ISSUE #60 | NOVEMBER 2019 | Submissions: PO Box 6161, Cleveland, Ohio 44101 or [email protected] FR
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Merrick House Open reCleveland Dancem Fest onster Bruce Checefsky ‘The Art of Comedy’ Returns in 2019 with House: an Update on Interviews James at Tremont Public New Works & New Tremont's Neighborhood Jessen Badal Works...page 11 Center...page 4 Workshops...page 6 ...page 7 INSIDE Capturing A Christmas Story House Tim Herron has been developing his own style for decades ...right out in the open, all around our neighborhood
"Just by sitting there, doing it in person—plein air—I’m going to put myself into it, including the mistakes, the flaws, the things that maybe keep it from looking like a photograph…like somebody really studied it, analyzed it, including the mistakes. So, I want my personality in there.” ...story on page 3
Photo by Rich Weiss Page 2 • Issue #60 • The Tremonster • November, 2019 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Tremonster accepts submissions of letters to the editor (PO Box 6161, Cleveland, OH, 44101 or [email protected]). Please include your name, address, and phone number (your name will appear with the letter). Space limits apply. The Tremonster does not edit letters to the editor for clarity nor AP/The Tremonster Style. The opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily represent the views of The Tremonster.
The Tremonster was copied on the below public Today, I was questioned on who on the additional land, through a land swap with the email and reply between Adam Waldbaum steering committee requested the alteration APL for city owned land to enlarge the site A Reply on 'Reaching Lincoln Heights' (President at SoLo Development) and David Jurca of the Lincoln site by eliminating the massing for the intended use. Everybody knows about [Fri, Oct 18, 4:50 pm from David Jurca to (Principal at Seventh Hill Design). Jurca's public showing the development. the general plan and footprint. Adam Waldbaum] relpy follows. You indicated it was eliminated as you did Why hide the plan? It’s the public meeting. Hello Adam, A Question on 'Reaching Lincoln Heights' not know the exact dimensions. No other Is that not the purpose of the Lincoln Heights Thanks for dedicating your time to participate sites were removed. Cory’s explanation for Plan? To get input from the community. on the Reaching Lincoln Heights Steering [Fri, Oct 18, 10:30 am from Adam Waldbaum its cloaking was to show a clean slate as its Please remember, the community is Lincoln Committee and attending the public meeting. to David Jurca] not known what plans may come for the site. Heights Block Club. As your associate I also appreciate your request for clarification. David, This building, its size and parking impact informed us you take your marching orders As you may recall from the Steering Thank you for presenting your plans at the have been discussed. Project is supported from Cory. I assume you are aware Cory and Committee meeting, Committee member steering and public meetings on Tuesday. and aided by TWDC. Developer acquired TWDC are not the Block Club. Matt Moss from the City of Cleveland Initial complaints by the Tappan and suggested we keep the slide showing Lincoln Developer while serving on the existing conditions of the Willey & Scranton intersection and remove the subsequent slide. Board of TWDC, subsequently resigned his The removed slide included an extruded position then wrote a letter asserting false massing for 2410 Scranton Rd and potential accusations of classism and racism that led green space along Willey in front of 2341 to the suspension of service to The Lincoln Scranton Rd. Matt preferred to focus the Heights Block Club and discrimination to the feedback at this time on the community’s membership of the long-standing constituent current experiences of the sites. group. The next step in the engagement process will This sad reality does not excuse you and your distill the community feedback and introduce firm from its obligation to take input and 3D building alternatives for the various properly represent the wishes of the Block development sites. Our design team only Club that you are working for. The Block had a draft floor plan (building footprint) for Club has not even warranted a focus group 2410 Scranton, provided by the developer, meeting. so the massing we showed at the Steering The Block President is not informed of focus Committee meeting was simply an extrusion group sessions, including the Lincoln Heights I made of the floor plan. It was not a proposed massing from the developer with accurate Hispanic only focus group, or the developers building height. I also agreed with your only focus group. As stated at the public comment that the grade change along Willey meeting, I have no memory of requesting this wasn’t clear from the slide’s rendering. And manipulation of the plan. the green space we indicated in front of 2341 Your team remained emphatic this was a Scranton Rd was potentially confusing. In request of the steering committee and that I addition to comments about this slide, the in fact requested this. So please let me know Steering Committee members suggested who requested to alter the plan in the 2 hours other changes during the meeting, including between the steering committee meeting and the addition of a few more development sites the public meeting. and another gateway location. Thanks for clearing this up for me. I await So, following the Steering Committee your response. meeting, Ben, Bob, and I sat down to quickly discuss ways to accommodate the Steering -Adam Waldbaum Committee feedback before that evening’s public meeting. We decided to remove the slide, based on Matt’s suggestion, but kept the proposed 2410 Scranton Rd building footprint in our presentation slides. The plan for the Lincoln site was shown at the public meeting. We did not receive any other requests to remove the slide after the Steering Committee meeting. Regarding the focus group meeting with Spanish-speaking residents, that was a recommendation given to us at the first Steering Committee meeting. We waited until the first public meeting to determine which community members were underrepresented at the meeting, then confirmed that Spanish- speaking residents were not present. So, we decided to move forward with the initial recommendation from the Steering Lava Lounge Committee member, the Lincoln Block Club 1307 Auburn Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 President. I agree with his recommendation to make an effort to reach out to Spanish- 216-589-9112 speaking residents for their feedback. We hope to do so in the near future. If you have any additional questions regarding the planning process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Again, I appreciate your commitment to a transparent process and ensuring a broad range of the community is represented in the plan. All the best, -David
Reunite Tremont Pets with Their Families!
Search “TePlmeaseo jonin tth eA Trnemiomnt Aanilmsal sL Loost santd Faounndd Fa cFebooouk Pnagde ” on Facebook Page 2 • Issue #60 • The Tremonster • November, 2019 November, 2019 • The Tremonster • Issue #60 • Page 3 Timothy Herron on Painting a Portrait of A Christmas Story House my paintings sometimes tell a story where others don’t. It’s a straight-on, realistic portrayal, but at times I add things into it that aren’t there just for the fun of it. Tremonster: Any other examples? Herron: …Like a dog taking a shit on a lawn. Tremonster: What other Tremont subjects have you painted? Herron: I did a painting of St John Cantius Church from down the street, which I live right near—I can see it out my window. And then, there’s St. Theodosius [Orthodox Cathedral]—the church from The Dear Hunter, Major League, and the Harvey Pekar story—American Splendor (they shot St. Theodosius in American Splendor from my rooftop! Those guys gave me 50 or 75 bucks—I wasn’t home, so I gave them a ladder to go up there and shoot it). I painted [St. Theodosius Church] probably about 30 times already. In one of the latest, after a while, the street became boring so I changed it into a canal with dolphins. Tremonster: That’s beautiful. Herron: A lot of street scenes—I’ve got Loop and the whole street going down there. I have Professor [Ave.] from both angles, sidewalks—everywhere around Professor. Tremonster: …and I’ve seen Tremont people in portraits as well, right? Herron: Yeah, the people are more involved in my portrait group. Every
Photo by Rich Weiss Friday for over 14 years, I’ve run the Timothy Herron recently painted a portrait of A Christmas Story House from the sidewalk of Pretentious Cleveland Portrait Artists— another of his plein air paintings, The Rowley Inn. we used to be the Pretentious Tremont Artists—but we moved out of Tremont and by Rich Weiss Rowley Inn (1104 Rowley Ave), which is a the mistakes. So, I want my personality became the Pretentious Cleveland Portrait bar that’s been a fixture in Tremont forever. in there. Now, in the early days of my If you spend enough time around Artists. For 14 years, we’ve drawn the It harkens back to the old days when there doing this kind of plein air painting, Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, at portrait of anybody from the public that was a third shift at the steel mills, and [those paintings] are much looser—I was some point you’re bound to find Timothy volunteers to sit for us. 14 years ago, when after the third shift, they’d spill—early more influenced by the Impressionists, Herron, Owner of the Manly Pad (2490 I was at the Literary Café, drawing with morning—into these bars. The Rowley is which I still am. But, I realized I wanted Professor Ave.), out in the open air, seated my buddy, Brian Pierce, and he suggested, still open early and caters to those people to paint buildings and if they were too at his easel. Inevitably, a glimpse of ‘Why don’t you just get steady practice that work a third shift. This year, I thought Impressionistic; they didn’t come off with any one of Herron’s canvases will make here at the bar? As people come to the it would be nice to paint the Christmas enough structure, enough tightness…I need even a longtime Tremonster see his or bar, if they want to sit, you give them the Story House by sitting next to the Rowley to use a T-square for my plein air painting her neighborhood from a breathtakingly drawing—you don’t care about it; you’re Inn. I did that from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, so I can get my lines straight, which is kind new perspective. I’m proud to have had not going to put it away in your closet; you or 8:30 am to 10:30 am—I ended up doing of oddball for plein air painters to even many opportunities to experience this just want practice.’ We did, and that’s how a lot of sittings. It was about 10 sittings comprehend having a T-square with you, phenomenon over the past 27 years. it started. The name came from a friend of or so…and as it gets later in the season, but…I am doing buildings; I’m not doing What’s so special about Tremont? So ours, Neal Saffron, who was an artist in the the light actually changes to where the trees and shrubbery, alone. When I make much of the answer can’t be described; neighborhood. I overheard him talking to light I had at 8:00 am is now at 8:30 am. a mistake, you notice it. A tree [alone, it’s only understood by soaking up just this someone down at the other end of the bar. I actually float with the time [as the sun’s in nature] leaning in the wrong direction, kind of experience here, every day. In the conversation, he explained to his position changes]. It’s really relaxing; it’s that’s not as noticeable. I had this experience again, recently, when friend that Tremont was ‘full of pretentious the most wonderful thing I could do—sit Tremonster: How do you know when I caught Herron painting in South Tremont, artists,’ and I thought, ‘That’s perfect: there and stare at something that I find you’re done with a painting? catty-corner from his most recent muse, We’ll be the Pretentious Tremont Artists.’ really entertaining and try to capture it on Herron: I feel like I’m never really done A Christmas Story House (3159 W 11th Tremonster: How long did you host canvas (I work with oil). I also paint all with them. I look at creating artwork on St.). After finishing his on-site painting the Pretentious Tremont Artists at the over Cleveland. two levels. One is technical skill—and sessions, I asked him for his thoughts on Literary Café? Tremonster: Your style is very that’s me sitting out there, getting the his most recent work. Herron: For 10 years, we drew out of evocative—it’s not like a photograph— shapes right, the walls right, trees, the Tremonster: How would you describe that bar, but then the bar owners moved your work carries a lot of personality spacing, and having it look technically your painting process? to Florida to start another part of their life. from the subjects, whether it’s a building like the building. The other is creativity. Herron: I like to do my plein air paintings The bar changed hands, so we started to or a portrait. Your work doesn’t bring I’ve been out there about 10, 11, or 12 [plein air (adj., plān-ˈer) 2: of or relating to float around Cleveland and expand our the viewer a Kodak moment but instead times, so I’m pretty much done with fun a branch of impressionism that attempts to home base. Now we draw on the West evokes so much more personality from site painting. Now, to add something to it, represent outdoor light and air (Merriam- Side, the East Side…this week we’re at your subject matter. Would you agree? as I looked into it on my fifth…or maybe Webster)] at the same time each day— Forest City Brewery. Herron: You’re pretty much right on, seventh time, I started to see Santa Claus that way the sun is in the same place… Tremonster: Where can I send people Rich; I’m glad you put it that way because lying in the street. How he got there is up something I got from Ron Johnston, but for more information? it would be easy to copy a photograph— for grabs—I may not go the violent route; I I’m sure every plein air painter does. Most Herron: Anyone interested in seeing the there’s plenty of—as my friend, John may go the drunken route. plein air painters do a lot of scenes with Pretentious Cleveland Portrait Artists can Nativo, calls it—“postcard art” out Tremonster: That’s hilarious…and plants, trees, shrubs, lakes, streams. I like go to literarycafeartists.com. buildings; buildings that have some kind there…and just by sitting there, doing it quite shocking. So, when you’re finished of meaning to Cleveland…or meaning, in person—plein air—I’m going to put with on-site painting, you feel compelled in general. A Christmas Story House [is myself into it, including the mistakes, the to add this kind of magical layer back at my second work at this intersection]. flaws, the things that maybe keep it from the studio? The year before, from the parking lot of looking like a photograph…like somebody Herron: I do it because I want to throw it the Christmas Story House, I painted the really studied it, analyzed it, including in there just to entertain people. In a way,