'At Table' again brings art and food to Heights Arts

Artist Lari Jacobson's painting is part of the installation inspired by Zoma and chef Zeleke Belete.

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This September, 24 artists are partnering with some of Cleveland’s most creative culinary experts to transform the Heights Arts main gallery into four unique, themed installations that speak to the art of food and community through the materials we use to eat and drink. The exhibition, At Table: Cleveland Culinaria, opens on Aug. 31 and will run through Oct. 14.

In addition, on Sept. 14, 6–9 p.m., Heights Arts invites the community to the opening of a new exhibition in its Spotlight gallery, featuring the work of Cleveland Heights printmaker Paula Zinsmeister. 

At Table showcases the vision of chefs Douglas Katz of fire food & drink, Provenance, and the Katz Club Diner; Gerry Grim of Edwin’s Leadership & Restaurant Institute; Zeleke Belete of Zoma; and Karen Small of the Flying Fig. The 24 participating visual artists are William Brouillard, Timothy Callaghan, Cheryl Cochran, Dana Depew, Adrien Eisenhower, Tyler Federico, S. Jordan Fine, Scott Goss, Amy Halko, Lari Jacobson, Scott Larson, Andrea LeBlond, Joyce Morrow-Jones, Shayna Roth Pentecost, Matthew Pritchard, Billy Ritter, Heidi Robb, Carmen Romine, Randall Slaughter, Jessica Coven Stenson, Ashley Sullivan, Krista Tomorowitz, Ari Warner and Carl Ziek.

“Bringing back our extremely successful At Table series exemplifies our organization’s continued dedication to artistic collaboration in new and innovative ways,” said Rachel Bernstein, Heights Arts executive director. “Through this project, we have intertwined multiple disciplines within the art world with something we can all connect to—food. Visual and culinary artists have worked together for several months to create a tangible experience we can share with our community through the exhibition itself, neighborhood activities, and food events at the gallery.”

Four multi-course food events are part of At Table: Cleveland Culinaria, each planned by one of the participating chefs. Attendees will enjoy an array of culinary creations along with engaging conversation with chefs, exhibition artists, and Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate Damien McClendon in an intimate gallery setting.

These visually stunning and Pavlovian response-inducing events are planned for September and early October. Tickets, $55 each/$40 for Heights Arts members, are available online at www.heightsarts.org, at the gallery at 2175 Lee Road, and by phone at 216-371-3457. Advance ticket purchase is necessary as space is limited.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, 5 p.m., Douglas Katz will present a menu featuring cured meats and local aged cheeses; house pickled vegetables; sliced and freshly baked country baguettes; whipped grass-fed butter and foraged berries; morning baby lettuces with fall turnips, beets, carrots and maple-glazed bacon with cider vinegar-thyme dressing; grass-fed beef; local mushroom and barley soup with parsley and chives. The corresponding art installation is based on the post-civil war industrial era in Ohio, and explores the roots of Northeast Ohio’s rich local food and artisan culture.

On Sunday, Sept. 16, 5 p.m., Gerry Grim will offer a menu featuring Burgundy snails with caramelized fennel, garlic, butter and parsley; Verlasso smoked salmon rillet with lemon, dill and toast points; and braised Briarwood Valley rabbit leg with rosemary potatoes and a mustard cream sauce. The symbolic use of recycled and reclaimed objects in this art installation helped guide the menu.

On Sunday, Sept. 23, 5 p.m., Zeleke Belete’s menu will offer cabbage stew, lentil stew, split pea stew, mild beef stew, mild chicken stew and Ethiopian honey wine. The art installation's aesthetic is guided by the fascinating culture of Ethiopia—a melting pot of traditions from Africa and other continents.

On Sunday, Oct. 7, 5 p.m., Karen Small’s menu will feature house-made, naturally fermented breads and crackers; roasted Ohio City Farm carrots with tahini yogurt sauce; carrot-top chimichurri and crushed almonds, house cured Ohio pork with marinated burnt peppers; labneh and roasted beets with caraway; and local sheep's milk cheese with chili honey, apple butter, whipped ricotta with eggplant caponata and assorted pickles. The aesthetic of the corresponding art installation is inspired by local urban farms, including the Ohio City Farm and the North Union Farmers Market, and by the urban landscape.