Crosstown Arts – Page 10

The shiny disco ball made from repurposed bicycle wheels that was intended to serve as the new gateway to the Crosstown neighborhood has been temporarily removed from its post as it awaits repairs.

Beacon sculpture awaits repairs after storm damage.

“Beacon” sculpture awaits repairs after storm damage.

The sculpture is once again housed in front of the Crosstown Arts office on North Watkins after it was damaged in a storm a few weeks ago. High winds caused the spinning ball to bend on its post, and sculptor Eli Gold plans to make repairs to the piece before this weekend’s MEMFix: Cleveland Street festival, which will feature pop-up retail, live music, and temporary bike lanes in the Crosstown neighborhood.

The sculpture was installed in late August after sitting in front of the Crosstown Arts office for several months. “Beacon” was created with money donated by Harry Freeman and Sara Ratner. The two had attended a Crosstown Arts MemFeast event in 2011, at which Eli Gold and Colin Kidder proposed to build the sculpture. At MemFeast events, artists present ideas for projects, and attendees vote on their favorite. The winner receives money to make their proposal a reality. The sculptors didn’t win the MemFeast vote, but Freeman and Ratner liked their idea for a kinetic sculpture so much that they offered $3,000 to the artists after the event.

UPDATE (November 7th): The “Beacon” sculpture has been repaired and re-inistalled.

Shiny disco ball for the Sears Crosstown?

Shiny disco ball for the Sears Crosstown?

A few weeks ago, Crosstown Arts held its second MemFeast event, at which seven artists proposed public art projects for Midtown’s Crosstown neighborhood. At the dinner, guests voted on their favorite, and Robin Salant’s plan to light up the water tower of the abandoned Sears Crosstown building with colored solar lights was victorious.

Salant was awarded $5,000 raised through fees paid by MemFeast diners. But, as Salant stated in her presentation, she would need to raise additional funds to add lights to individual windows in the massive structure.

After the dinner, an anonymous donor pledged $3,000 to another art project that didn’t win — Eli Gold and Colin Kidder’s plan to create a giant disco ball from spinning rims to be installed on the side of the Crosstown building.

Following that, Crosstown Arts has launched a fund-raising campaign to gather more money for Salant’s lights, Gold and Kidder’s disco ball, and musician Sean Murphy’s plan to create audio recordings with various instruments played inside and on top of the Sears building.

To read more or make a donation, go to the Crosstown Arts website.