(Plain Press July 2024)

ARTS

CLARK-FULTON ART SURVEY: In partnership with Future Graphics Ink , Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center, and Young Latino Network, we are seeking community input about a new art exhibition that will highlight the Clark-Fulton neighborhood and will be featured in the Cleveland Foundation Headquarters. To take the survey, visit tinyurl.com/Clark-Fulton-Art.

DRAWING WORKSHOP FOR TEENS: Join artist Julissa Bruno at the Julio De Burgos Cultural Arts Center (2800 Archwood Ave.) for this free drawing workshop for teenagers entitled “Que Lindos Recuerdos” on Friday, July 19 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The workshop will focus on drawing and sharing stories of our collective Latino heritage, as drawing is a way of remembering. All artworks completed at the workshop will later be featured at an exhibition at Case’s Sears [think]box this fall. Register at juliadeburgos.org/calendar. Questions? Call 216-894-5664 or email info@juliadeburgos.org.

FREE OPEN STUDIO: Make and paint summer dioramas with teaching artist Joyce Marrow Jones Saturday, July 20 from 1 pm to 3 pm at Art House Inc. (3119 Denison Ave). All supplies included! Visit arthouseinc.org for more information.

THE SATELLITE FUND: Administered by SPACES and supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Satellite Fund is an opportunity for Cuyahoga County visual artists/collectives, curators, and cultural producers to create a public visual art project in Cuyahoga County. In addition to financial support ($12,000 awarded to 5 visual artists/collectives) SPACES will provide grant recipients access to on-site art production facilities, mentorship, network opportunities, and a SPACES ArtsPass membership. Apply now at thesatellitefund.org.

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, July 27.

ASSISTANCE

BACKPACK GIVEAWAY: On July 27, 10am-12pm, Story Church (9900 Madison Ave) will have a FREE backpack giveaway for students in grades K-12.

DRIVE THRU FOOD DISTRIBUTION, sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, will take place at the Thomas McCafferty Clinic (4242 Lorain Ave.) the third Wednesday of each month until November, beginning at 10:30 am. The next three events will be July 17, August 21, and September 18. Please clear your trunk before arriving. We cannot enter anyone’s vehicle to load food. You must pre-register at freshtrak.com.

SATURDAY SUMMER LUNCH FOR KIDS: Bethany Presbyterian Church (6415 West Clinton Ave) is sponsoring a FREE Saturday Summer Lunch program, June 15-August 3, for ages 5-12. Each week the program will include different arts and crafts activities. Pre-registration is encouraged by email, at bethanymealsprogram@gmail.com, or by calling Rev. Robin Schreiber at 216-651-2693. Please include the number of children, their ages, and contact info for their caregiver.

COMMUNITY

CRIME STOPPERS of Cuyahoga County offers rewards of up to $5,00 for tips about crimes that lead to an arrest. Tipsters remain anonymous. Call in a tip at 216-252-7463. Send a web tip to 25crime.com.

EXTERIOR PAINT PROGRAM: The City of Cleveland is once again accepting applications for its Exterior Paint Program, which gives residents vouchers to purchase paint and supplies to repaint their homes. Applicants do not need to own their homes to be eligible. To learn more, call the City’s Division of Neighborhood Services at 216-664-2045

NEW CLEVELAND FLAG: Got an idea for a new Cleveland flag? A volunteer group of Clevelanders is looking for city flag designs. You can submit yours at cleflag.org.

SEWER DISTRICT SATURDAY OFFICE HOURS: The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District office, at 3900 Euclid Ave., will now be open the first Saturday of each month from 8 am to 11 am. Customers can take advantage of the new hours to make a payment, get help with their account, and apply for cost-saving options. For more information, visit neorsd.org or call 216-881-8247.

SPEED TABLES INSTALLATION: This summer, the City of Cleveland will install the first 100 speed tables of its citywide traffic calming program. Speed tables are vertical bumps in the road that cause drivers to slow down to drive over them. Speed tables are flat on the top and are not as abrupt as speed bumps, which are narrower and rounded. To view an interactive map of current and planned speed table locations, or to request a speed table for your neighborhood, visit https://tinyurl.com/23jtt9wu.

DONATIONS

MALACHI HOUSE, which serves persons who are terminally ill without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin and without cost to the resident or family, is seeking donations of various food items and household goods to help support their mission. At this time, they are especially in need of soda (no diet please) and 13-gallon kitchen trash bags. For a full list of needed supplies, visit malachihouse.org. Donations can be dropped off at Malachi House (2810 Clinton Ave.) during regular business hours. Questions? Email vwilliams@malachihouse.org or call 216-621-8831.

RED CROSS BLOOD AND PLATELET DONATIONS: By scheduling and keeping appointments in July, donors can help provide for those in immediate need of lifesaving care. To schedule an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

ST. THEO’S RESTORATION FUND: After a fire damaged the historic St. Theodosius Cathedral in Tremont in late May, the church is seeking donations to help pay for repairs. You can donate online at sttheodosius.org or in person at Lucky’s Cafe (777 Starkweather Ave).

EVENTS

CITY STAGES is a free outdoor concert series hosted by the Cleveland Museum of Art outside its Transformer Station (1490 W 29th St.) in the Hingetown area of Ohio City. This year, the concerts will take place on three Wednesdays in July, starting at 7:30 pm : July 10 featuring Pahua, July 17 featuring Wesli, and July 31 featuring Bia Ferreira.

CLEVELAND READS BLOCK PARTY: The Carnegie West branch (1900 Fulton Rd) of Cleveland Public Library invites you to its free Cleveland READS Block Party (featuring food, games and music) on Thursday, July 11 from 4 pm to 7 pm. The event will take place outside at Frank Novak Park, which is right next to the Carnegie West library.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS: The annual Independence Day fireworks event, “Light Up the Lake”, returns to Downtown Cleveland Thursday, July 4. Fireworks will be launched by a professional crew from the Port of Cleveland beginning at sundown (around 9 pm) and will last 20 minutes. Some viewing location ideas include Settlers Landing, Flats East Bank, Superior Viaduct, Voinovich Bicentennial Park, Kirtland Park, Gordon Park, Edgewater Park, and Whiskey Island.

GARDEN WALK CLEVELAND offers free, self-guided tours of gardens, urban farms, vineyards, orchards, and more in various Cleveland neighborhoods. Tour at your own pace in each of the annually designated Cleveland neighborhoods. This year’s event will be on Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14, from 10 am to 5 pm each day. The Saturday neighborhoods will be: Fairfax, Glenville, Ohio City, Old Brooklyn, Tremont, and West Park. The Sunday neighborhoods will be: Broadway Slavic Village, Clifton-Baltic, Collinwood, Detroit Shoreway, and Little Italy. For more information, visit gardenwalkcleveland.org.

METROPARKS SUMMER CONCERTS: Cleveland Metroparks has announced its FREE Summer Concert Series taking place at six waterfront parks, including these dates at Edgewater Beach: Thursday, June 27, 4-8pm (featuring reggae group Shakeground); Thursday, July 25, 4-8pm (featuring reggae band Carlos Jones & the PLUS Band); and Thursday, August 15, 4-8pm (featuring Oldskool, which plays high-energy party music). Visit clevelandmetroparks.com for more info.

TASTE OF TREMONT, an annual street festival that showcases the best of Tremont’s food, art and entertainment, returns to take over historic Professor Ave. on Sunday, July 21 from noon to 8 pm. As the neighborhood is home to some of the most talented chefs in the region, we invite you to join us and enjoy a day filled with exquisite cuisines, live music and shopping. Questions? Email juliedahlhausen@tremontwest.org or call 216-575-0920 x 108.

RECREATION

AQUARIUM FREE ADMISSION: Greater Cleveland Aquarium (2000 Sycamore St.) will offer free admission (and validated parking) for military personnel and first responders during Fourth of July weekend, from Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 8. Eligible guests must present a relevant ID to verify eligibility. Offer is only available

in-person. Visit greaterclevelandaquarium.com to learn more.

CYCLE CANALWAY: Get out on your bike this summer with Cycle Canalway and our Sunday Social Rides! On the third Sunday of each month, June through September, we’ll be offering free guided bike rides. Our next ride will be Sunday, July 21, from 10 am-12 pm. This ride will begin at Canal Basin Park (989 West St.) and will explore the trails connecting to Redline Greenway and will be about 7 miles roundtrip. Bicycles should be in good working order. Helmets are required. Visit canalwaypartners.com/events to sign up.

FREE MONDAYS AT THE ZOO: On Mondays, the zoo is FREE for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township. To confirm your residency, bring your driver’s license or state ID or a current utility bill with your Cuyahoga Cty. or Hinckley Twp. address along with a photo ID.

FREE SUMMER GYM MEMBERSHIP FOR TEENS: Teens ages 14-19 can work out for free this summer by signing up for a High School Summer Pass at any Planet Fitness location, including the Ohio City location, (3333 Lorain Ave). Sign up in person or online at planetfitness.com/summerpass. Teens under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when signing up.

GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER FREE DAYS: Thanks to a grant from the Mandel Supporting Foundation, the Great Lakes Science Center (601 Erieside Ave.) will offer free general admission for guests of all ages on select days this year. The first four dates, subject to change, will be Sunday, June 23; Monday, July 15; Sunday, August 4; and Sunday, August 18. Four additional free dates will be announced later this summer. General admission at the Science Center includes the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, the Polymer Funhouse (for those 7 and younger), special programming, and hundreds of hands-on and interactive science exhibits.

TAKE A HIKE: Join us for one of our free in-person walking tours of various Cleveland neighborhoods and historic landmarks. For July, our tours include: the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Sunday, July 14 at 1 pm and 2 pm; Ohio City every Wednesday at 6 pm (meet at Lekko Coffee, 2529 Detroit Ave.); Public Square + Malls every Thursday at 6 pm (meet at Rebol, on the southwest corner of Public Square); and Canal Basin + Towpath every Saturday at 10 am (meet at Flat Iron Cafe, 1114 Center St). Space is limited and pre-registration is recommended. For the bridge tours, advance registration is required. Learn more at takeahikecle.com.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

CONNECTING FOR KIDS WORKSHOP – SUMMER SURVIVAL: Do you want strategies to motivate your child towards positive behavior? Has the lack of routine over the summer created chaos in your home? Join us Thursday, July 18 at 6:30 pm at the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library (15425 Detroit Ave.), when Ochanya McRoberts-Wells, M. Ed. will lead a discussion guided by your questions on summer behavior survival. Submit your questions before or during the session and learn how to use the tools in our Behavior Toolkit to help your child. Each attendee will receive a free Behavior Toolkit. The content of this program is geared toward caregivers of children 18 months to 6 years old with or without development concerns. Register online at connectingforkids.org/workshops. Childcare is available for this event, registration is required.

FREE SUMMER ART CAMPS at Art House Inc. (3119 Denison Ave) for youth and families. July 8-11: Creative Kids: Felting & Collage with Rahamel Lockett (morning) and Hybrid Watercolor Landscape Painting with Chi-Irena Wong (afternoon). July 22-25: Garden pARTy with Meri Ruble (morning) and Hybrid Eco Fashion Design with Chi-Irena Wong (afternoon). Register now at arthouseinc.org.

THE METANOIA SUMMER PROJECT will run through Wednesday, July 31. This summer, we will be operating out of St. Paul Community Church (4427 Franklin Blvd.) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 am to 1 pm. We will be offering our guests educational resources, narcan training, mindfulness practices, art therapy, and other exciting activities. Visit metanoiaproject.org for more information. Please note that the Summer Program will NOT be operating on July 16, 17, or 18.

VOLUNTEERING

ST. AUGUSTINE HEALTH MINISTRIES is seeking volunteers for its community garden (first Saturday of each month). You’ll be helping senior residents at 7801 Detroit Ave to enjoy their outdoor space. If interested, please contact Caroline DiFabio at cdifabio@st-aug.org or 216-939-7601.