Heights Arts brings art, poetry and music together in six lively April events

Gallerygoers examine the photographic diptych "Cleveland City Council, 1924-2015" by David Hagen.

Community arts events are flourishing at Heights Arts this April, with the presentation of a new Cleveland Heights poet laureate, three musical performances, and its popular exhibition talk, Ekphrastacy: Artists Talk + Poets Respond.

On Thursday, April 2, 7 p.m., the community is invited to join an evening of conversation with Daniel Levin, associate professor of photography at Cuyahoga Community College and guest curator of Impermanence, on view at Heights Arts through April 18. Showcasing the works of 11 respected Cleveland photographers, Impermanence celebrates Cleveland’s changing urban landscape through pairs of photographs showing the same view of a site at different historical times. Levin and exhibition photographers will discuss “rephotographic survey,” the concept and process behind Impermanence, as well as the stories behind the creation of their images.

In a twist on the standard curator’s talk, Heights Arts also invites regional poets to respond to the works on view as part of the evening. Hear from incoming and outgoing Cleveland Heights Poet Laureates Meredith Holmes and Kathleen Cerveny, plus poets Bunny Breslin, Diane Kendig, Robert McDonough, Jill Sell and Catherine Wing, who will read original poems created in response to the photographs in the exhibit. A reception will be held prior to the talk, and all are invited to  come early and enjoy refreshments while viewing the exhibition.

On Monday, April 6, 7:30 p.m., the City of Cleveland Heights and Heights Arts will welcome its seventh poet laureate, Meredith Holmes, and thank outgoing Poet Laureate Kathleen Cerveny, during a presentation at Cleveland Heights City Hall. Both poets will speak at the event, which is open to all.

In collaboration with The Music Settlement, area public schools and private teachers, Heights Arts presents a master class performance in violin on Sunday, April 12, 10 a.m., in its gallery. Led by Amy Lee, violinist and associate concertmaster with the Cleveland Orchestra, the performance/class will features violin students in grades 6–12. The public is invited to attend this free performance.

For fans of contemporary art music, Heights Arts will host a free performance by NO EXIT in the gallery on Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. NO EXIT members are Nick Underhill, piano/composer; Nick Diodore, cello; James Rhodes, viola; Cara Tweed, violin; Sean Gabriel, flute; Luke Rinderknecht, percussion; Timothy Beyer, artistic director/composer; James Praznik, associate director/composer; and Eric M. C. Gonzalez, assistant director.

On Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m., Heights Arts presents Kathleen Cerveny’s farewell reading as outgoing poet laureate. Accompanying her is Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Cerveny’s mentor from the University of Southern Maine, Stonecoast Creative Writing Program.

On Sunday, April 19, 3 p.m., Amy Lee will lead a sextet of Cleveland Orchestra musicians in “Transfigured Bass,” the third Close Encounters chamber music concert. Performed in a historic, renovated stable in Cleveland Heights’s Herrick Mews, the concert will include “Transfigured Night,” an early romantic work by Schönberg, and Dvořák’s G major String Quintet, featuring the string bass. Sextet members are Lee and Isabel Trautwein, violins; Yu Jin and Aaron Mossburg, violas; Keith Robinson, cello; and Kevin Switalski, bass. Seating is limited and tickets are available in advance only, at Heights Arts gallery (2175 Lee Road, 216-371-3457) or online at www.heightsarts.org.

Mary Ryan

Mary Ryan is on staff at Heights Arts, a nonprofit community arts organization.

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Volume 8, Issue 4, Posted 9:59 AM, 03.31.2015