The Observer, February 2, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 15
Cultural events heat up Cleveland in February
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Though the ground may be frozen, Cleveland's cultural landscape remains in bloom throughout the month of February, with numerous events commemorating Black History Month, as well as new openings at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Here are a few that shouldn't be missed:
Ever the champion of diversity, Case is holding several events throughout February to commemorate Black History Month, including a Black History Month Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 20 in Guilford Parlor featuring an actress from the performing group Women in History, who will portray African-American social worker and attorney Jane Edna Hunter. Sponsored by the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, this luncheon is free and open to the public.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs will also present a collection of student presentations on African-American history in Through the Eyes of Case African American Students, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., Feb. 23, in Thwing Center; admission is free, and samples of soul food will be given out. For more information, contact Arlet Wright at 368-2904, or Colleen Barker-Williamson at 368-2976.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library is sponsoring a number of readings, activities, and events through February in honor of Black History Month. From now through Feb. 28, the Warrensville Branch will be displaying dolls and quilts created by the African-American Quilting and Doll Making Guild, which will be available for viewing during library hours. On Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m., the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch will host a performance by the Cleveland BoyChoir, an organization created to help inner-city boys explore new opportunities and potential through music. For more information and to register for the performance, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org.
For those who have been pining over the closed doors and empty halls of the Cleveland Museum of Art, a new exhibit opens this month which is sure to raise spirits. Monet in Normandy, the first scholarly exhibition to explore the unique and prolific relationship between Monet and his native landscape, takes the place of Barcelona! on Feb. 18, and runs through May 20. The exhibit will feature many familiar works, such as examples from his serial paintings of the Rouen Cathedral, and run the gamut from impressionistic to abstract. Best of all, admission is free to Case students. For more information, visit www.cma.org.
If you're looking for something a little more avant-garde, take heart. The Cleveland Institute of Art's 60th annual Student Independent Exhibition opens on Feb. 17. This student-curated exhibition will feature works in many different media by CIA students. Admission is free. For more information, check out www.cia.edu.
Toward the end of the month, the Cleveland Institute of Music puts on Strauss' popular operetta, Die Fledermaus, which opens Feb. 29 at 8 p.m. Even those unfamiliar with opera will enjoy this hilarious, over-the-top spectacle, which features students on stage as well as in the pit. The price of admission is $10 for students and seniors, and $15 for others; for more information, visit www.cim.edu.
Cleveland may be cold, but it is also a hotbed of cultural activity, and many events this month will take place on or near campus, so there's no excuse to decry a lack of entertainment. Stray outside your comfort zone and check out one of these spectacular cultural offerings; you won't be sorry.
