CMA Gauguin Exhibition Opens

This landmark exhibition gathers about 75 paintings, works on paper, woodcarvings, and ceramics by Paul Gauguin and his contemporaries to explore how the artist created his signature style during the year 1889 when Paris 1889 was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its revolution. The world watched as they hosted the “Exposition Universelle.” On the grounds of the exposition, where Gustave Eiffel created his famous tower, artist Paul Gauguin and his contemporaries exhibited in the Café des Arts. The Cleveland Museum of Art has gathered 75 works of art, paintings, ceramics, woodcarvings and lithographs created while Gauguin traveled from Brittany, Arles, Martinique and Tahiti. Come enjoy the art of the man who said, “ I shut my eyes in order to see.” The exhibit is open until January 18, 2010.

Western Reserve Historical Society
Choosing to Participate

This multi-media exhibition, with four compelling stories, challenges us to examine choices we make as individuals and communities. This show will be a catalyst for discussion on race, culture and faith. Two companion exhibitions highlight student artwork and “Upstanders,” local inspirational heroes. The exhibition is open until February 28, 2010.

Kent State Museum

This museum celebrates fashion and decorative arts. It is a treasure and well worth the drive to the university town of Kent. Begin your tour with the famous engravings from the Parisian “Gazette du Bon-Ton.” Lucien Vogel in 1912 set out to create a luxury modern fashion magazine. Produced in limited editions on handmade paper, the illustrations were intended to convey the elegant and witty apparel ideas of the Parisian design houses. The exhibit also includes mannequins wearing the beautiful clothes of Poiret, Worth, Lanvin and other designers of this era. The exhibit is open until May 30, 2010.

On the second floor of the museum is an amazing show, “Confessions and the Sense of Self,” by Professor Noël Palomo-Lovinski of the Fashion School. The show focuses on the relationship between style and popular culture. Using public confessions from the internet, she scans the confessions, many shocking and some humorous, onto fabric. She then creates dresses reflecting the hidden truths and anxieties. In an adjacent gallery is a magnificent display of embroidery from different cultures. Enjoy an afternoon in this delightful location.

The Cowan Pottery Museum

Visit the Rocky River Public Library to see a unique collection of Cowan pottery, which was made at the Cowan Pottery Studio in Lakewood, Ohio from 1913 – 1917 and in Rocky River, Ohio from 1920 – 1931. It was one of the nation’s leading potteries during the 1920s and the Cleveland area’s only major pottery.

Also on view is a punch bowl by world-famous Victor Schreckengost, who joined Cowan Pottery in 1930 and worked at the studio three days a week.

Admission to the library is free, and private tours can be arranged by contacting the curator, Carol Jacobs. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Call 216.333.7610 for directions to this unique museum, or visit the web site at.www.cowanpottery.org for more information

Bioneers Annual Conference
November 5, 6, and 7

Founded in 2006, Bioneers Cleveland promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and healing our human communities. This year’s conference will focus on Northeastern Ohio's Local Food Systems, featuring local and national experts in the field. For more information or to register, call 216.523.7730 or visit the Bioneers website at www.bioneerscleveland.org.

A Taste of Old Cleveland

Want a taste of Old Cleveland? Want to see a rich treasure, with an enduring history, architectural features and ethnic mix? Visit the West Side Market, a 96-yeear-old landmark that has been designated as one of the “10 Great Public Spaces in America” by the American Planning Association, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group that promotes urban and rural planning.

Located at the corner of W. 25th and Lorain, the West Side Market, a massive yellow-brick building with an interior concourse providing room for 100 stalls, an outdoor arcade with 85 stands, and a large clock tower, is open Monday & Wednesday from 7 am — 4 pm and Friday & Saturday from 7 am — 6 pm.

At the Market, visit the butcher shops to see meat hanging on a hook as in the old days. Or sample the amazing variety of pastries or ethnic foods available in Cleveland. It is truly one of Cleveland’s treasures! Visit the web site.

Visit Lake Metroparks Farmpark!

At Lake Metroparks Farmpark, a hands-on experience may mean milking a cow, grooming a horse, grinding wheat, driving a draft horse-powered plow or petting a three-horned Jacob sheep. The variety of activities at the Kirtland park depends on the day and the weather, but there is always plenty going on at this 235-acre working farm and indoor-outdoor "museum" that explores agricultural methods both traditional and futuristic.

The Corn and Pumpkin Harvest Weekend are October 11 and 12. Both events are included with Farmpark admission of $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for children ages 2-11. A three-acre corn maze is open through Sunday, October 12.

For more information, call 1-800-366-3276 or 440-256-2122 or check out the web site.