Mary Hromyko March 22, 2012
216.961.4242 ext. 222
Gordon Square Offers Free Shuttle Service on Third Fridays
Trolley Buses Will Mobilize Visitors Though Neighborhood Hot Spots Starting April 20th
CLEVELAND – Every third Friday of the month, visitors of Gordon Square have been known to explore the art galleries of the 78th Street Studios, dine at eclectic restaurants, and hear music at cool night clubs found within this popular Cleveland arts district.
But on April 20th the public will find a whole new reason to marshal their friends to their favorite hot spots. From 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm, two trolley buses with tour guides will be mobilizing anyone who wants a free lift through eight different trolley stops in the area, making it easier for people to leave their cars in one place and discover exciting hangouts they may not have known about. Coined, the Gordon Square Loop, this one-night, free service will span from W. 58th Street to W. 78th Street along Lake and Detroit Roads, and will also go as far north as Battery Park. With two vehicles running simultaneously along a short route, riders are expected to wait no more than ten minutes from any given stop.
“In our district, there’s already a lot happening on Third Fridays, so we’re just connecting the dots and offering an easy way for visitors to get from here to there,” says Jeff Ramsey, Executive Director of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, the entity that manages the greater Gordon Square area. “If all goes well, we plan to offer this again during Third Fridays in May and June.”
Gordon Square is an arts and cultural enclave on Cleveland’s West Side, where a powerful combination of housing, new businesses, arts destinations, and street beautification have infused more than $500 million in economic development to the surrounding community. More information about the area is found at gordonsquare.org
Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 4:12 PM Updated: Friday, November 26, 2010, 8:57 AM
View full sizeGus Chan/The Plain DealerCars line up to be valet parked at the Capitol Theater for a “Sex and the City” Girls Night Out party and screening in May. The Gordon Square Arts District is being recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National League of Cities.
Gordon Square, the emerging art district in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland’s West Side, has won big time kudos from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National League of Cities.It has also pulled down $2.7 million in recent federal, state and local grants, which will be used to build or renovate community theaters that are central to its vision of using the arts to revive a city neighborhood. “Lots of good stuff is happening,” said Joy Roller, the district’s executive director. “To me, it’s an acknowledgement that what we’re doing is not only successful, but is a novel approach, a unique approach on how to revitalize an urban core.”
The NEA announced earlier this month that Gordon Square is one of 14 case studies in a new publication, “Creative Placemaking.”
Co-authored by arts advocates Ann Markusen and Ann Gadwa, the document is a project of the NEA’s Mayor’s Institute on City Design. The mission of the agency is to educate U.S. mayors to become the “chief urban designers” of their cities.
The case studies are intended to encourage mayors to think creatively about how everything from loft housing to art galleries can build economic value and encourage investment.
The chapter in the case study on Gordon Square praises the project for helping to leverage an estimated $500 million in related investments on the West Side of Cleveland over the past eight years, much of it in housing, even though Gordon Square is only halfway through a $30 million revitalization.
The project is a collaborative venture among three non-profit organizations, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland Public Theatre and Near West Theatre.
The goal of the district is to renovate two historic theaters — Cleveland Public and the Capitol — and to build a new home for Near West. By using the arts as an anchor for related retail, restaurant and housing development, the district is sparking new life in a 15-block corridor from W. 58th Street to West 73rd St., with Detroit Avenue as the spine.
The Capitol Theatre, located in the historic Gordon Square Arcade at W. 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, reopened in 2009 as a movie theater after a renovation. Work on Cleveland Public Theatre is ongoing. And the arts district has raised roughly half of the $6.5 million it needs to build a new Near West Theater, designed by Cleveland architect Richard Fleischman, Roller said.
“Creative Placemaking” said the district has ” revitalizing the area’s commercial core with arts offerings and new retail businesses while preserving and adding low-income housing units.”
Echoing the praise from the NEA, the National League of Cities has invited Roller to represent Gordon Square as one of 26 programs from the across the country that will be showcased in its upcoming National Congress of Cities in Denver, starting Tuesday.
In addition to the outside attention, Gordon Square announced it has received a $1 million matching grant from the Fowler Family Foundation and a $500,000 matching grant from the Gund Foundation, both for the Near West Theatre project. Roller said her organization has another $3.5 million to raise before it can build the theater.
“With Near West, we are inching closer to realizing our dream of building a new home for that theater,” Roller said.
A separate grant of $1 million in federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Energy Program will be used immediately to air condition Cleveland Public Theatre for the first time, which means it can be used year round, Roller said.
The State of Ohio has also kicked in $200,000 for asbestos removal at Cleveland Public, which will make the theater safer to use, Roller said.
The national attention focused on Gordon Square shouldn’t create the impression that the project has gone unnoticed locally. In June, the district won a Cleveland Arts Prize.
The national recognition for the district offers more proof that “Cleveland should be very proud of this model we’ve created in the Gordon Square Arts District,” Roller said. “It’s good news for Cleveland.”
Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer
This chair and ottoman are available at Wine & Design. SoBe, a dog owned by store owner Greg Morris, is the store’s mascot.
By Kim Crow
For us Average Joes and Josephines, the thought of hiring a decorator can be a little intimidating.
Evidence of the importance of interior design is all around us — entire TV networks have sprung up to support the idea in the past decade, for goodness’ sake — but wanting an attractive, cozy home does not always translate into knowing how to achieve it.
“I can pick out my clothes perfectly well, but when it comes to picking out a chair or a couch, I just freeze up, ” admits Kristen Powell, 33, an insurance adjuster who lives in Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood. “It’s just such a big expenditure — and it’s not as easy to hide an ottoman in the back of the closet.”
But Powell says she’s never considered hiring an interior designer.
“It just seems sort of outside my budget, you know? That’s something that people with giant houses who can afford $1,000 curtains do, not me,” she says with a smile.
It’s exactly that kind of perception that a new breed of interior designers are hoping to combat. A handful of new home furnishing stores in the city of Cleveland have popped up that offer interior design services along with the usual scented candles and picture frames. Like-minded shops can be found across the region, but newer stores such as Wine & Design in Tremont and Duo Home in Gordon Square have joined longtime downtown stalwart Surroundings Home Decor in the Warehouse District in capturing the urban-chic market.
These glass designs reflect even more light when placed on a mirrored table. They can be found at DuoHome in the Gordon Square Arts District.
“Our goal has been to go against the stereotype of what people think an interior designer is,” says Tim Kempf, co-owner of DuoHome in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. “The stereotype is that it is this fussy, expensive dictator rushing around, pushing you to spend thousands on custom upholstery. We’re happy to work with big budgets, of course. Who wouldn’t love that? But we’re all about good design at good prices.”
It was that same mind-set that Greg Morris embraced when he opened Wine & Design in Tremont in November 2009 in the first floor of a building he and his partner, Dan Rensel, spent months renovating into the ideal live/work property.
“We’re really trying to remove the intimidation factor of interior design,” says Morris. “It doesn’t have to cost a lot to have a professional guiding your choices. We can work with any budget. ”
As Powell, the insurance adjuster, puts it, “I really just want someone to tell me what to do, if this polka-dot chair I think is so fun now will look silly in 10 years. I don’t need a showplace, just a cool-looking apartment. Oh, and I need to know if painting a wall black is a really bad idea, too.”
Wine & Design Powell is exactly the kind of client Morris had in mind when he began dreaming of a retail space. The longtime interior designer wanted a showroom of sorts in which everything was affordable and available and exemplified his ideals of accessible design.
“We’re kind of a one-stop shop,” he says of his store, which packs high style into a compact space. “You can dash in and ask our opinion on anything from paint colors to throw pillows, look through our design books, or just buy a gift or a bottle of wine.”
Oh yes, the “wine” in the title of the shop is something the owners take quite seriously. The well-traveled Morris and Rensel are ardent wine lovers, and knew that vino would have to play a part in whatever retail venture they came up with.
“We’ve just learned a lot about wine over the years, and we wanted to share that. Wine is another area that has this perception of being snobby and intimidating, but for us, it’s a way of life, completely intertwined with the way we live,” says Morris.
Along with a nicely edited selection of reds, whites, roses and sparkling wines, Wine & Design offers a terrific assortment of related home furnishings. From unusual cheeseboards to corkscrews to cool wine glasses with chalkboard bases (perfect for tastings or to just label which drink is yours), any hostess gift requirements are easily filled here.
“Wine brings people together,” says Morris simply.
To that end, Wine & Design hosts monthly wine tastings that include accompanying appetizers for only $10 per person. Sipping and shopping is encouraged here, among items such as Archipelago Botanicals candles and body-care items, Cucina home supplies and a selection of sustainable gift items from area artists.
“We meet with our interior design clients here, to get a sense of what they respond to, then we go into their homes to really get to know them,” says Morris. “The whole process is designed to put people at ease. We’re bringing hard-to-find, unique furnishings to Cleveland in a way that won’t break the bank.”
Lisa DeJong, The PDUnique chandeliers found at DuoHome are typical of items that can be worked into a decor by trained designers.
Duo Home DuoHome opened in November 2007, but Kempf and co-owner Scott Suskowicz nearly doubled the store’s footprint by taking over a neighboring storefront earlier this summer. The expansion allows them to better display their sleek furniture selection and better share their design sensibilities with their clients in the chic 1,600-square-foot space.
“When we were crammed into a smaller space, the furniture seemed more like props than something you could actually buy,” explains Suskowicz. “It seemed more like our emphasis was home furnishings when, in reality, we offer complete design services. That’s the engine that drives us.”
And what a ride it is. DuoHome’s offerings may have always been available for order, but the drama of seeing a dozen striking Nuevo pendant lights and the sleek silhouettes from Younger Furniture is much more inclined to inspire the casual browser.
Contemporary stylings sit next to rustic pieces by Freddy Hill, a Cleveland-based artist who creates them from reclaimed wood from specific places in the city. Gift items are still plentiful, from cute cards to vases to glass platters, all “priced to impress, not depress,” chuckles Kempf.
“We offer boutique shopping without the boutique attitude,” he says. “Come in, have a drink, look through our design library and let’s start talking about your space.”
DETAILS
Wine & Design
Where: 751 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland.
Contact: 216-781-8000, wineanddesign.net.
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday; Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment.
DuoHome
Where: 6507 Detroit Ave., Cleveland.
Contact: 216-651-4411; duohome.com.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday; other hours available by appointment.
[Cleveland.com Article][PDF]
Published: Saturday, June 19, 2010, 11:59 PM Updated: Monday, June 21, 2010, 10:59 AM
Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer
Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer “Sex and the City 2″ Girls Night Out party at the Capitol Theatre– a one-time silent-film theater that was renovated and reopened in 2009 — is an example of the vitality of the Gordon Square neighborhood. The Gordon Square Arts District capital campaign is the recipient of a 2010 Cleveland Arts Prize.
It took a small village to raise the Gordon Square Arts District capital campaign from toddler to noisy, energetic adolescent. It’s appropriate that the village will be among those honored Saturday as winners of the 2010 Cleveland Arts Prize.
It’s the first time in recent memory that a Cleveland Arts Prize has been awarded not to a person or an organization but to a neighborhood.
“No one person could have done what Gordon Square Arts District is doing,” said the district’s executive director, Joy Roller. “To give it to one person would be totally unfair. I congratulate the Arts Prize for getting it.”
The Cleveland Arts Prizes — given to creative artists whose work enriches Northeast Ohio and whose accomplishments set a standard of excellence — were announced in May. Artists will be honored at the annual awards event Saturday at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Gordon Square was awarded a Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts, given to an individual or organization whose vision or philanthropy has made a significant contribution to the arts in Northeast Ohio.
While only Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone will go onstage to accept the prize on behalf of Gordon Square, nearly a dozen other civic leaders will receive an Arts Prize medal. They include Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization executive director Jeff Ramsey, Gordon Square Arts District executive director Joy Roller and Cleveland Public Theatre executive artistic director Raymond Bobgan.
The district is a collaboration among Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland Public Theatre and the Near West Theatre.
Its capital campaign has set a goal of raising $30 million for five projects in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, involving the area’s theaters, streetscaping and parking, Roller said.
MORE STORIES
And the winners are: Profiles in creativity
MORE INFO
| Cleveland Arts Prize
What: The 50th annual prizes recognize artists with ties to Northeast Ohio who have made significant contributions in the arts.
When: Ceremony is at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Gartner Auditorium, Cleveland Museum of Art.
Tickets: $250, VIP tickets (reception at 6:30); $100, patron tickets (reception at 7); $50, general admission.
Info: E-mail info@clevelandartsprize.org or call 216-321-0012. |
Gordon Square claims it has generated more than $500 million in economic development in the surrounding community near West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue.
“It’s using the arts for a catalyst for economic development,” Roller said. “The Gordon Square Arts District story is many layers deep.”
A ribbon-cutting for the first phase of Cleveland Public Theatre’s capital campaign was part of Gordon Square Arts District Day on June 12. The neighborhood celebrated with walking tours, music and classic cartoons at the Capitol Theatre. |
Among the other prizes to be bestowed are the Robert P. Bergman Prize for leaders who are dedicated to a democratic vision of the arts as well as awards for emerging and midcareer artists, and lifetime achievement.
The Cleveland Arts Prize board of directors solicits nominations, and a jury chooses the winners, said executive director Marcie Bergman.
In Gordon Square’s case, the jury originally received a nomination for just two of the movers and shakers, but the jury felt more of the people involved also deserved recognition, Bergman said.
John Zayac, president of the Project Group, a Cleveland-based firm that manages capital projects, originally nominated Zone and Ramsey for their work with Gordon Square.
Zayac, who lives in Detroit-Shoreway, knew about the neighborhood’s transformation. The Project Group was project manager for the Capitol Theatre and Cleveland Public Theatre capital projects. The Project Group also served as fiscal agent for the district.
While serving as an arts-prize juror in 2009, Zayac noticed the nomination list was heavy with artists living or affiliated with organizations on the East Side. Determined to correct that, the following year he nominated Zone and Ramsey, and resigned as a juror to avoid conflict of interest.
As deliberations were under way, Zayac got a call from a jury chairman asking if Zayac would mind if the jury chose to honor Gordon Square instead of two individuals.
“It’s great the entire district is getting the award,” Zayac said. “Jeff and Matt are first among equals.”
[Original Cleveland.com Article] [PDF]
CLEVELAND, Ohio — One cultural event is a cherished civic tradition. The other is trying to become one. Both had successful Saturdays. Partly because it never rained.
Though ominous clouds hung low in the Cleveland sky throughout the morning and early afternoon, both Parade the Circle on the East Side and the Gordon Square Arts District Day on the West Side were spared thunderstorms that had been promised by the National Weather Service the day before.
At 11:00 a.m. with the temperature at a muggy 85 degrees, cars were already parked halfway through Martin Luther King Blvd. A license plate read KRE8IVE, and you had to be creative just to find a place to park. Folks wearing T-shirts, tank tops and short shorts — some pushing baby strollers — made their way to Wade Oval for the 21st annual Parade the Circle celebration.
“We had 70,000 people last year, and this looks about the same,” said parade director Robin VanLear from atop her six-foot-high stilts as she directed costumed marchers. “We seem to have reached a critical mass with the parade, and it’s a good number without being too crowded.”
Though the humidity was oppressive, it didn’t dampen the crowd’s spirit as more than 50 parade entrants danced around the circle. Among them was a group called Books Open Doors to New Worlds featuring Amy Frank and Sean Hensley, who were married at 9 a.m. that morning at Holden Arboretum. The wedding party of 50 bused over to Cleveland to take part in the parade.
“This is our honeymoon,” said Hensley. “Next year we’re going to do something simple like go to Japan.”
Another entry in the parade was The Phoenix, a 10-foot-tall bird on wheels made entirely of the clear plastic packaging from medical supplies. The bird’s creator, is Sawson Alhaddad, an anesthesiologist from the Cleveland Clinic.
“It took a year to save all of these pieces of discarded plastic,” she said. “I work in a suite that has seven operating rooms, so everybody helped me collect them”.
Across town in Gordon Square, at West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, Ryann Anderson squeezed out some acoustic folk jazz on a makeshift stage for a dozen onlookers. Gordon Square executive director Joy Roller said she expected the crowd to pick up at the first-time event as the East Side event wound down. A free shuttle took people back and forth.
“We had to add another vehicle because the one we had was packed,” Roller said. “We just want people from the East Side to find out that we’re here and that we have art and culture and theater music and great food. We want everyone to discover us.”
The hub of activity in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood was a temporary store called Made In 216. The double storefront space offered clothing, jewelry, hats and furniture — all made in the Cleveland. The place was cooled with an industrial-sized fan, had a D. J. playing tunes and ice-cold beer on tap. Danielle Deboe organizes the bazaar twice a year to promote small Cleveland retail manufacturers.
“I live in the neighborhood and have another store across the street called Room Service,” said Deboe. “It’s an art-centric lifestyle boutique. We were packed in here last night. You couldn’t move. As soon as the parade is over, we expect everyone to come over to Gordon Square and party late into the night.”
[Online Article - Cleveland.com] [PDF]
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