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My Cleveland Week: Cleveland Foundation > MidTown Murals > USS Cod Party > Irishtown Bend Hike > One World Day

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Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
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Cleveland Foundation
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My Cleveland Week: Cleveland Foundation > MidTown Murals > USS Cod Party > Irishtown Bend Hike > One World Day

As I mention in my last blog posts, I have been "delayed" in my normal activities for much of the summer. Well, the week after I published those two blog posts, my activity level increased dramatically due to the large number of events happening in Cleveland the last week of August 2021.

As I wrote on Monday, August 23, 2021, "If you are in #Cleveland and have nothing to do this week, you are just not trying!"

 

This blog post is an attempt to capture some of the spirit of the events I attended. The one common element of all these events is that I learned about them from following interesting people/organization on Twitter.  I created this blog post to serve as a reminder for me of the fun I had at these events, and I hope it encourages you to go out yourself to learn about the organizations that sponsor these events.

The in-person events included:

  • MidTown Hosts the CLEVELAND WALLS! International Mural Program - August 23-28, 2021

  • USS Cod Return to Cleveland Party

  • Irishtown Bend Tour Hosted by West Creek Conservancy

  • 75th Annual One World Day! #OWD2021CLE

 

In addition to these in-person events that I attended, this was also the week of online events for the 2021 Cleveland Foundation Annual Meeting Week Presented by KeyBank: It Starts With Community. Learn about these Cleveland Foundation online events by seeing my Twitter thread from the four online events I attended, and look at the tweets from @CleveFoundation for the date range of August 22-28, 2021.

 

The Cleveland Foundation posting all the videos from the week of online events on their YouTube Channel as a Playlist: YouTube.com/c/ClevelandFoundation/Playlists (Update 12/31/21: Here is a direct link to 2021 Annual Meeting the Playlist.)

 

 

Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
CLEVELAND WALLS! International Mural Program
MidTown Mixtape Presents: Community BBQ
Dunham Tavern Museum

Experience the spirit of Leo's Casino, a Motown, jazz and funk club formerly located on Euclid Avenue through free food, music, and dancing. Hosted by Midtown and Hough elders and youth.

The MidTown Mixtape BBQ was just one of the many events that happened during MidTown's CLEVELAND WALLS! International Mural week.

 

When I arrived, I met the Dunham Tavern Museum Executive Director, Lauren Hansgen, who shared with me maps and photos of the museum's master plan. It was very interesting to see their plans to expand -- I will need to come back again for a full tour when the expansion is completed.

I was so glad to finally visit the Dunham Tavern Museum, since I had seen it from a distance driving by and visited their next door neighbor, DigitalC, many times. (See my blog posts that mention DigtalC.) I had always wondered what was on the Dunham Tavern Museum property, and had read how the future home of the new Cleveland Foundation building was going to be located here. (Read the many blog posts I have written about events/venues supported by the Cleveland Foundation.)

 

Lauren Hansgen let me know that Steven Litt would be writing about the museum's expansion, and when I contacted him later that night, he said to watch for his article that would be published "soon." Here is the article and tweets about the article which you can share by retweeting:

 

The following tweets include my photos from the Community BBQ at Dunham Tavern Museum:

 

I follow Gennifer Harding-Gosnell (@GenniferwithaG_) on Twitter, and was glad to finally meet her in person at the Dunham Tavern Museum. I started following her on Twitter when I noticed the great job she did of supporting what is happening in Cleveland. She does work with Cleveland Documenters (@CleDocumenters - documents government meetings in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County) and writes for The Cleveland Observer (@CleveObserver).

 

 

I see myself in the next photo -- this is right before I spotted @GenniferwithaG_ and went up to introduce myself.

 

 

 

Cleveland Foundation Promotes MidTown's Cleveland Walls!

Cleveland Walls!
Saturday, August 28 | All day

Following Annual Meeting Week, join our friends at MidTown Inc. for a community celebration of the Cleveland Walls! mural festival. More than 20 national and international artists will work with Northeast Ohio artists, MidTown Cleveland and LAND studio to update 20 building facades in MidTown and the surrounding neighborhood in a weeklong celebration of art, culture and community.

As part of 2021 Cleveland Foundation Annual Meeting Week Presented by KeyBank: It Starts With Community, the foundation also promoted MidTown's Cleveland Walls. The foundation is building their new headquarters in MidTown, so this was a natural conclusion to their Annual Meeting Week.

 

 

Friday, August 27, 2021, 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
CLEVELAND WALLS! International Mural Program
CLE WALLS Visitor Center
7113 Euclid Avenue

12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CLE WALLS! Marketplace open
Vendors and non-profit partners will pop up in the back parking lot featuring local goods and food for purchase along with community resources. Music provided by DTRL.

12:00 PM
Graffiti HeArt presents: The Boys from the Heights
Graffiti HeArt hosts NYC graffiti writers TAKI 183, MIKE 171, SJK 171, JEC* and HENRY 161 at the CLE WALLS! graffiti wall alongside local graffiti writers.

I had a fun evening outside watching the murals being created, watching films about Cleveland's history, and ending the evening with music.

 

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
CLE WALLS! Film Festival
* Leo's Legacy, Warner & Swasey Graffiti Archive and more

Information about the two documentaries shown at Cleveland WALLS! Film Festival:

 

* Artist Talk: History of Cleveland's Graffiti Art Scene with Ron Sims II (moderator), DAYZWHUN, MILK, and POKE

 

4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
We Made It.
Shooting without Bullets Gallery Lounge & Pop Up Shop in collaboration with Xhibition, powered by Puma. Features art installations, pop-up shop, and design lab.

I always enjoy talking to Amanda King, and learning about her current projects. I highly recommend that in addition to looking at the artwork displayed, you take the time to talk to Amanda or her staff to learn about the background of the pieces. If you look at my past blog posts, you will see that I have been fortunate to enjoy the work of @just_amandaking in the past at many venues.

 

 

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Caffeine Beats Music Festival
Featuring Will Blaze and the Confirmation Band

Music time!

 

 

 

Saturday, August 28, 2021, 1:00 pm
USS Cod Return to Cleveland Party

Cod is now back home! We are planning a Cleveland homecoming celebrations on Saturday, August 28 at 1PM at the Cod dock. The public is invited to attend and help us celebrate our return home after nine weeks of hull repairs. The event will include a cake cutting, and a short program.

Here are tweets with information about the USS Cod being repaired and then returning to Cleveland, which I learned about from Patricia Kellogg (@PatriciaKellogg). She is great about tagging me on Twitter about events happening in Cleveland. Interesting to learn that this was the first time that the USS Cod had left Cleveland since 1962.

 

The YouTube video in the next tweet is of "Uss Cod leaving dock and hitting Coast Guard cutter Morro Bay."

 

 

Note that original date of the return to Cleveland party was moved to August 28th due to the Cleveland Browns game.

 

"We could fight enemies under the sea, but not gridlock of a NFL game"

 

 

Here are my tweets with photos of the welcome back celebration and the tour I took for the USS Cod. I have toured the Cod before, and really enjoyed visiting this time. I learned interesting facts about this submarine.

 

Patricia Kellogg took a photo of me on the deck of the USS Cod:

 

 

Saturday, August 28, 2021, 4:00 pm
Cleveland Walls! International Mural Program
Mural Tour
MidTown Neighborhood

Recognized as one of the most important and well-curated mural festivals in the world, POW! WOW! Worldwide has helped transform the physical spaces of 17 communities around the globe. This summer, they are working with Northeast Ohio artists, MidTown Cleveland and LAND studio to make over around 20 facades of buildings in MidTown and its surrounding neighborhood in a celebration of art, culture and community.

After my tour of the USS Cod, I drove around for a mural tour of some of these new artwork enhancing Cleveland.

 

Here are some tweets from after Cleveland Walls week, and be sure to see Black Girl in CLE blog post:

 

Kirsten Ellenbogen (@kellenbogen) shared this map in her tweet to make it easier to find the murals:

 

I saw some murals in the photo essay by Fresh Water Cleveland, that I had not seen yet -- be sure to look at the following:

 

 

Sunday, August 29, 2021, 9:00 am
Irishtown Bend Tour Hosted by West Creek Conservancy
Merwins Wharf

Join us as we explore the future Irishtown Bend Park, a 23-acre area overlooking the Cuyahoga River and downtown skyline. The Port Authority of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, LAND studio, Ohio City Inc., NEORSD, City of Cleveland, West Creek Conservancy and many others have been working together to stabilize and restore this vital reach of the Cuyahoga River and transform it into an amazing asset for all of Cleveland; also a future connection of the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail.…

"Be like Stuart" Thanks, Irish Bend Park (@IrishtownBendPk), for the shout-out when I reserved my FREE ticket:

 

This hike covered an area that I have visited by bike or car many times. What was of greater value was meeting West Creek Conservancy Executive Director, Derek Schafer, to learn more about the Irishtown Bend project (I had already read some background articles), and about the role that West Creek Conservancy in other projects in our region.

Note that the ground of the future park is currently unstable. While I would have loved to explore the inner most part of this future park, I will respect the request of Derek Schafer to not enter the area until it is officially opened to the public.

 

While on the Irishtown Bend hike, I mentioned the primitive state of the current park reminded me of sections of the Appalachian Trail. I ended up talking to several people about the Appalachian Trail, and advising one couple on two good places along the 2,100+ mile trail to do loop hikes.

 

 

 

Sunday, August 29, 2021, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
75th Annual One World Day! #OWD2021CLE
Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Hosted by the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation

Since 1945, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation has celebrated One World Day in the Gardens. This annual event reflects the theme of the Gardens: “Peace through Mutual Understanding.”

One World Day is the highlight of summer events in the Gardens and the occasion at which all the Gardens get together to celebrate as one. Events include a Parade of Flags, a naturalization ceremony, cultural performances, entertainment, gardens exhibitors, authentic diverse ethnic food, children’s activities,  and more.

The 75th Annual One World Day will be produced for the seventh consecutive year by Johnny K. Wu (co-Founder of the Cleveland Asian Festival and producer of Charity Jam in Hollywood).

A few days before the 75th Annual One World Day, my "Facebook Memory" reminded me of fun times attending past One World Day celebrations! You can learn more about these past events by seeing my "Cleveland Cultural Gardens" blog posts.

 

 

I enjoy attending One World Day every year, and bring my bike to make it easier to see more of this huge Cleveland event.

 

Parade of Flags!

 

#ThisIsCLE -- international style!!!

 

For lunch, I tried Vietnamese dumpling for the first time. During a brief rain shower, while taking shelter at the Vietnamese Garden, I met one of the leaders responsible for creating this new garden. She told me of their plan to bring marble from Vietnam to create a huge statue of a women with flowing robes and wearing a traditional Vietnamese hat. I told her that I look forward to returning in future years to watch the progress of the garden's development.

While writing this blog post, I found a News 5 article with photos by Dan Hanson from the June 2020 groundbreaking for the Vietnamese garden. Dan had been a friend of mine since the days when we were on the board of the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group many years ago, and he currently serves on the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation Board of Directors. The article states that the “Our Lady” statue is being carved from white Vietnamese marble by Vietnamese artists and will weigh approximately 20-tons:

 

 

Russian music! One of the singers, Ken Kovach, I have known for years since his wife and I worked together in the Notre Dame College Communications Department. He has been honored as a member of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame for his work promoting a multicultural city.

It was also interesting to see the statue of Yuri Gagarin -- the first man in space. I learned about Yuri Gagarin from the Great Lakes Science Center.

 

 

If you want to learn more about Djapo Cultural Arts Institute's African dance and drums, please see my blog post:

 

See my photo of the young salesmen of grilled sausages in the Romanian Garden. The grilled sausage was very tasty!

 

 

If you attended, please complete the One World Day survey:

 

 

Related Blog Posts

I always like to end my posts with a list of related blog posts, so you can learn about the events and venues my wife and co-blogger, Julie, and I enjoy exploring. Since this blog post deals with so many different events that all happened in one week, I have not listed individual blog posts, but instead listed categories of posts:

  • Cleveland Foundation - Read about the many events that I have attended that were supported by the Cleveland Foundation.

  • Murals - If you were interested in the murals in the MidTown neighborhood as the finale of the Cleveland Foundation Annual Meeting Week, be sure to learn read about the 2016 Cleveland Foundation's Creative Fusion program murals in Ohio City, and the FRONT International Triennial Downtown Cleveland murals.

  • Hike/Trails - If you enjoyed learning about the West Creek Conservancy's hike at Irishtown Bend, please see my many other blog posts about trails to hike.

  • Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Read about the past One World Day celebrations that I have attended at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

  • Art - If you are interested in the MidTown Murals artwork -- at last count, there are also 71 other blog posts tagged Art!

 Thank you for reading my blog post. You can learn about my travel journeys with Julie, and the venues we explore in Cleveland and Akron at: sosAssociates.com/Blog