock, soul, and rock-n-roll on quality used LPs, 45s, and 78s from the 1950s to the present day – but even better, you’ll find a 1300-square-foot floor covered – completely – in vintage album covers. Enter and drool!.

And prepare to spend some time there:  Pete plans to sell magazines, t-shirts, furniture, and other cool merchandise as well as used vinyl.

Comment from Waterloo Rd’s indie music store, Music Saves (15801 Waterloo):  “Welcome to Cleveland’s vinyl district!  Waterloo will have a total of 3 record stores when this place opens!”

MUSIC ON WATERLOO

COMING TO THE BEACHLAND

March 26: Eli ‘Paperboy” Reid plus DJ Fishtruck and DJ Racecard present a vinyl tribute to Bobby Womack. Fri, Mar 27| 9 PM (8 PM door)

March 27: Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers; The Spring Standards ; $20.00 ; Ballroom | All Ages.

Mar 27| 8:30 PM (7:30 PM door) Steep Canyon Rangers; Shoe Fly; $15.00

Mar 28| 9 PM (8:30 PM door) Papadosio; Dragonfly vs Afugate; $7.00

Mar 28| 9 PM (8:30 PM door) Gunslingers (from France); Terminal Lovers; Ghandi SS / DJ Michael Dystopic / Presented by Radio Dystopia; $6.00

Sun, Mar 29| 11-3 (11AM door)

FOOD ON WATERLOO

SUNDAY BRUNCH AND FRIDAY FISH FRIES

Sunday Brunch  with DJ John G in the Beachland Ballroom Tavern 11am – 3 pm. But it’s not all about the music –  Chef Kimberly is whipping the crowds into a food frenzy with her delectable brunch offerings.

At Fotina’s Friday fish fry, for $7.50 you’ll get French or home fries plus coleslaw along with your fish, and if you don’t like fish, the full breakfast menu is available. Dine in or carryout; 4PM till 7PM Fotina’s Restaurant, 400 East 156th Street, (216) 692-1375

And at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home, you can have fried fish for both lunch and dinner; they serve from 11:30 am to 8 pm, and offer pork chops and polenta as well as slaw and potatoes.

THE FARMERS’ MARKET

I’ve eaten the sugar cookies and sweet potato bread, I’ve cooked the super-large brown eggs, I’ve planted the beautiful, blooming primroses – time to get back to the market. For the next few weeks, the Coit Road Farmers’ Market will be the place to find the fattest, freshest bedding plants at the best prices – side by side with a stunning selection of spices, some genuine grandmothers’ baking (you know it’ll be good for you), lots of apples, some eggs, some cheese – and every week a little surprise from the vegetable world. Sometimes the surprise is that what you were looking for isn’t there, but this is a market of real farmers, who have problems with real weather. The conversation makes up for the other deficiencies.

Plus I’m running out of Burton Garden and Floral’s delicious oat groats – cooked slowly with milk, served with maple yogurt and fruit stirred in – ambrosia!  And I see my jar of powdered ancho chili is empty – I need to talk to the Spice Hound.

Coit Road Farmer’s Market is located at the corner of Coit & Woodworth Road in East Cleveland. www.coitmarket.org. Winter hours: Saturdays 8am-1pm

ALL ARE WELCOME AT THE GOLDEN AGE CENTER

PRINT MAKING AND Wii

You don’t have to be elderly to be welcome at the Lakeshore Golden Age Center; director Lynn Krumholz is looking to be of service to the entire community. You may, of course, not feel in need of foot doctors and blood pressure clinics, but you might like to take an Arts Collinwood print-making class there, mightn’t you?

Print making is on the schedule for Tuesday, March 31, at 1:30; the class is free, all materials provided. Linda Zolten Wood (who could, if necessary, make prints with her eyes closed – not that you’d think so from the colorful results) will demonstrate simple printing techniques for paper and cloth (potatoes may be involved, too).

Not only will the Golden Age Center (GAC) give you lunch and take you to aquacise on Mondays and Wednesdays (with craft sessions afterward); on most Tuesdays at noon they have a Wii program (synthesized exercise on large screen TV – very popular) coupled with health care talks by Just Like Family Home Care.  Forthcoming sessions are March 31 and April 7. And you can keep up the physical conditioning on Thursdays with gentle seated exercise to strengthen the upper and lower body. 12:30 at the Center.

Every day is a free lunch day at the Center (though a dollar donation is very gratefully received – and it’s a good lunch). On Mondays, besides the swim sessions, you can play pinochle or take a computer class. On Tuesdays, it’s craft classes and DVD movie screenings; Wednesdays feature Bible class and bingo; and Thursdays line dancing and seated exercise sessions. On Thursday, March 24, a foot doctor will be in attendance at 1 pm, and there will be a presentation on living wills at 2 pm.

The Lakeshore Golden Age Center is open Monday through Thursday. 11-3. Membership is only $8 a year; many of the entertainments are open to all ages. Call 216-481-0631 and ask for Lynn. Or go to www.gacgc.org.

HELP WITH DIGITAL TV

If you do happen to be elderly, and you are worried about the June conversion to digital TV, call the Cleveland Dept of Aging (216-664-2833). They’ll answer your questions, help you get the converter box coupon (and hook up the box if you can’t get anyone else to do it) and coordinate transportation for getting the converter box home from the store. (They remind us that a TV connected to a cable, satellite or other TV service does not require a converter box.)

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

RECYCLE FOR ART

Instead of throwing away empty printer cartridges and used cell phones, recycle them through Arts Collinwood FundingFactory, and help earn art materials for the Community Center.

Business supporters can get FREE prepaid shipping labels sent to their location free of charge. Then they simply load collection boxes, apply the FREE prepaid shipping labels and leave them for the next UPS pickup.

If you’re interested in supporting Arts Collinwood in this way, please call FundingFactory toll-free at 1.888.883.8237. Give the customer service representative AC’s identification number, 141215, and they’ll set you up to support their account.

If you don’t use enough cartridges to set up your own account, you can set up a collection box in your office and they’ll pick it up when it’s full. Just call Amy Callahan at 216-692-9500 and let her know you are ready for a pick up.  Arts Collinwood will recycle the cartridges and cell phones through the FundingFactory to earn new art supplies for their after school program.

For more information, a list of acceptable items to collect, or to drop off your own cartridges or cell phone, contact Amy Callahan at Arts Collinwood, 216-692-9500. The after-school teachers will bless your name!

TEND THE ARTS COLLINWOOD GALLERY

The Arts Collinwood gallery is open Thur/Fri 6-9 and Sat/Sun 1-4. If you’d like to be the person keeping it open, call 216-692-9500 and set up a time. It’s rather a fun assignment – just you and a roomful of art (you might want to pick a simpatico show), which you get to discuss with the people who stop by. And if no one stops by, you have a peaceful place to read or do your crossword puzzle. One of our most dedicated sitters brings a bottle of wine and invites her friends to stop by – great idea

THE SCOOP ON WATERLOO – AND ELSEWHERE

Remember last year’s Scoop on Summer, that colorful brochure with details of everything neighborhood? The 2009 edition is looking for community organizations to send details of their summer programming, and for neighborhood businesses to sponsor and distribute the guide.

The sponsorships are particularly important this year; nonprofit funding is down, and it’s not cheap to print 15,000 copies. If you’re friendly with any local businesses or professionals, or are willing to help canvass a block, call Erin Randel at (216) 531-7515. Contributions are being solicited from Wavemakers  $25, Captains $100, and Commodores, $250 – but I imagine any donations will be gratefully received. (In case you hadn’t noticed, the progression between donation figures is logarithmic, not arithmetic – but I don’t think that’s significant.)

They’d also like to hear from volunteers interested in assisting with the production of the guide — artists, photographers, writers, database manipulators, delivery people, you name it! The whole production is done by volunteers, and it’s no small job.

And if your organization has an event you’d like listed, go to http://scooponsummer.wordpress.com for this year’s quick and easy online submission form, and submit your organization’s events or your willingness to help. Or both, of course.

And speaking of getting involved – our Euclid correspondent reports that Euclid has more than 75 neighborhood associations. Can Collinwood match that?

OF INTEREST TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

ATTENTION, BLOCK CLUBS!

The Shore Acres Association has installed very classy signs at the east corners Lake Shore Blvd and E150 and E151 (E149 is in the works). If your street has a block club, or just a lot of local pride, you might want to do something similar. (Though Shore Acres reports it took a LOT of volunteer hours.)

INLET’S SUMMER DANCE INTENSIVE ’09

Inlet Dance Theatre’s Summer Dance Intensive 09 (SDI 09) is an aggressive six and a half week training program for ages twelve through young adult. It focuses on increasing technical skill sets, creative problem solving, team (ensemble) building, self leadership, performance and a host of other life skills. The program gives students the experience of being a dancer in a professional dance company, and culminates in performances at Cain Park Evans Amphitheatre.

The full program runs from June 17 to July 31 and costs $1250, but Inlet is offering several options that require less commitment – from a two-and-a-half-week course to individual classes.

For information please email Margret Barnes, Summer Dance Intensive Student Coordinator, at margs_ann@yahoo.com; call the Inlet Office at 216-382-0201; or visit the Web site (downloadable registration) at www.inletdance.org.

In Search Of Homes

This Inlet program is attracting more and more students from outside the Cleveland area. If you’d be interested in housing one of them, please contact Mikaela Clark by calling the Inlet office at 216-382-0201.

GREEN IS GROWING – GROWING JOBS

Looking to green your life with a new job, or to learn more about the growing green economy? The Sierra Club is presenting Growing Green Livelihoods on Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 pm at Great Lakes Science Center Reinberger Auditorium (601 Erieside Ave., at foot of E9 St and the Shoreway). Speakers will be Jesus Leon Santos, winner of the 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize, Jim Clark, president of IUE-CWA, and Margrete Strand Rangness of the Sierra Club. Free parking and refreshments. RSVP to http://action.sierraclub.org/greenlivelihoods or 614-461-0734 ext. 305.

ROLLER GIRLS ARE ON THE WAY

The Burning River Roller Girls season starts Saturday 3/28.  The matches (known as Bouts) will be at the Euclid Sports Plant (not quite Waterloo, but VERY close, as my Roller Girl neighbor points out).  Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of, and details are at www.burningriverrollergirls.com.  Some Waterloo-area performers will be coming to later bouts for half-time events; watch this space!

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Famicos Foundation (www.famicos.org) seeks a dynamic professional to join its management team as Director of Fund Development and Marketing.  Working with the Executive Director, the successful candidate will create and implement campaigns to greatly expand the community’s awareness and support of Famicos, especially among corporations, foundations and individuals.