Color Us Impressed

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve hosts their first-ever alfresco art-making event as painters and sculptors hit the streets for this weekend’s Color Me Cleveland celebration. “You’ll witness artists working in a plein-air environment, taking impressions of spaces and people throughout the city,” says organizer Andrew Schlauch. “They will be recording facets of Cleveland from all corners of the city.”

Look for artists at Edgewater Park, the Flats, University Circle, and downtown. Pedestrians, buildings, and landmarks will serve as impromptu muses for more than 40 local oil painters, watercolorists, and sculptors. And there’s a pretty good chance viewers will get involved. Peggy Kwong-Gordon plans to record onlookers’ reactions to her giant mirror, while sculptor Mario Kujawski will use items he finds in the street in his multimedia piece. “The artists picked the location that fit their scheme and their mode of expression,” says Schlauch. After everything is completed tomorrow afternoon, Artists Archives will display the work at its gallery for the next week. Then all the paintings and sculptures will be auctioned off. “We have such a great variety of creative resources,” says Schlauch. “It’s a great event, showcasing not just the artists, but Cleveland itself.”
Aug. 3-4, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Aug. 6-10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.