SPACES Gallery opened its Plum Academy last Friday,
and the “Dis-Orientation” session was only the beginning. More
“classes” continue to roll out each week, including Elaine Hullihen’s
workshop “Float a Float” (noon-4 p.m. Saturday), a studio class in
which students will learn to make wearable floatation devices and, the
following week, float them down the river. On September 24, there’s
“Graffiti Frost” (6:30-8:30 p.m.), where facilitator Maria Samuelson
“will overview the parallel aesthetic underpinnings and corresponding
practice elements of graffiti and cake decorating.” To sign up for
these or other upcoming classes, go to SPACESgallery.org.
“What if the amazing, mile-long space inside the Detroit-Superior
Bridge were open to the public? How would you use it?” That’s the
question posed to students of the Cleveland Urban Design Center of
Kent State University, in conjunction with the Bridge
Project (Sept. 25-26). The brainchild of James Levin and CUDC
director Terry Schwarz, the Bridge Project will liven the space below
street level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge by adding exhibits,
performances, video installations and more. But the publicly owned
space begs for more frequent and imaginative use, and that’s what CUDC
is after. Among the ideas submitted: viewing platforms to invite
visitors to take in the expanse of the Cuyahoga River Valley as it
opens out to Lake Erie; a “zip line” for recreational use; big, pink,
sculptural arrows to draw attention to the space; and even a shopping
center. Go to bridgeprojectvote.com to see more
ideas and vote for your favorite.
Sculptor Jerry Schmidt is trying to clear out his Collinwood
studio to make room for new work. In addition to the deep discounts one
might expect, he’s offering the opportunity to “rent a piece of
Schmidt.” To see what kind of Schmidt is available for rent or talk
about getting some Schmidt of your own, contact the artist at Waterloo
7 Gallery (16006 Waterloo Rd., 239.293.9548).
What struck us most upon reading The New York Times obit for
poet and punk rocker Jim Carroll was that he made it to age 60.
Carroll — author of The Basketball Diaries and the song
“People Who Died,” among other gritty tales of drug addiction and moral
struggle — died of a heart attack Friday, September 11, while
working at his desk.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2009.