Lots of local folks—and plenty from outside the area—have already visited the Arts Collinwood Center at the corner of E. 156th and Waterloo. But if you haven’t yet, we’re offering you a good reason to come visit now. Arts Collinwood has taken over operating the cafe in our building, as another way to support arts programs in our community. Now, every time you grab a sandwich or a coffee, you can be helping make after school programs, gallery exhibits and community events possible here in Collinwood. And you’ll love the new menu!  We’re here Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Besides soups and sandwiches, you can also pick up registration forms, event information and flyers on all the latest arts happenings. Other good reasons to stop in soon:

• When the Cafe is open, so is the gallery next door!
• Every Thursday evening you can try your hand at life drawing, or maybe a little yoga on a Sunday afternoon.
• Plus live music, poetry and lots more.

Keep your eyes open for the announcement of this year’s Weekends on Waterloo holiday happenings and catch up on the great things going on in our own thriving arts district. We’ll keep the coffee hot for you.

The article below is taken from Tonic.

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Beth and Roger Miller are hosting an art exchange at the Waterloo 7 Studio & Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio at 7pm on Saturday, August 1st. Yes, we know that most of you probably aren’t in Cleveland, but we’re telling you about it anyway because it’s like, the coolest idea ever.

And you’re going to want to do it, too.

Two or three times per year, Beth and Roger, who are both artists, pick a theme and send out an e-mail blast to all their artsy friends, inviting them to create a piece that follows the theme and bring it to the art exchange party. We chatted with them about the event and how it all came about.

“Basically, about 15 years ago, Roger realized that he was surrounded by really creative and artistic friends, but had none of their art on his walls,” says Beth. “It works like this; bring an original piece of artwork of your own creation following the theme” … “Each piece of art should be covered or wrapped in some way, so that whomever is choosing it cannot tell what it is. Each artist who brings work gets the opportunity to choose a covered piece of original artwork to unwrap in front of the group and take home.”

Pretty neat, right? More from their e-mail blast: “New artists are encouraged to participate. However, if you would prefer to just experience the event, please come and meet some of Cleveland’s top artists, movie makers, special effects artists, photographers and writers.”

The parties, which they used to hold in their home, have attracted so many participants that they’ve moved the event to an art gallery. “The idea to hold the Exchange in a gallery or larger venue has been simmering for awhile,” says Beth. “Both Roger and I want the local art scene to grow, but also to be united. This seems a great way to get artists to see and hold each other’s work, to inspire each other and to communicate with each other.”

How awesome is that? Answer: Very.

If you are in the Cleveland area and would like to attend, or would just like to get in touch with the Millers — perhaps you’re interested in holding an art exchange in your own town — you can contact them at artexchange_miller at yahoo.com.

Photos (both  past art exchange) courtesty of Beth and Roger Miller.

Follow this link to 3sat.de and see national coverage of our very own Collinwood neighborhood, and Waterloo Arts district! 

http://www.3sat.de/mediathek/mediathek.php?obj=13520&mode=play

Here’s a translation of the summary listed with the video:

“In Cleveland, Ohio in the United States financial crisis has hit hard. Every tenth house stands empty as 12,000 homes wait for a demolition ball. Artists’ initiatives are pushing to create an arts movement here to save the city before it’s  too late.”

American Youth
By the photographers of Redux Pictures

From the country’s youngest-ever superdelegate (and Barack Obama supporter), American Idol contestants at tryouts, and strippers in Portland to debutantes at New York’s Plaza Hotel, gangsters on the Navajo Reservation, or widows of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, American Youth provides striking and sometimes startling stories revealing the relationships between self-determination and tradition in our country today.

American Youth features the work of 25 photographers represented by Redux Pictures, documenting the newest generation of 18 to 24-year-olds in unvarnished detail throughout the book’s 240 pages. Included in the book are NEA Fellow Marc Asnin’s unexpected look at Lubavitch life in New York City, Guggenheim Fellow Darcy Padilla’s grim glimpse at teenage homelessness, and W. Eugene Smith Grant recipient Mark Peterson’s portrait of a JROTC in her prom dress, among many others.

Poignant in their ability to reveal the strength of rebellion alongside the inevitable vulnerability of adolescent existence, the photographs stand in both contrast and correspondence to each other. The lives of Muslim teens, Mormon missionaries, AGs (macho lesbians), and wannabe models are shown with an edgy empathy that defines the Redux Pictures’ collective.

The photographs featured in American Youth were edited with the help of Bill Black (Reader’s Digest), Karen Frank (Conde Nast Portfolio), Jeanne Graves (BestLife), Armin Harris (Fortune), Katherine Harris (The Daily Beast), Jane Hwang (ABCNews.com), Michelle Jackson (freelance art buyer, owner of SnapIndigo), Nadja Masri (GEO), Brenda Milis (Men’s Health), Bruce Perez (Redbook), Dora Somosi (GQ) and Allyson Torrisi (Popular Mechanics). The book featured an introduction by Steve Appleford, whose writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, GQ, and Spin.

Work from American Youth was recently exhibited at the New York Photo Festival in May, and will next travel to LOOK3: Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia, June 11-13. www.festivalofthephotograph.org

Visit www.americanyouthbook.com for regular updates by contributing photographers, editors, and subjects from American Youth.

Greg Ruffing is an editorial and fine art photographer working in the Midwestern U.S. and beyond. His photographs have appeared in publications such as Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Mother Jones, Stern, Der Spiegel, The New York Times Magazine, Spin, Rolling Stone, and more.
He is one of the 25 Redux photographers who contributed work to the American Youth book, photographing projects about Muslim youth, environmentalists, and b-boys/b-girls (hip hop dancers).
His personal and fine art work has been exhibited in a variety of mediums, including multiple collaborations with Cleveland Public Art in the Buckeye neighborhood (2007) and a project confronting the foreclosure crisis (2008). Other shows in the Cleveland area have included Spaces Gallery (2005), the Gallery of Photographic Arts (2005), Standing Rock Gallery (2006) and Artefino (2007). www.gregruffing.com
www.gregruffing.com/blog

Redux Pictures is an editorial and commercial agency based in New York City representing photographers around the world. The agency photographers have been awarded every top prize in photography, have received numerous grants and fellowships and have been exhibited extensively. Redux Photographers include Marc Asnin, Ben Baker, Nina Berman, David Butow, Peter Frank Edwards, Danny Wilcox Frazier, Eros Hoagland, John Keatley, Andy Kropa, Erika Larsen,Gina LeVay, Joshua Lutz, Preston Mack, Kevin J. Miyazaki, Darcy Padilla, Mark Peterson, Michael Rubenstein, Greg Ruffing, Q. Sakamaki, Erin Siegal, Angie Smith, Ben Stechschulte, Brad Swonetz, Nathaniel Welch, and David Yellen. www.reduxpictures.com

Contrasto is a unique enterprise in the field of photography. Contrasto was born in the 80s to be a point of reference for quality photojournalism. The agency’s photographers, in addition to its close contact with the information and culture worlds, allows Contrasto to be a leader in the field of author photography. Its vast range of activities (production and distribution of images for journalism, advertising and image consulting, fashion and publishing, archives available online) is guaranteed by the various resources it draws from; most notably Magnum, the prestigious agency founded by Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Contrasto is publishing house as well, working to realize photographic books, and exhibits in cooperation with Italy’s public and private institutions. The high level of Contrasto photographers amounts to a gallery of unique images suitable for collecting purposes as well. www.contrasto.it

Have you visited the new cafe in the Arts Collinwood building? The Grand Opening is not until June 27, but already the buzz is spreading about the new business on Waterloo!

Read the full article here! Here’s an excerpt…

North Collinwood’s Waterloo arts district has a lot going for it — the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, of course, along with a growing number of galleries, studios and funky retailers.

All of which recently attracted the attention of the country’s second-largest-circulation daily newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, which did a full-page spread.

But there was, North Collinwood resident Frank Revy thought, something missing.

So on May 1, Revy, in cooperation with the Arts Collinwood nonprofit that owns the building, opened the Waterloo Cafe on the district’s most prominent crossroads in hopes of providing Waterlooeans and visitors an upscale but old-school eating, drinking and gathering place.

The Waterloo Cafe is at 15601 Waterloo Road, Cleveland. Visit thewaterloocafe.com.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) announces the start of its week-long event, Color Me Cleveland, on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Download and view the flier here!

The family event features thirty of the area’s best known artists who will spread out across the Cleveland area. While an appreciative public watches, the artists will produce their art at outdoor landmark locations and draw upon the inspiration that the venue provides.  Artists will be creating their works on Friday and Saturday, June 19th and 20th from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, June 21 from 1 pm to 5 pm. Families are encouraged to bring their children as they will be able to learn about Cleveland and what it means to be an artist by enjoying special “Color Me Cleveland” coloring books.

Artist locations include Strawbridge Plaza (Mall C), the West Side Market, Whiskey Island , Lincoln Park in Tremont, Lake View Cemetery , Idea Center at Playhouse Square , downtown Chagrin Falls , Public Square , and Edgewater Park. Transportation to various artist locations during the weekend of June 21-23 will be provided by Lolly the Trolley. To reserve a trolley pass, call 216.771.4484. Times vary by location, so interested persons should call the Archives at 216-721-9020 for location specifics or visit its website at www.artistsarchives.org.

The artists’ creations will be brought back “wet” to the AAWR’s gallery in University Circle where they will be displayed during a free public exhibition from Monday, June 22, 2009 through Friday, June 26, 2009. Exhibition hours are 10 am to 4 pm. Interested persons may take part in a silent auction of the works during this time. Proceeds from the art auction advance the Archives’ mission of conserving the work of our region’s artists as well preserving Ohio ’s art history.

Color Me Cleveland concludes with the Gala Celebration on Friday, June 27 beginning at 7 pm. Rachael Davis of Rachel Davis Fine Arts will lead a live art auction. The event’s emcee will be WMJI radio personality Jimmy Malone.  Fine Cuisine and live music will complement the event.  The Gala Celebration is open to the public. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling the Archives at 216-721-9020 or visiting its website www.artistsarchives.org.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is a unique archival facility created to preserve representative bodies of work by Ohio visual artists. Through ongoing research, exhibition and educational programs the AAWR actively documents and promotes this cultural heritage for the benefit of the public. The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is located at 1834 East 123rd Street in Cleveland ’s University Circle district, across from Lakeview Cemetery .

Check out this link for a Wall Street Journal story about the Waterloo district, Arts Collinwood, and how other urban areas like ours are being revitalized via an emerging arts scene.

Wall Street Journal article

A great slideshow by WSJ photographer Greg Ruffing

You could spend hours just looking at the floor at Blue Arrow Records and Books in Collinwood.

Literally.

The floor of the newly opened record store on Waterloo Road — and I do mean records, just records, no CDs — is composed of more than 1,000 tiled album covers owner Pete Gulyas laid by hand.

Look, here’s T Rex. Now I’m standing on Pat Benatar. Oooh, I love that Alex Harvey Band record. Wow, check out the hot Ray Charles Singers cover.

You get the picture.

“If I don’t hear someone saying something about at least one album on the floor, then I think something’s wrong,” says Gulyas, who also owns This Way Out vintage store down the street underneath the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern with his wife, Debbie. They previously owned the stellar Renaissance Parlor vintage store on Coventry Road.

It took him 200 hours to complete the floor, which is grouped into themes such as “drinking covers,” “smoking covers” and types of music. For records that he ranks as “good,” he made sure he had another copy before tearing off the front. Other LPs were sacrificed for art.

So what about the records in the bins? Well, there are about 7,000 of them, and all are vintage, says Gulyas. Prices range from 50 cents to around $12, including classic rock, alt-rock, punk, camp classics, lots of glam, 1950s and ’60s swank, jazz, blues and country.

Gulyas, who will continue selling LPs at This Way Out, says he started the store because he and many of his collector friends “wanted to clean house.”

But he adds that he and other store owners, including the staff at Music Saves a block away, have noticed “people are definitely more into vinyl now than a few years ago.” (Music Saves sells only new vinyl. Yes, new music is being pressed onto vinyl. More and more, in fact.)

Gulyas credits this to the fact that, “despite what we were told, CDs start to break down. Vinyl retains its sound. And people love the artwork.”

It’s not all about vinyl here, though. Gulyas also has a rack of vintage music and pop-culture mags, from Creem to Rolling Stone, and racks of pulp-fiction novels with titles such as “Wanton Woman” and “French Fever.” The front case holds rows of retro sunglasses and Nita Ketner’s funky Backstage Pass pendants featuring rock icons such as Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.

And there’s a shrine, of sorts, dedicated to the Boss. Though most of it is not for sale, record fans should find the case dedicated to Bruce Springsteen fascinating, from old 45s and photos to “Darkness on the Edge of Town”-era posters.

The back of the store features a small stage area for special events. The next one will be Saturday, April 18, when the Prisoners play at 6 p.m. and Hotchacha takes the stage at 7 in honor of National Record Store Day.

Shopping list, Music Saves:

Just down the street from Blue Arrow, Music Saves CD and record store will celebrate National Record Store Day in conjunction with Gulyas’ store. Performing will be Brian Straw at 5:30 p.m., Trouble Books at 6:30 and the Very Knees at 7:30. Also that day, come into the store wearing an indie record store T-shirt and get 10 percent off your purchase. And make a purchase and receive a free goody bag. 15801 Waterloo Road. 216-481-1875.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

ldemarco@plaind.com, 216-999-4577

Beachland Ballroom and Tavern co-owner Cindy Barber loves North Collinwood area

Sunday, April 12, 2009 from the Plain Dealer and cleveland.com

Cindy Barber bought into North Collinwood in a big way. In 2000, she and Mark Leddy turned the former 1950-ish Croatian Liberty Home on Waterloo Road into the rockin’ Beachland Ballroom and Tavern.

As the current board president of Northeast Shores Development Corp., she’s very involved in helping to bring back the neighborhood – formerly known as Beachland because of its proximity to the old Euclid Beach amusement park.

“It’s still sort of an uphill battle to convince some people that Waterloo is a valid choice,” said Barber, 58, whose Sunday brunch at the Beachland has really taken off. “But after nine years it was great to hear us mentioned in the mayor’s State of the City Address along with Gordon Square as one of the bright spots.”

Describe the renaissance taking place in North Collinwood.

Thankfully, the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment district surrounding the Beachland has lots of help. There’s Arts Collinwood, a growing nonprofit; Music Saves, our indie record store; Shoparooni, the eccentric novelty store; Waterloo 7, a fab art galley; and Blue Arrow Records, a used-vinyl store just opened. Blitz BBQ, owned by Billy Blitz, brother of the Dead Boys’ drummer Johnny, is set to open across from the Beachland this summer. We’re also working on the East 185th LaSalle Theatre renovation and redefining our lakefront area, because we really are the neighborhood where “the city meets the lake.” We hope to restore some of the Euclid Beach atmosphere with a new fishing pier and more.

Why did you choose to live and work in North Collinwood?

I moved here in 1986 after a friend of mine showed me the house he was rehabbing on a cliff facing Lake Erie. There were already lots of musicians, artists and bohemian-thinking professionals infiltrating the ethnic conclave, so I found a house and settled in. But as more and more of the older ethnics moved on, businesses and buildings became abandoned. The Croatian Liberty Home was for sale, and I felt I needed to figure out something to do with it to create a destination location to start reinventing the neighborhood. Thus the Beachland.

Tell us what happens during your average day.

First, there is no average day. Mostly I solve problems. Things break, the ceiling leaks, staff people have emergencies and you have to find someone to do that job, or lend them money. Buses full of rockers invade the parking lot at noon, and you have to answer their questions or get them a cab to go to the Rock Hall. I’m generally there by 11 a.m. and often I’m watching the bus leave the parking lot at 3 a.m. But more and more, we have good managers, and I’m trying to step back from the day-to-day.

Tell us a fun story.

Well, there are many stories! But maybe my favorite involves Glenn Tilbrook, lead singer for the British band Squeeze, who’s gone on to have his own career. He used to travel the U.S. with his recreational vehicle, so the first time through, we had him park the RV behind our house on the lake and he fell in love with us and the Beachland. But the next time, he had an old bus, and it broke down about 50 miles outside of Cleveland on his way to our show. So we didn’t know if he was going to make the show.

So then what happened?

The doors open. The audience is coming in. Everyone is waiting and it’s past showtime at this point. Then a big tow truck hauling the broken-down bus pulls up across the street and drops the bus pretty far from the load-in door. So Glenn runs in and gets everyone in the audience to come out to the bus and help the band haul the equipment inside. Someone has an amp, another one has a snare drum. They were up and running in 20 minutes and put on a great show. Glenn wrote a song called “Beachland Ballroom” that tells that story and more of his love affair with the Beachland.

What’s your favorite ethnic restaurant?

In my neighborhood, I rotate between Scotti’s Italian Eatery on East 185th (pasta with grilled chicken and broccoli in pesto cream sauce), It’s a Family Affair soul food on East 185th (roast chicken with mac and cheese and greens) and Marta’s Czech restaurant on East 222nd for the sauerbraten with homemade dumplings.

What pleases you about Cleveland?

The talent and spirit that rise from here. There are so many creative people doing wonderful projects. Often we are leading the way in innovation, and young artists and musicians are making some of the finest work in the land.

What would you fix?

Oftentimes, no one knows what great things are going on here, and too often young artists have to leave town to make a name for themselves because there isn’t the infrastructure like entertainment lawyers, agents, media attention to help launch them beyond our region.

Were you into music at Olmsted Falls High School?

Yes, choir and glee club. I grew up listening and appreciating music. My father was a drummer who turned me on to Spike Jones, my mother a professionally trained alto who was broadcast over the radio as a soloist in a church choir every Sunday.

What’s your favorite scenic view?

The view of Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline from my front yard where I can see a sunset every night if I have time.

Give us a treasured childhood memory.

Watching Ghoulardi on late night TV and having the opportunity to see live music at the age of 16 and 17, such as Love at La Cave, Bob Seger and the Last Herd at the Rolling Stone Teen Club, MC5 at the North Ridgeville Hullabaloo, I got to experience the great live music history of Cleveland as a teenager. I hope someday some kid remembers what they saw at the Beachland.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: scrump@plaind.com