Avenue of the Arts
Located on the eastern edge of Cleveland's Downtown, the Superior Arts District, is home to approximately 100 working artists that have studios in the City's former garment and textile manufacturing buildings--specifically along Superior Avenue.
In 2018 a group of visual artists located in the ArtCraft Building came together to put on a special summer gallery show. Their idea was to create an opportunity to elevate local, neighborhood artists. Those artists reached out to Campus District for assistance in securing music and food trucks, and from there the idea grew. Avenue of the Arts was born, an event that took visitors on Superior Avenue's journey from garment district to artist district. Our planning team grew to include representatives from arts hubs across the district beyond the ArtCraft Building--Tower Press, Lake Affect Studios, Superior Sound, FP Creative, and more. While 2018 had a very small turnout, it created the blueprint for a strong vision to be carried forward by talented individuals.
And in 2019, that's exactly what happened. Avenue of the Arts drew 400 people (even in a nasty thunderstorm!) and included history tours of the neighborhood, historic garments made in the area lent to us by the Western Reserve Historical Society, original projection work, live studio recordings, open studios, special gallery exhibitions, interactive artwork, and even a sundae bar. The hard work really showed.
2020 would have been Avenue of the Art’s 3rd year but due to the COVID-19 virus the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled. The hope Avenue of the Arts in the future is to have even more musicians, open studios, and original works than last year. Additionally, a long-time vision of the group that they hope to execute this year is a fashion show--honoring the garment history of the area but elevating local designers.