Free Hepburn!

We know her for her beauty, her legacy and the numerous films the graced on the silver screens, but did you know Katharine Hepburn is being honored for her style and fashion excellence at Kent State University?

Dressed for Stage is the screen legend’s personal collection of performance clothes which spans her six-decade career and features never-before-exhibited costumes from stage, screen and television



After a series of sold-out pre-opening events and the 25 Years of Dazzle gala celebrating the museum’s 25th anniversary, the Kent State University Museum opens its highly anticipated exhibition Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen on Oct. 2, 2010, making its world premiere.

Would you and a friend (2 tickets) like to see the exhibit for free? Tell me your favorite Hepburn film, include your email and Friday at noon I will choose the winner!

Did you know?

That in 1902, a resident of Akron, Ohio, Martin F. Christensen, invented an automated machine that could manufacture glass marbles. Traditionally, workers made marbles by hand from clay or stone, including marble. Christensen's invention made glass-marble production an entirely automated process. Christensen established the M.F. Christensen and Son Company in Akron to produce the thousands of colored balls of glass.



While the Akron factory does not still produce marbles, you can still visit the American Toy Marble Museum located in downtown Akron. Free and open to the public. With thousands of marbles to look at I'm sure you'll find your favorite Aggie or Boulder. Throw the family in the car, take a thirty minute road trip south for a few hours of fun.

After Art Hours (11/13)

Friday, November 13th, 2009

The Cleveland Museum of Art celebrates the Cleveland Institute of Art exhibition CIA Students: Cleveland, 2009, at CMA with a very special after-hours event, featuring art, refreshments, a cash bar, and live performances by Marina Rosenfeld's Sheer Frost Orchestra and Eats Tapes. Tickets $10.

"Nude" Networking (8/12)

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Have you had a chance to get to the new galleries at the Art Museum? Up for a game of find & seek? Adventure through the galleries on a hunt to find all of the nudes of the museum....please people, keep your clothes on!

The nude scavengar hunt is just one of the fun events happening at this weeks "Art on Tap" event- a new social event for young preofessionals that puts art and networking on tap together.

5:30-9pm, Enjoy live music, thematic gallery strolls, food, and drink all night long. Free admission all night; bars, food, & parking additional. (Be aware it is Wade Oval Wednesday so parking may be at a premium, give yourself a few additional minutes to find a parking spot.)

For more information visit www.clemusart.com

Jackson Vigil (TONIGHT!)

another THIS JUST IN

TONIGHT, 9pm, Outside Plaza of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.



Michael Jackson Candlelight Vigil : The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s remembrance of Michael Jackson will commence with a special program honoring the life and musical legacy of this two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. The program will include a short memorial presentation by Pastor Jawanza Colvin of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church and Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, followed by fan testimonials and a candlelight vigil outside on the Museum’s Plaza. A limited supply of candles will be available on a first-come, first-served basis courtesy of the Rock Hall. Fans are also welcome to bring a Jackson-inspired memento to the event; the Rock Hall will provide a memorial space.

For more information visit the Rock Hall website.

Free Concert (7/08)

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Looking for something to get you through "hump day" the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame kicks off their FREE summer sessions on the Museum Plaza. (weather permitting, if necessary it will be moved inside to the Main Stage) at 7 pm

This weeks musicians include "Man Man" and Clevelands' own, "Mystery of Two."

The New York Times describes Man Man as a “delirious, scrapheap-eclectic Philadelphia outfit.” Previously opening for such established bands as Modest Mouse, the Arcade Fire and Cat Power, Man Man may best be known for their non-stop live shows of kaleidoscopic sound. Their first album on Anti-Records, Rabit Habits, was released this year. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the first stops on the group’s recently announced headlining tour that begins July 3rd.



Original experimental indie rock may be hard to come by these days, but Cleveland act Mystery of Two does a notable job of channeling influences (Pere Ubu, Talking Heads and fIREHOSE) in its debut, Arrows Are All You Know. The Plain Dealer raves, “This first effort can be considered a bull’s-eye.”



For details and a list of the complete musical lineup visit www.rockhall.com

Good Dog Fay (7/01-8/16)

July 1st, 2009 - August 16, 2009

The Akron Art Museum is extatic to be one of only two venues to present William Wegman: Fay, a wonderfully witty and moving exhibition about the artistic collaboration between William Wegman (b. 1943) and his celebrated Weimaraner Fay (1984 - 1995).

The breadth of Wegman’s audience is truly remarkable. In addition to being internationally renowned in art circles, he is one of the few artists to successfully disseminate his work—especially the photographs, videos and books featuring his beloved Weimaraner dogs—through the mass media.

Wegman is a conceptual artist who works in many different media. Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1943, he graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1965 with a BFA in painting. Subsequently, he enrolled in the Masters painting and printmaking program at the University of Illinois. In 1970, he moved to southern California and began exhibiting his photographs. He was one of the earliest artists to explore video and has used photography for over four decades.



While living in California, Wegman acquired Man Ray, a Weimaraner whom he named after the surrealist French photographer. The dog became his partner in both life and art during their 12 year collaboration. Man Ray became so famous that, upon his passing, he was named ‘Man of the Year’ by the New York City newspaper The Village Voice.

To hang with Wegman and Fay visit Akron Museum of Art

Summer Solstice Soirée (6/20)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Welcome the longest day of the year with an all-night party celebrating the Cleveland Museum of Arts new East Wing. Be the first to unveil the new east wing (I hear they painted the walls a fabulous shade of yello-ish green!).



The evening is a progressive party-bash, something for all, not to be missed. The evening starts at 5pm with the most fancy option..."Eventide"-Experience the party from its beginning and enjoy open bars. $150 public, CMA members $100. At 7pm - Twilight beginns, join the party a little later in the evening, but keep the party going until 2am $55 public, CMA members $35. At 10pm come for "Solstice," welcome in the Summer Solstice with us at the end of the evening and close down the party at
2am $15 all tickets.

If you want to take your chance at luck visit the daily CMA blog contest here. Answer the "noodle Vision" question and earn a chance to win free tickets to the event!

Not to be missed...DJ Rekha (beginning at 11:30 pm) NYC’s “Basement Bhangra” queen melds Indian dance music with electronica. Get ready to boogie like bollywood!



For more information including the hour-by-hour music showcases visit Cleveland Museum of Art

Art Stuff Sale (6/03-06)

Wednesday, June 3rd through Saturday June 6th, 2009
(CMA members and staff get an exclusive preview day on June 3rd, 2009)

Join the art crew from the Cleveland Museum of Art a they unload their warehouse of art stuff at this years "Art Store Warehouse Sale."



Books, jewelry, posters, umbrellas, scarves, ties, T-shirts, DVDs, CDs, postcards and more are among the items available for purchase. Some products are inspired by works in the museum collection. Items will be 30-70% off.

10am to 5pm at 3635 Perkins Ave, Docks C & D.

Road Trip : Bike Museum

It’s supposed to be such a nice weekend, why not plan to take a LONG bike ride (almost 200 miles Yo!) to the Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen, OH (3 hrs by car).

The Museum has more than 300 bikes on display and more than 1,000 sets of wheels on rotation. Take a tour or explore the collection on your own, no helmets required! :) The museum covers the history of the bike from the early 1800’s to the most recent BMX designs.



For more details on this Ohio gem, visit www.bicyclemuseum.com.

Celebrate Darwin (2/12-15)

Thursday, February 12th through Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Join the staff of the Cleveland Botanical Gardens as they invite you to Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birthday and the 150th anniversary of The Origin of Species.

An English naturalist Darwin realised and demonstrated that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called "natural selection." The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and much of the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life



A special display of rare books and hands-on activities will be part of the Museums celebration. Free with Garden Admission, no registration required. 1-3pm

For more event details, hours and directions visit www.cbgarden.org

a "sparkling" exhibit

I know I may have mentioned this happening prior....but I wanted to make a note of the most exquisite exhibit I have ever seen and urge everyone to MAKE TIME over this final week to visit the “Artistic Luxury” exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art... it is stunning.

This past Friday evening I had the privilege of exploring the works of Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian), Louis Comfort Tiffany (American), and René Lalique (French) with my three friends (Clevelanders). It was an evening of “oohhss” and “aaahhhs”. There were lots of “We should have been born in another era” dreamy comments. We were drawn to the sparkles of diamond headbands and orchid broaches wondering who exactly had the honor of accessorizing their “going out” clothes with such bling. Our imaginations ran wild with thoughts of royalty all adorned and poised just so.



Artistic Luxury offers a glimpse—through the stunning creations of three great artists—into the world of the rich and famous during the years leading up to the First World War. Each designer was known for his own characteristic style and achievement, and the exhibition devotes a separate gallery to each jeweler, recreating the ambiance of the Paris world’s fair.

The 6-7 room exhibit was filled to the brim with works that will only grace the walls of the museum for one more week. Don’t miss it! The museum is open late this Wednesday until 9pm and Friday until midnight. Cost : CMA members FREE, $17 adults, $12 college students & seniors. $8 children ages 6–18. For more details visit www.clevelandart.org.

Celebrate Polka

I knew that Polka was BIG here in Cleveland, but what I didn't know was that we actually have a National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame located in our backyard!

The Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of polka music, the happiest sound around. Polka has its roots in Slovenian folk music, but the influence of American musicians has given it universal appeal and popularity. Just as English and Irish music has evolved into country music, the polka represents the music of central Europe.



The Polka Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the Shore Cultural Center in Euclid, Ohio, in close proximity to the Collinwood neighborhood where leading polka musicians lived such as Frankie Yankovic, Johnny Vadnal, Johnny Pecon and Eddie Habat. The Museum has free admission and is open five days a week. For directions and holiday hours visit www.clevelandstyle.com