Avenue of the Arts 2020

2020 Event Date: September 11, 6-10pm--Along Superior Avenue between East 18th Street and East 25th Street.

Located on the eastern edge of Cleveland's Downtown, the Superior Arts District, is home to approximately 100 working artists that have studios in the City's former garmet and textile manufacturing buildings--specifically along Superior Avenue.

In 2018 a group of visual artists located in the ArtCraft Building (25th and Superior) came together to put on a special summer gallery show.  Their idea was to create an opportunity to elevate local, neighborhood artists.  Those artists reached out to Campus District for assitance in securing music and food trucks, and from there the idea grew.  Avenue of the Arts was created, an event that took visitors on Superior Avenue's journey from garment district to artist district.  Our planning team grew to include representatives from arts hubs across the district beyond the ArtCraft Building--Tower Press, Lake Affect Studios, Superior Sound, FP Creative, and more.  While 2018 had a very small turnout, it created the blueprint for a strong vision to be carried forward by talented individuals.

And in 2019, that's exactly what happened. Avenue of the Arts drew 400 people (even in a nasty thunderstorm!) and included history tours of the neighborhood, historic garments made in the area lent to us by WRHS, original projection work, live studio recordings, open studios, special gallery exhibitions, interactive artwork, and even a sundae bar.  The hard work really showed.

2020 will be Avenue of the Arts's third year and the planning team will build on last year's road map.  The hope for 2020 is to have even more musicians, open studios, and original works than last year.  Additionally, a long-time vision of the group that they hope to execute this year is a fashion show--honoring the garment history of the area but elevating local designers.  The team has already begun meeting and cannot wait for September! 

The Avenue of the Arts Planning Team meets monthly and our Fundraising Committee, Marketing Committee, History Committee, Fashion Show Committee, and Street Activation Committee all meet outside of those monthly meetings as well.

February-May: The focus of our efforts will be fundraising and booking musicians/visual artists

May: All musicians, artists, and contractors will be finalized

June: We will ramp up our marketing efforts for AOA

June-September: The focus of our efforts will be marketing and logistics planning

Event Date: September 11, 2020, 6:00-10:00pm

In January of 2019 the Avenue of the Arts Planning Team members and event participants (mostly neighborhood artists) from 2018 came together to solidify the goals for this event which are:

1. Promote the Superior Arts District and create enthusiasm for the area

2. Promote artists/crafters/makers and create an outlet for sale of goods/work

3. Integrate the community: bring together folks working in the area, studying in the area, and living in the area through the arts

4. Keep people in the district past 9-5 work hours

5. Tell the history of the district

Additionally, the sentiment in the community is that a thriving arts event showcases the value of artist districts in Cleveland.  As development continues in Downtown, artists are at risk of being priced out of their studios.  Events like Avenue of the Arts demonstrate the vibrancy and energy artists infuse into their neighborhoods and for that reason their spaces need to be preserved and elevated.