Great Lakes Burning River Fest - July 24+25

Burning River Fest 2010

July 24th 6-11pm

July 25th 12-5pm

@ Historic Coast Guard Station

The annual Cleveland Eco Event of the Summer is geared up for late July at the infamous Historic Coast Guard Station. The event and location are both stellar. So put on your flip flops and hop on your bike (limited parking, limited as heck!) and get your rears over to Whiskey Island and the Station. Some of the best views in Cleveland are from this vantage, plus there will be ice cream. How can you possibly resist?

Every summer, people from all over the Great Lakes region raise a pint at the Burning River Fest to salute the “watershed moment” that raised a new level of eco-consciousness—the 1969 burning of the Cuyahoga River. This year’s party will feature live music, fresh food from local farms and eateries, educational environmental exhibits and a special appearance by Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale!

Proceeds benefit the Burning River Foundation, a local non-profit organization that provides resources for the sustainable future of our waterways. Join us at Burning River Fest on July 24th and 25th at the historic Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island. Help celebrate the Spirit of Giving and spark a new level of environmental awareness.

List of exhibitors and musicians

For those that facebook they have that too

OCBC will be parking bikes so you don't have to drive and walk all the way from Edgewater

Lakewood Streetwalk + 5K run

Lakewood Streetwalk

July 17th, 2010

Detroit Ave. in Lakewood Ohio, centered around Warren

downloadable map (.pdf)

11am-8pm (with events scheduled - check here)

I have been pretty impressed on what local business and community of Lakewood has been able to plan, organize and EXECUTE in terms of really making Lakewood shine as a city. From legislation for cafe style dining, to partnering governmental organizations with community groups to actively affect change Lakewood seems more alive and hopping then ever.

A prime example is the annual Lakewood Streetwalk, a complete hijacking of the city's main commercial automotive corridor that transforms it into a more vibrant pedestrian (and cycling) only zone. This year there are quite a few activities planned and it looks like it is going to be an enormous good time that highlights Lakewood's walkability and livability.

It is one of the things that makes me completely adore this city.

Taste of Tremont 2010 - one of the few times you will want to put things you find on the street in your mouth

Taste of Tremont (no. 8)

Sunday, July 18th 2010

Professor Street (betwixt Starkweather and Fairfield)

12 - 8pm

If there is anything that Cleveland is known for, it has to be the food (and our burning river, and our affinity towards that rawk-n-roll, and beer is starting to inch up there, and arts, oh and lately its been that, well you know, the HUMIDITY). The Tremont neighborhood (now with freeway access! (again)) has long been a test kitchen for tasty eats and drinks and all the find accoutrement that makes large guys like me happy.

Should you have the time to wander and sample and gawk I suggest you grab some cash and head on down to this annual street-treat. No hyperbole needed, it is that good.

Entertainment Schedule:

Beer Garden:

SLAP: 12:30pm - 3:00pm

Big Ship: 4:30pm - 7:30pm

Corn Hole

Dante Parking Lot: Blues DeVille, 1:00pm

Fahrenheit: DJ on the Patio

The Flying Monkey: Cat Fish Walking, 3:00pm

Lago/806 Parking Lot: DJ and Reggae Band

St. John Cantius Church: Tours available

The Treehouse: The Boys from County Hell, 5:00pm

College & Professor: Annunciation Dance Group, 4:00pm

Music Saves 6th Birthday Celebration!

Has it been 6 years already?

IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY!

We’re having most of the celebration at the Beachland this Thursday (details above).

WE ARE STILL HERE BECAUSE OF YOU!

Saturday is our official birthday, so we will also have coffee and donuts in the store from Buettner’s Bakery, the most fab bakery in Collinwood!

When you come out for our Wolf Parade pre-show DJ gig on Thursday, don’t forget that you can grab dinner in the Tavern, too!

We hope to see you Thursday and/or Saturday for the festivities!

Music Saves website

Lakewood Public Parks Google Map

So, this is something I have been fiddling with (actually I set it up and then stopped fiddling) and am curious how useful these open source mappings could be for communities.

View Lakewood, Ohio Public Park System in a larger map

I had started this after chatting with Lakewood City Planner, Dru Siley, who has some very positive and vigorous attitudes about Lakewood in general. The disconnects the community may have (in our current insular society - physically, we are rather open on the interweb) most likely means that our limited exploration of our neighborhoods result in not knowing about all the amenities offered. The Lakewood Park System is a perfect example of a fantastic set of urban greenspaces that fulfill a wide variety of roles, from team sports, to child play areas to simple respite.

I am hoping to add photos and more information so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to comment. I am also trying to figure out how this can show up more readily if someone Googles "Lakewood Park System Map".

Happy Birfday TOIstudio Blog. Four Years, 800+ Posts, Lots of Inanity.

It has been four years since this experiment in attempting to complete a long cohesive thought, based primarily on design, Cleveland-centric and environmentally mindful being at the forefront. I admit I am still attempting to parse out the metric of success.

At the formation there were to be some strict guidelines. This was not my dayplanner (although I like posting on happenings that I think I will enjoy and then as an afterthought perhaps put up some thoughts and photos of said event), I will attempt to refrain from posting snarky only commentary (that didn't last long), and I will attempt to concentrate on Cleveland. There are some things I have learnt from the past four years.

1. I do not in any way envy Steven Litt. Writing on Cleveland based architecture and design, playing to politics and being mindful of the minefield that is "popular opinion" would most likely make me homicidal. Litt strikes the fine balance of playing nice and playing often in such a way as to not offend. Of course a side product is that nothing useful is typically said, however some gems pop through unexpectedly (specifically lately) although one (perhaps anyone paying attention) would argue not enough.

2. The environmental movement in Cleveland is strong and progressive. There are strong portents of a good future everywhere, however once an organization is formed that one can get involved with the bureaucracy gelds it. Luckily there is enough "little" things going on where one won't become completely bitter.

3. There is a commission for that. For everything. The bureaucracy that I lament as hindering progress is strong. Everyone wants to feel important instead of just doing things. It would be rather humorous if it didn't slow down progress to the point of entropy. See the Group Plan Commission for more recent specifics. The nice thing is that if plans are happening in the city that one doesn't care for one only has to wait for it to implode under the weight of the involved egos. Eventually a new government moves in and new commissions are formed and everything goes back to start.

4. Cleveland needs stronger design presence downtown. Design doesn't need Cleveland. CWRU losing it's architecture program was a great loss to the city of Cleveland. CIA is underutilized as an idea incubator. CSU and CWRU have great potential for new small business in Cleveland, the sort that could make the city great again. KSU CAED needs a stronger presence in either Akron or Cleveland (I hope they grow the one in Cleveland). Great design requires non-insulated fresh, young minds coupled with those with experience. Design solves problems, great design can solve problems greatly.

5. Cleveland's greatest hinderer is it's potential. It is unlimited. Coupled with the bureaucracy and fear of things relatively new and shiny it can be an unfortunate bear trap. If one were to add in the nepotism and croynism that even dogs on the street recognize one is surprised that there are any businesses in town not owned by a member of the government's family.

6. Cleveland is an amazing city. Despite for the most part being a boring design city, with slow implementation of new ideas and a propensity for self destructive tendencies it is a relatively cheap place to live (if you can find a job), has some interesting amenities (public transit, the Lake, easy access to almost everything, decent colleges, parks, etc.) that can keep one pretty busy and happy. There is an enormous amount of people "trapped" here by the potential and the surge that has been brewing for the past 20 years is bound to break eventually. Or is that more of the trap?

So in what new direction will the new year point this blog? I have a couple ideas. I miss the snarky. Playing nice is boring. Also, I plan to get less involved overall and more involved specifically. Confusing? Probably. As a third I think there needs to be a consistent push to concentrate on the specific issues noted above. I don't know what self indulgent power makes me believe I would have any input on those topics, but one more mind into the fray, cannon fodder at least, probably isn't a bad thing.

We will have to see how long those resolutions last.

Conditions Mag: The Future of Competitions - Tell Them What They Need

Architectural Competitions are usually seen as a technique for unknowns to make a name for themselves, for clients to collect solutions to specific problems or to stave off the boredom of the 9-5 (I loathe Construction Administration work). Lately, while open competitions have arguably been thought a fine way to discover the best starting solution for a client's particular need, the economic downturn has made competition extremely fierce (which is fine) yet also meant that the overtly pragmatic cadence has increased, that is the proffered solutions are more intent on merely complying to the competition brief (with an eye solely on winning) in lieu of experimentation and risk which furthers the profession as a whole.

Conditions magazine is asking for solutions to re-examining architecture competitions in order to alleviate the strain of merely winning the competition.

Ironically this request is held in competition format.

Proposals can be submitted in practically any available format (unavailable formats, ie. from the future or prehistory, may not apply). It should result in a good romp of ideas and I look forward to pondering my own submission (with the proper libation of course) that will save the noble open competition.

Historically the architectural competition has been a testing ground for new ideas. It was understood as a space in which research and development, as well as the creation of critical architectural proposals, were possible. Today, competition architecture has increasingly become a service provision for the jury and a fulfillment of the technical requirements of the brief – in other words, simply what is needed to win the competition. Needs are generating ideas whereas ideas should be generating needs. The outcome is often predictable and conventional, stripping competitions of their significance as a critical tool.

Stimulus
- What needs to be changed, and how, in order to make competitions once again a tool for generating new ideas?
- What can be changed to improve the interaction between commissioner, client and end-user in the competition process?
- How do the mechanisms of competitions affect the built environment?
- What is the potential of architecture competitions?

THIS TIME YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS AND YOU GIVE THE ANSWERS

This competition attempts to instigate change by challenging the established in a critical but constructive manner. Join us by contributing the questions not yet asked!There are no fixed requirements regarding submitted material. Entries could be in the form of a text, manifesto, collage, illustration, SMS, image, fax, diagram, installation, paper architecture, runners up, brief, historical material, etc. The essential idea is to explore the potential of the architectural competition – it is up to you how to communicate it. Please address the principle question of how to return to a condition where competitions generate ideas rather than simply deliver solutions. The format and material should be in relation to the concept of your submission.

We challenge experienced architects to take part and share their perspective on the matter.

The jury

- Boris Brorman Jensen (DK), architect, associate professor Århus, Ph.D, Harvard fellow.
- Gary Bates (NO / USA), architect, teacher and curator, founding partner of Spacegroup
- Markus Miessen (GE / GBR), professor, architect, writer, curator, founding partner of nOffice and Studio Miessen.

The entries will be judged anonymously.

Submitted material should reach us by the 1st of November 2010

submission@conditionsmagazine.com
CONDITIONS ANS, Fjordveien 3, 0139 Oslo, Norway
T: +47 97183747

Questions: info@conditionsmagazine.com
(answers to questions will be posted on this website)

1st prize: 2.500 euro
Winner & Runner-ups will:
- be published in a special competition issue of CONDITIONS
- take part in a Scandinavian exhibition
- take part in a dialogue how to implement your ideas

Resources:

Conditions Competition Website

Competition Flyer (.pdf)

Why Open Architecture Competitions are good for Architects (a counter argument)

Why Open Architecture Competitions Are Bad for Architects

Waterloo Arts Fest 2010 - Saturday, June 26

It’s finally here!

The 8th Annual Waterloo Arts Fest is TOMORROW!

NOON-7pm

Not sure what’s happening here?

Confused by all of the events you’ve been hearing about and don’t know where to start?

TEAM MUSIC SAVES is here to help!

Below is our personal guide to what we think will be the Best of the Fest.

You may or may not agree, but either way, we sure hope this helps you figure something out, or learn of a happening that you didn’t know of before.

11:45

JAKE KELLY MURAL UNVEILING

See the mural created by artist Jake Kelly that was inspired by the artwork and concepts that students created in an arts intensive at Arts Collinwood!

It will be unveiled in the rear lot of the Arts Collinwood building.

Free t-shirts to the first 20 people!

You can also purchase one of these LIMITED EDITION tees for only $10! They’re on American Apparel!

NOON

THE FEST BEGINS!

Head straight to the Beachland so you have your choice of all the great wares at the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FLEA MARKET (goes until 6pm)

12:00

DJ Ed from Chasing Infinity on WRUW spinning at Blue Arrow Records

DJs Ryan Weitzel (of Exit Stencil) and Kelly Reidy spinning at Beachland Tavern

1:00

Diamonds and Pearls perform at Beachland Tavern

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diamonds-and-Pearls/302639762186

3:00

Lawton Brothers perform at Beachland Tavern

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lawton-Brothers/98885542970

3:00

Safari perform at the Fest Outdoor Stage (WEST)

http://www.myspace.com/wearesafari

3:00

Helper T-Cells perform in the Kids Area

http://www.myspace.com/thehelpertcells

3:30

DJ Emma of Occasional Detour on WRUW spins at Blue Arrow

4:00

DJ Chris Kulcsar (of This Moment in Black History) spins at Beachland Tavern

4:30

Chardon Polka Band at the Fest Outdoor Stage (WEST)

5:30

Special Guest: DJ Dallas Good of The Sadies spins at Blue Arrow

6:00

Founding Fathers at Fest Outdoor Stage (WEST)

http://www.myspace.com/foundingfatherscle

7:00

Right when the fun on the street ends, head down to Arts Collinwood for the Fest After Party!

DJ Lawrence Daniel Caswell will spin soul and funk deep into the night!

9:00

After after party at Beachland

SADIES

WACO BROTHERS

Ballroom

COBRA VERDE

LIVING STEREO

Big Sweet

Tavern

OTHER COOL STUFF:

Where to get beer: Beachland Ballroom AND Tavern, The Café at Arts Collinwood, The Boardwalk

Cheap records: Blue Arrow is cleaning house!

Temporary tattoos (and real ones, too): Rebel City Tattoo Studio

Food everyone’s been talking about: Dim and Den Sum truck http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/four-wheel-appeal/Content?oid=1926815

Art to buy: over 30 art vendors in the street selling a variety of super cool, quality, handmade goods http://waterlooartsfest.com/new/vendors-2/artists-2/

Fest therapy: Check out the Reasonabilism Counseling Centre for some reasonable advice, art happening style (in the big stone building across from Blue Arrow)

Fest tee: Jake Kelly designed a limited edition t-shirt to honor this year’s Fest. It also honors our neighborhood cats! Get one!

For the kids: Kids’ Area at St. John’s Lodge, and a temporary beach across the street from Arts Collinwood

FOR LOTS MORE INFO:

http://www.WaterlooArtsFest.com

Far From Equilibrium - Sanford Kwinter

Far From Equilibrium: Essays on Technology and Design Culture by Sanford Kwinter has been mostly gracing the top of my desk (having been fully read) for the past few months. I have had a hard time coming up with a responsible way to synthesize my thoughts on the collection as the writing topics are typically so varied and well researched/thought out that I had to read it a few times to feel comfortable. I have been lugging it around in my backpack, with the promise of letting a friend borrow it, for the last couple of weeks however I find my enjoyment of the introduction itself truly frightening. To the point that I feel guilty for reading it. I shake my head vigorously, "Yes!" I think to myself, "criticism, good criticism is severely lacking and most of society feels better off for it, possibly due to fear or guilt of honesty". I mean, how in this day and age, can you not agree with a criticism on the lack of good solid criticism? How can one expect to improve without it? How can a movement, a design theory, a process or a designer expect to quickly grow if not to hear or witness responses to their designs?

Enough on the criticism though, the collection itself is a series of loosely arranged essays spanning the past two decades over a series of topics, mostly criticism of contemporary (or avant garde if one is comfortable using such a term) architecture and exhibitions, along with some forays into theory. Written in the language of a designer, it is playful and precise, darting through movements and upending intent with the skillful hand of someone who thinks they know the way out and is willing to go it alone but is offering compatriots a chance for salvation if they explore together.

Interjected into the essays is a series of foldouts (images and essays) which at times I admit confused and befuddled me until I stopped trying to think so linearly and got down to the serious task of reading the darn thing.

From the textured cover to the staggered typeface used to set the cadence of the essays I found the detail spent deliriously wonderful. This is bookmaking at its best, the contents just add to the enjoyment.

Blue Pike Farm Opens This Thursday!

Let me just tell you that I have been waiting for Blue Pike to have its farmers market open again for what felt like the longest, coldest and darkest winter on record. Very little hyperbole right there, I swear!

The market at Blue Pike Farm opens on Thursday, June 17th, 4-7 P.M.

OMG! That's this week!

We'll have internationally known author and filmmaker, Tiff Lauffer on hand to autograph her acclaimed children's book, "The Porch Dream.' Maybe we'll even persuade her to read a chapter or two at 5:30, so bring the kids.

Also on hand will be Kevin Kelly, "The Bake Shoppe" with his award winning confections and other goodies.

Joining us this season is Green Pastures Poultry with free range chicken eggs and frozen Kosher chicken's Arilla will be on site June 17, July 1, July 15, July 29, August 12, August 26. I've gotten some inside info on how these birds cook up and they are delicious. Look for a story in the Plain Dealer about these special birds on June 23. Buy one or two birds this week at the BPF market so you have them ready in advance of the PD's story.

PLUS we'll have strawberries from Wolfe's Family Farms and 5 new Amish cheese selections from Middlefield Cheese and pork products from New Creation Farms.

Bring your waders and other fly fishing gear and land our new Romaine lettuce, "Flashy Trout, and marry it with a great looking leaf lettuce "Merlot."

Lot's of great early season greens, "Mars" onions, garlic scapes, lettuces, radishes, cheeses, Lambs Quarters, Purslane and more.

Save the date: June 24 for the Annual BPF Stawberry & BarBQ Festival. Wild Bill's BQ will be here with his award winning ribs and Strawberry Cobler from Lucy's Sweet Surrender. See the attached flyer.

A call or email in advance ( by Monday night) will hold an order of ribs for you so you don't miss out. When they are gone, they are gone. See you then.

photo from localharvest.org

Treehugger Installation Bio - as promised

kent state_caed_operative detailing seminar_46995-56995

treehugger : giant torus

“Doing more with less” -- a Buckminster Fuller ideology in a situation when there is no “more”. No fabrication lab, no CNC mill, no … – only an idea to provide a back drop for an event made feasible through the use of a diagram, a plotter, sharpies, 4 mil vapor barrier, tape, a leaf blower, and time. 36 unique two-dimensional surfaces are hand cut in 4 mil vapor barrier, individually taped into continuous loops, and joined edge to edge on 35 seams accounting for 10,357 linear feet of packaging tape. A flattening of the relationship between representation and actualization through exploitation of design process and fabrication achieves a 1:1 space approachable in the context of a three-week vertical seminar assignment. A torus was selected for its ability to define a closed loop of inside | outside space with a singularly curved membrane that turns doubly curved through the simple process of inflation. A focus on the production of a temporary and mobile space for a particular event-based experience calibrates material selection, precision, and construction. Siting provokes arches, drops, lifts, compressions, and expansions as edits resulting in various modes of access between the outer and inner | outer spaces of the inflatable turned architectural trope capable of making a scene.

students//

graduate/ eric pros, john collett, diana kichler, rachel crafton, alex hosack

fourth year/ justin parish, justin gantz, nathan bailey, rachel pensinger

third year/ jenelle kuehne, jeremy beatty, paul adair

professor// jason turnidge

Sculpture Center - After the Pedestal Opening + KSU CAED Treehugger

After the Pedestal

the Sculpture Center

1834 East 123rd Street

Cleveland, OH 44106

Friday, June 11th

5.30pm - 8pm

The Executive Director Talks and introduces the artists

in the Euclid Avenue Gallery at 6:15 PM

The 6th Annual of Smaller Sculpture from the Region show will open at the Sculpture Center this Friday. Works by artists Kate Budd, Robert Cook, Andrew Perry Davis,

Alexander Draven, Elizabeth A. Emery, Courtney Kessel, Janet Macpherson,

Michelle Murphy, Joshua Parker, Cynthia Reynolds, Mark Soppeland,

Gregory Steel, Ben Stout, Jacquelynn Sullivan, Natalie Tornatore,

Jane Tuss, and Willard Tucker will be in attendance.

As a special treat Professor (adjunct) (assistant) Jason Turnidge from Kent State University's College of Architecture and Environmental Design will be installing "Treehugger", an air supported structure in the Sculpture Center courtyard (which I was able to help test install today - also see photo above). Treehugger was the result of a seminar class taught at KSU - full bio to eventually arrive in my email (cough cough) so if you are looking for a fun way to enjoy this Friday evening I can think of nothing better then seeing some local sculptures and wandering about a gigantic inflated torus.

Slavic Village Neighborhood looking for help in winning Grant!

I have a special affinity for the Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood, one that has developed fairly recently. While working on a project currently under construction in the neighborhood I have met many amazing people and discovered quite a few wonderful community groups who are working diligently to keep the neighborhood alive and increase its vibrancy. From a recent Walk + Roll (there is another one planned for July 25th) to discovering The Red Chimney pirogies (decadence!), so when Mr. Jonathan Young sent me an email asking for help how could I possibly resist?

Cleveland needs your help! The Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood has applied for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. That money would go towards constructing a park and playground on two vacant lots in a pretty rough area of the neighborhood.

Those two lots are overgrown and dangerous; a row of ugly bushes divides the parcels and creates hiding places for shady activity, which rightly worries people living next to the site.

This is where you come in. We already have plans drawn up for this park – we just need the money! Pepsi’s grant dollars are administered in a unique way: by virtue of the public’s vote. A bunch of grant proposals are published on their website, and whichever grant gets the most votes, gets the money. Voting for our project goes live next month!

It’s simple. All we need is your vote throughout the month of June.

I attached a press release that offers more background on the grant as well as the Pepsi Refresh Project. Go to www.SlavicVillage.org/pepsi for more information, and a direct link to vote! You can vote daily, and we’ll need it. This is a really wonderful project, but without your help, it won’t happen.

Thanks in advance for helping us make this a reality. Please forward this email around to friends, family, coworkers, pets, enemies, random people, anyone!

The Indians are in last place; the Browns are still rebuilding; the Cavs just blew it… but your votes will help to finally Bring Home a Win for Cleveland!

Make it happen!

Thanks,

Jonathan

Jonathan Young

Slavic Village Development

resources:

.pdf poster (2megs)

press release

Progressive Arts - George Washington Carver Architecture Show

Architecture Gallery Exhibit

Sculpture Center (Euclid Ave. Gallery)

12210 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

2pm - 8pm

For the past few months I was on a team working with Progressive Arts Alliance on using architecture and user based design to clarify the topics of math, science, english and problem solving to 6 to 8th graders at George Washington Elementary (the temporary school). Working with the students we utilized sketchup, power point and some good ol' fashioned sketchbook sketching to create some scenarios of user groups, their requirements and then attempted to solve the requirements. The class being taught was based more in problem solving and communication then using the computer as an illustration tool however I have to admit that the students completely impressed me. More so as I think back to how little time they actually were able to spend on the computers working on their projects.

PAA, through an impressive technology grant, was able to supply us with 20+ mac notebooks, enough that each student in each class was afforded their own to work on. Through lecture, conversation and private tutelage the students worked to create 3d models of the projects and ideas that they first fleshed out in their sketchbooks. Ideas that were intuitive and rather well formed. In fact, the personal responses and the maturity of the project goals astounded me, as did the design capability and exuberance.

To thank them, studioTECHNE architects and the Sculpture Center has donated space for a brief showing of the projects. Most importantly so that the students are afforded the ability to view each other's work and ideas as well as to see the success of their presentations.

It will be a short, one day only showing as we were only able to find coordinating time in between scheduled shows in the gallery but all are welcome to come and take a gander at what 6 to 8th graders can imagine, design and explain in only 12 short 50 minute class sessions (including set up and tear down time).