Heights Arts opens 2016 with new exhibit and master classes for young musicians

David Meyers of Rustbelt Reclamation is flanked by Greg Donley and Sharon Grossman of Heights Arts during a studio visit for Remade in Cleveland. 

Just as our Rust Belt city is creating vibrant communities from traditional neighborhoods mixed with edgy independent businesses and updated urban design, the first Heights Arts exhibition of 2016, Remade in Cleveland, focuses on the repurposing of industrial and cast-off materials into imaginative yet functional household objects.

Opening Friday, Jan. 15, with a public reception from 6 to 9 p.m., Remade in Cleveland brings together the works of Douglas Meyer (Rustbelt Rebirth), Kevin Busta, and the firm Rustbelt Reclamation—all Northeast Ohio artisans who use locally sourced wood and metal to create custom tables, seating, lighting, mirrors, wall features, and tabletop objects such as clocks, serving boards, wine caddies and even "paper" planes.

Greg Donley—head of the gallery committee that organizes Heights Arts exhibitions—noted, "Resourcefulness and creativity are common threads binding these artists together: rather than starting from a blank slate, they seek out interesting materials that have already been used for some other purpose and are now ripe for a second life. The resulting furniture melds practicality and imagination in functional objects that are intended for hard use in daily life—but are also beautiful, compelling, often intriguing forms that sometimes evoke their past lives." Viewers may be surprised to find everything from sleek, mid-century inspired consoles which incorporate tubular steel from exercise equipment, to patina-rich tables crafted from the salvaged wood of Cleveland houses, to wall art made from 150-year-old carved mahogany foundry molds.

Remade in Cleveland is on view through Feb. 27. Ekphrastacy, an accompanying artist talk and poetry reading in response to exhibition works, is slated for Thursday,  Feb. 11, at 7 p.m.

Besides showcasing visual art, Heights Arts offers a robust series of gallery music programs for 2016 as well, including a new series of master classes in cello, flute, voice and violin in collaboration with the Music Settlement, Contemporary Youth Orchestra, area public schools and private teachers. Each master class features students in grades 6 through 12 who perform with excellence within various levels, and have been recommended by their teachers. Master classes are free and open to the public for observation. An evening series of gallery concerts, designed to showcase the talents of local musicians performing in the classical genre, is scheduled for winter and spring.

The first master class in cello, with award-winning Cleveland Institute of Music instructor Pamela Kelly, will be held Sunday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. Student applications, at www.heightsarts.org/master-classes, are currently being accepted for all classes. Accepted students and a parent will also receive tickets to a Heights Arts Close Encounters chamber music concert.

For more information on Heights Arts programs and gallery shop, visit www.heightsarts.org or call 216-371-3457.