(Plain Press May 2024)

ARTS

COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER: The Pivot Art Center (2937 W 25 St.) offers free drop-in art making and gallery exploration for the whole family during open hours: Fridays 2pm-7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10 am-5 pm. For group visits during open and non-open hours, email commartsinfo@clevelandart.org. For a full list of upcoming events, visit pivotartcenter.com.

FAMILY OPEN STUDIO: Arthouse Inc. (3119 Denison Ave.) offers a family-friendly, pay-what-you-can art workshop on the third Saturday of each month from 1pm-3 pm. This month’s Family Open Studio will be on May 18. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Visit arthouseinc.org to sign up or call 216-398-8556 for more information.

FREE CONCERT: Presented by Arts Renaissance Tremont, the Verona String Quartet will perform Sunday, May 5 at 4 pm at St. Wendelin Church (2281 Columbus Rd.) For more information, visit artconcerts.org. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

MADISON ART MARKET: Comebrowse local crafts and goods from your favorite artists and makers at this outdoor craft fair from 11 am-5pm on Saturday, May 11 next to Good Earth Farm (9600 Madison Ave).

MUSIC@MAIN: Baroque music group Les Délices returns to the Cleveland Public Library Main Branch (325 Superior Ave.) for a free concert titled “Sounds of Sancho’s London” with music composed and published by Charles Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780) including Scottish reels, country dances, and parlor songs inspired by Shakespeare. Saturday, May 11 at 2 pm in the Popular North Reading Room.

ST. PAUL’S STREET STUDIO: Missing a chance to play live music or share poetry in person? Check out the St. Paul’s Street Studio and join us to share music/spoken word in a peaceful atmosphere of respect. We provide a piano, drums, acoustic guitars, and microphones…and an encouraging circle of listeners. All are welcome! The event is held at St. Paul’s Community Church, 4427 Franklin Blvd from 1 pm – 2:30 pm in the sanctuary. This month’s session is on Saturday, May 11. For more information, contact Ian Heisey at 216-973-1486 or heisey2140@sbcglobal.net.

STATION HOPE: Cleveland Public Theatre presents Station Hope, Saturday, May 25, 7-10 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, 2600 Church Avenue. Free and open to all. Station Hope is a free jubilant community festival celebrating Cleveland’s social justice heritage and exploring contemporary struggles for freedom and equity in the form of short theatrical pieces, storytelling, music, dance and visual art installations on the grounds of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland’s first authenticated underground Railroad site.

EDUCATION

BEGINNERS’ ART FOR ADULTS: This free, interactive class allows adults to try their hand at visual art in a no-pressure setting. Each week, we’ll explore new materials and techniques, so feel free to join anytime. The library provides all supplies – no experience is required! Please register at cpl.org/locations/Jefferson. The next class will be Saturday, May 18 from 2-4 p.m. at the Jefferson Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (850 Jefferson Avenue). Registration is required. Questions? Call 216-623-7004 or email jefferson.branch@cpl.org.

FREE BOOKS for kids ages 0-5: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails kids one free book each month until their 5^th birthday. Any child in Ohio between birth and age 5 is eligible for the program. To sign up, visit: OhioimaginationLibrary.org.

FREE CLASSES FOR SENIORS: Through Program 60, Ohio residents age 60 and older can register for regularly scheduled credit and noncredit courses at Tri-C on an audit, tuition-free, space available basis. Must register in person at an Enrollment Center. tri-c.edu/program60, 216-987-6000, enroll@tri-c.edu.

SEEDS OF LITERACY offers free adult basic education and GED classes and one-on-one tutoring. Services are available at both their westside (3104 W 25 St, third floor) and eastside locations (13815 Kinsman Ave). Call 216-661-7950 or visit seedsofliteracy.org to enroll.

2GEN: Are you a parent or guardian struggling to find or keep stable, well-paying employment? Do you have a child ages 16-21 who is at risk of delayed high school graduation? 2GEN at Tri-C offers personal and academic support to help adults and their teen children earn a high school diploma or equivalent and an in-demand work credential. For more information: seleina.tigglers@tri-c.edu or 216-987-3217.

ENVIRONMENT

CLIMATE CHANGE TALK: The Cleveland Westside Village invites the public to Here Comes the Rain: Climate Impacts in Northeast Ohio, presented

by Scott Hardy, PhD of the Ohio Sea Grant College program. Monday, May 6 at 3 pm at the Carnegie West library, doors open at 2:30. Be prepared to leave with greater knowledge of and appreciation for our great lake.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES is a free after-school field science experience for middle and high school students run by Case Western Reserve University’s Leonard Gelfand STEM Center (10900 Euclid Ave). Self-motivated participants will engage in real science with the guidance of experts, collecting and analyzing environmental data in the Lake Erie watershed. Participants will be selected in a competitive application and interview process. Completed applications for the 2024-’25 school year are due June 30. For more information, visit gelfand.case.edu or contact Kathryn Kwiatkowski: Kmk21@case.edu, 216-368-5075.

NUISANCE WILDLIFE TRAPPING: The City of Cleveland Division of Animal Care and Control offers trapping of “nuisance” wildlife (skunks, groundhogs, opossums, and raccoons) from May 1 through October 31. These animals are euthanized and disposed of, if removed from your property. Traps are loaned for a $20 refundable fee. (Note: this service does not handle animals trapped in your home. It is your responsibility to handle that situation.) Call 216-664-3069.

RIVERSWEEP: Join Canalway Partners, dozens of other community groups, and hundreds of volunteers on Saturday, May 4 at 9 am for this annual litter clean-up, to help keep garbage out of our beloved rivers and lake. Various clean-up sites are located along the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. To pick a location and to sign up to volunteer, visit canalwaypartners.com. Volunteer spots are limited. When you arrive at your chosen clean-up site, the site leader will greet you with an event t-shirt and provide cleaning supplies and further instructions. Please only register at one location. Registered volunteers will receive an email invitation to a Thank You Party after the clean-up event. Don’t forget to RSVP to the party! Questions? Contact Canalway Partners at 216-520-1825.

EVENTS

BIKE-A-THON: Join Metro West Community Development Organization and your fellow community members for the Stockyard Neighborhood Bike-A-Thon, on Saturday, May 14 from 10 am-2 pm beginning at Clark School (5550 Clark Ave). Registration begins at 10 am, with a helmet decorating station and other activities, followed by a neighborhood ride starting at noon. Note: All participants under the age of 18 must have a release form signed by a parent. All participants under 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Participants aged 10 or under who pre-register online will receive a free helmet.

BIKE FIX-A-THON: Neighbors have organized this free bike repair event for Friday, May 3 from 4 pm-7 pm at Cudell Rec. Center (1910 West Blvd). Free minor repairs and tune-ups for the first 50 bikes provided by Ohio City Bicycle Co-op. All ages are welcome. Rain or shine! Pre-register at bit.ly/cudell-fix-a-thon.

CLEVELAND MARATHON: This annual event returns to downtown Cleveland and the near westside on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. The 5k, 10k, and kids run will be on Saturday, followed by the full and half marathons on Sunday. To register for the races, learn how to get involved, or see info about road closures, visit clevelandmarathon.com.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: At this annual event – held on Saturday, May 4 this year – fans can visit a participating independent comic book store to pick up a selection of free comic books and participate in a variety of free activities. Participating nearby stores include Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop in Kamm’s Corners (17462 Lorain Ave.) and Superscript Comics and Games in Lakewood (13361 Madison). To see a list of the comics that will be available this year or to find other participating stores nearby, visit freecomicbookday.com.

SENIOR DAY: The Cleveland Department of Aging will present the 34th annual Senior Day on Wednesday, May 15 at Cleveland Public Hall (500 Lakeside Ave). Programming begins at 10 am with an information fair, followed by lunch at noon and entertainment at 12:30 pm. All seniors are invited to this free event. For more information, call 216-664-2833 or visit clevelandohio.gov/aging.

STATION HOPE is a free jubilant community festival celebrating Cleveland’s social justice heritage and exploring contemporary struggles for freedom and equity in the form of short theatrical pieces, storytelling, music, dance, and visual art installations on the grounds of St. John’s Episcopal Church (2600 Church Ave.), Cleveland’s first authenticated Underground Railroad site. It’s also an opportunity to check out the church’s beautiful original architecture. Saturday, May 25 from 7 pm-10 pm. All are welcome.

LEGAL AID

BRIEF ADVICE CLINIC: Have a legal question?  Legal Aid has answers! Visit this Brief Advice Clinic at the West Park Branch of the Cleveland Public Library(3805 W 157 St.) on Saturday, May 11 to chat with an attorney about a problem related to money, housing, family, employment or other issues. This clinic is first come, first served, no appointments needed. (Only questions on civil legal issues, not criminal problems). Please bring all important paperwork with you. Intake hour is from 10 am to 11 am. In the meantime, Legal Aid is open 24/7 online at lasclev.org, or you can call Legal Aid for help during most business hours at 888-817-3777.

FREE EVICTION HELP: You may qualify for free legal representation at your eviction hearing if you have at least one minor child in your household and meet income guidelines. Call the Legal Aid Society at 216-861-5835 or apply online at lasclev.org to find out if you are eligible for free legal help. The sooner you call, the more a lawyer can do for you.

LIBRARIES

FREE GENEALOGY CLINIC: The Cleveland Public Library’s Genealogy Clinics are informal sessions that allow you to drop in to receive help with your family history and genealogy projects from library staff and expert volunteers from the African American Genealogical Society of Cleveland. Join us anytime between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm on select dates on the 6th floor of the Louis Stokes wing of the Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (525 Superior Ave). Free and open to all! Those new to genealogy, please arrive by 10:45 to take advantage of our group instruction for beginners. The next clinic will be Saturday, May 11. Questions? Call 216-623-2864.

WRITE NOW FREE FICTION GROUP: Join Literary Cleveland and instructor Alex Ashbrook at the Cleveland Public Library Lorain Branch (8216 Lorain Ave.) from 10:30 am to noon, the fourth Saturday of each month for fiction writing and community in this free monthly writing group for adults. Each month we will read samples of published stories and novels for inspiration, discuss craft and form, draft our own fiction writing in response to in-class exercises, and build community among fellow writers. Join us every month or stop by for a single session. This group is great for making progress on an ongoing project or for starting something new. This month’s session will be on Saturday, May 25.

WRITERS AND READERS: Join Tonessa Welch, the First Lady of BMF and an NAACP Image Award Nominee, for a panel about overcoming challenges after incarceration and ways to help formerly incarcerated women blossom into their full potential. Friday, May 4 at 11 am at the Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (525 Superior Ave). Register at cpl.org/upcoming.   

SUMMER PROGRAMS

CAMP FORBES: Registration is now open to spend a week this summer at Cleveland’s free youth residential summer camp, Camp Forbes. Cleveland kids ages 9 to 13 are eligible. Parents or guardians can sign up their child at any of Cleveland’s recreation centers. The child’s birth certificate, shot records, and a utility bill from the last three months are required. Space is limited! For more information, call 216-263-5325.

CAMP KESEM provides a free, week-long overnight summer camp for children of cancer patients. Kesem serves children ages 6-18 who have lost a parent to cancer, have a parent undergoing cancer treatment, or whose parent is a cancer survivor. Contact us at greatercleveland.outreach@kesem.org or 216-815-5585 to learn more.

YOUTH OUTDOORS FELLOWSHIP: The Cleveland Metroparks is now accepting applications for its Youth Outdoors Fellowship Program. The program seeks to provide teens ages 14-18 exposure to the fields of parks and recreation, environmental education and natural resource management. Participants can benefit from resources and activities that help them explore their interests and skills, gain employment experience, and learn about career opportunities. $300 stipends provided for participation. Apply now at www.clevelandmetroparks.com/yofp.

SUPPORT GROUPS

COMMUNITY SAFE SPACE MEETING: People impacted by substance use within their family or community are invited to this free monthly support group, present by Project White Butterfly. We meet the first Sunday of each month from 1 pm-3 pm at Lakewood Family YMCA (16915 Detroit Ave). This month’s meeting will be on Sunday, May 5.

VOLUNTEERING

BUSINESS MENTORS NEEDED: The Cleveland chapter of SCORE is seeking volunteers from the local business community to provide free mentoring and advice to a diverse range of small businesses and entrepreneurs. Contact Michael Lawson at Michael.lawson@scorevolunteer.org or 513-432-2358.

GARDENWALK CLEVELAND, which will be held on Saturday, July 13 and Sunday 14 this year, is currently looking for enthusiastic people interested in volunteering or in including their garden in this year’s event. The garden walks will be held in many Cleveland neighborhoods, including the following westside neighborhoods: Ohio City, Old Brooklyn, Tremont, West Park, Edgewater, and Detroit Shoreway.Visit gardenwalkcleveland.org/get-involved or email us at info@gardenwalkcleveland.org.

REENTRY MENTORSHIP INITIATIVE: The Writers in Residence program is seeking adults interested in mentoring our youth who are incarcerated. Our mentors meet regularly with our youth to help them achieve their goals, build life skills, and develop their self worth as they work to reenter society. Contact us at info@writersnresidence.org.