Arts News

Ralph Lukich, property manager at the former Lake Erie Screw
Building (13000 Athens Ave., Lakewood), says he’s been renting
studio space to artists as fast as he can build it. The building’s
roster of artists has been growing steadily for a few years, and as a
result, open-studio events there have become more frequent. On
Saturday, May 9, the artists open their studios to the public to show
and sell a range of art and fine craft. Participating artists include
Ann Brown, Gina DeSantis, Katie Hanrahan, Hunter Harrison, Peter
Jennings, Marc Konys, Allyson Meier, M.C. Nagel, Martin O’Connor,
Steven Ollay, Ann Onusko, Kari Sanford, Josh Sanford, Ruth
Sholtis-Furyes, Kate Tobin and Liz Trenholme. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Go to
ginadesantisceramics.com for information.

While the late Daniel Thompson was made Cuyahoga County poet
laureate by proclamation rather than any official program or process,
Cleveland Heights’ Heights Writes program has officially
recognized poets laureate on odd-numbered years for the past several
years. The city will recognize its fourth poet laureate, Gail
Bellamy, at its city council meeting at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April
20, at Cleveland Heights City Hall (40 Severance Circle). The selected
poet’s job requirement is to write poems for public events. Bellamy,
who edits Restaurant Hospitality magazine, has been a noted
local writer for years. Previous Cleveland Heights poets laureate were
Meredith Holmes, Loren Weiss and Mary Weems. Heights Arts, in
cooperation with Huron-based Bottom Dog Press, has published an
anthology of work by these Cleveland Heights poets laureate, Awake
At The End, edited by John Panza and outgoing laureate Weems. As
poet Ray McNiece says, “Holmes, Weiss and Weems describe the synergy
between artist and populace as they give their perspectives from ‘the
greenest, leafiest streets’ of the Heights to ‘the real picture, the
cold gray one … where winter has us by the icicles,’ from bustle of
Coventry to the lawns of Oakwood, from the Lee Road Library to Cain
Park, they have their ears to the streets and pens to the pulse of this
diverse neighborhood that is a microcosm of Cleveland.” The book is
$14; it’s available at Heights Arts Gallery (2173 Lee Rd.), or call
216.371.3457 or e-mail register@heightsarts.org.