Rachel Oscar: Farewell Campus District

After five wonderful and eventful years at Campus District Inc. I am saying goodbye.  I’ve accepted a position at the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation as a program officer and will complete my time at CDI on April 1st.  While entering this new chapter is exciting, it’s also given me the opportunity to reflect on all our tremendous accomplishments since 2017.

Programs like ArtStop, Payne Avenue Project, and Bridge that Bridges brought permanent works of art to the street.  Each one designed and created by our community members—Campus International School students, Superior Arts District artists, guests of Norma Herr, Cleveland State University Students, Tri-C staff and faculty, and more. 

400 new faces came to the District for Avenue of the Arts, an artist-created event that celebrated the neighborhood’s transformation from historic garment district to artist district.  Live music, history tours, open studios, and a fashion show gave Cleveland a window into our rich and unique community.  An identity I hope is retained as Superior Avenue continues to develop.  

The business of everyday at CDI is rewarding—the neighborhood mixers, Superior Gatherings, East 22nd Street Clean-Ups.  Even during a pandemic, we worked to support one another, whether it was partnering with the May Dugan Center to provide meals to residents or developing a permanent public restroom plan for the district that supports public health.  Through it all the common denominator was interacting with countless numbers of people motivated to build a more vibrant and equitable community.

I am unbelievably grateful to Mark Lammon for trusting me and giving me freedom to work alongside the community to bring programming to the neighborhood.  Even as I exit, I feel heartened by the programs that are right around the corner—Community Trauma Response Trainings, traffic calming and equitable roadways with People’s Streets, and the right to public health infrastructure with the Portland Loos.

My greatest asset in this work has been the community members who have volunteered their time to create and participate in programming.  The Campus District office is small and mighty, but nothing would get done without the gifts and talents of our neighbors.

Thank you to the Campus District and Superior Arts Improvement District boards for unending encouragement and support and to all the talented Campus District staff (past and present) that I’ve had the privilege of working with along the way including Mark Lammon, Bobbi Reichtell, Jazmyn Blockson, Michael Collier, Diana Hasrouni, Connor O’Brien, Morgan Clark, and Haley McGinty.  We made a lot happen and I’m very proud.

Please stay in touch!  Connect with me at rachenoscar@gmail.com .

2022-2023 Priorities

Campus District is excited to begin pivoting from our pandemic responses back to broader and long-term neighborhood initiatives. The Board of Directors recently identified the priorities for the district in 2022 and 2023. We’ve organized our programming into four different priorities:


Neighborhood Programming

We’ll build upon our expertise in bringing the community together through public art, mixers, and trauma resilience trainings:

  • Public Art: We will launch a Public Art Matching Program in Superior Arts District. Superior Arts Improvement Corporation dollars will be set-aside to support and encourage public art creation in the District.

  • Neighborhood Mixers: As long as it remains safe, we’ll host quarterly neighborhood mixers that showcase the work of many of our community members and we’ll also explore the possibility of a large showcase event. Information coming soon on our first mixer on March 10th at Rust Belt Riders!

  • Trauma Resilience Trainings: In partnership with Ohio City Inc. and MetroHealth’s Institute for H.O.P.E., we’ll offer a series of trauma resilience trainings for all stakeholders in the district.

Business Development

Campus District Inc., will serve as a bridge between our anchor institutions and our small business community. Our work will include ways to connect students into the neighborhood through class projects.


Planning, Infrastructure, and Advocacy

With multiple master plans occurring simultaneously in the district (CSU, Health Campus, etc.), Campus District will serve as the coordinating organization to ensure that all the processes are communicating with one another. We’ll act as a strong neighborhood advocate for projects like:

  • The Superior Avenue Midway: A two-directional protected bike-lane that runs from Public Square to East 55th Street down the center of Superior Avenue.

  • The East 22nd Street Bridge over the Innerbelt: A reconstruction plan for the East 22nd Street Bridge that acts as a cap over the freeway, improving the experience and safety for cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge.

  • People’s Streets Project on Payne Avenue: a traffic calming, and arts initiative project managed by Campus District and MidTown Cleveland. The project will paint seven crosswalks on Payne Avenue between East 22nd Street and East 40th Street and add a mural to the Payne Avenue bridge over 1-90.

Organizational Growth & Partnerships

Campus District will continue to seek out strategic partnerships with other Community Development Corporations and advocacy organizations in the form of project collaboration. As new businesses locate in the district, we’ll work to grow our membership base in order to be representative of everyone.

Get To Know: Cleveland Teaching Collaborative

In 2020, educators faced a unique problem during the Covid-19 pandemic. Without warning, many teachers, professors, students, etc. were forced into a remote workspace for the first time. Unfortunately, there was no existing playbook for teaching or learning remotely. In addition, the pandemic magnified existing structural inequities in education. Dr. Molly Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Shelley Rose found a solution to these new and unique issues.

Starting as notes in the margin of Dr. Rose’s notebook, Dr. Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Rose, associate professors at Cleveland State University, created the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative in May 2020. This working group includes research, reflection, and support during the Covid-19 pandemic. When most schools went into emergency remote learning. Dr. Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Rose realized that the collaborative efforts of educators could overcome the isolation necessitated by the pandemic.

“The way we think about the collaborative is that it has three arms,” explains Dr. Buckley-Marudas. “The first component is the case studies, which is what we started with.” These case studies became a place where authors could reflect on their practices and learn from each other. In the summer of 2020, the CTC had 24 case study authors. “It is really important to us that the educators see themselves as knowledge generators.”

Dr. Molly Buckley-Marudas

“The second component is the Resource Referatory,” says Dr. Buckley-Marudas. The referatory is a crowdsourced toolkit, a research database intended to support educators. It serves as a central place to find the tools teachers need to be successful in the classroom, whether they are online or face-to-face. “[The referatory] has grown to over 1,200 resources. It has taken on a life of its own.”

Dr. Rose, a historian obsessed with archiving and digital methods, finds that this is a unique product of the collaborative as well. “In a way, this has become an archive of pandemic teaching and learning,” explains Dr. Rose.

Dr. Shelley Rose

The third component and the central core to the collaborative, is peer-to-peer learning. “That third core element really harnesses low stakes and light opportunities, and more significant opportunities as peers learn from one another,” explains Dr. Buckley-Marudas. This peer-to-peer learning includes monthly discussions, a pilot called the “peering in program” which allows educators to drop-in on classes, and even “assignment design cafes” every second Friday. “It brings together not only collaborators and instructors, but even staff members, like instructional technologists, to sit in these zoom rooms with us. We have this group all in one place, solving these universal problems and sharing knowledge, and it’s really quite special,” says Dr. Rose.

“In our first cohort, we kept talking about meeting the students where they are. But one of the takeaways we’ve had, is to meet our educators where they are as well. And that’s how we ended up with all these ‘arms’ of the project,” describes Dr. Rose. Together, these arms create a space where educators with different roles and purposes, from all over the world, found a common resource. Elementary teachers want to talk with university professors, and thanks to the pandemic, a space was created for that where it hadn’t been before. “We want to maintain that, because there are such divisions that exist between higher ed, and pre-k through 12. That’s really important to us too, to recognize that all of these teachers have something to share with each other and learn from one another,” explains Dr. Buckley-Marudas.

Dr. Rose and Dr. Buckley-Marudas hope the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative can forever be a place where those walls don’t exist. By continuing to collaborate, educators can leverage what they know, and stop perpetuating silos in education. Bringing educators together and honoring all the voices of collaboration really helps to create these spaces. Dr. Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Rose believe the demand for the collaborative will continue, as well as the conversations.

“One thing we’ve become hyper aware of in this project is that the pandemic magnified the structural inequities of education at all levels. How we address those issues has been an ongoing conversation,” describes Dr. Rose. During those first months of the pandemic, many educators were faced with emergency remote learning. Now, educators must navigate these same magnified issues, while the push to go back to normal becomes more intense. “Normal puts us back to the inequities, and now that we’ve seen them- we can’t unsee them,” says Dr. Rose. “We need to change moving forward, and I think the collaboratives’ life will continue to address how we change as educators, and how to bring those changes to our own classrooms.”

In April 2021, the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative received the Divergent Award for Excellence in Implementation of Literacy in a Digital Age. This award recognizes PK-12 schools, community programs, and university programs in their implementation of literacy practices that embrace the ideals of equity, diversity, access, and creativity. The Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age, established in 2014, recognizes the importance of literacy in a digital age, those who diverge from traditional pedagogies and research approaches, and the indelible contributions of educators and scholars who have dedicated their careers to the theoretical and practical study of 21st century literacies. This award, given by the Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age, generates some excitement around the collaborative. It shows there is additional recognition, and a strong foundation and reputation for this type of work. “It was really a moment of affirmation,” says Dr. Buckley-Marudas. “It’s a peer review process, which is unusual for a digital project,” added Dr. Rose.

The Cleveland Teaching Collaborative continues to recruit and overcome the issues collaborators face. In addition, they invite all collaborators to any of their spaces. “I hope as the intensity of the pandemic subsides, we can keep taking up big educational issues that we all face,” says Dr. Buckley-Marudas. As the collaborative evolves overtime, Dr. Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Rose remain excited with the space they have helped create, and want to remind us that anyone can become a collaborator. “You don’t have to be an educator on a schools’ roster to be a part of this work,” explains Dr. Buckley-Marudas. “We are pleasantly surprised that it keeps growing.”

You can join the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative’s Spring 2022 cohort by visiting cleteaching.org.

Meet Your Neighbor: Yum Village

Located in the heart of Campus District, the new Afro-Caribbean eatery Yum Village has made its home on Cleveland State University’s campus. Opening in the space previously known as Chapati in the Langston apartments, Yum Village brings West African-Caribbean cuisine in the recognizable, fast-casual style of a Chipotle or Piada.

Brothers, Godwin and Carasai Ihentuge, grew up eating all the dishes you see on the menu. Their dad is Nigerian, from a town near Lagos, a major city on the West African coast. Yum Village hopes to impact the palates of not only the students, but the community, providing versatile cuisine that is fresh, new and exciting. “[The food] is not only different for the community and surrounding area, but also different from what CSU has experienced,” describes Carasai.

Godwin began Yum Village as a ghost kitchen model, then a food truck concept, and eventually a successful brick and mortar establishment. Their original location is headquartered in downtown Detroit, on Wayne State University’s campus. “We position ourselves not only based on students as a customer base, but also by public transportation,” explains Carasai. Bringing the idea to CSU focuses on similar concepts. “In Detroit, we are located by the Wayne State campus, but there is also the Amtrak station there. Just like here in Cleveland, Yum Village is located near the bus routes, as well as the Greyhound station.”

Both Carasai and Godwin are from Detroit, but Carasai attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, and decided to stay here after graduation. After spending a lot of time traveling to and from Detroit, Cleveland seemed like the perfect spot for a second location. “Growing up eating and knowing all the recipes, it only made sense to add a Yum Village to Cleveland,” says Carasai.

“Since CSU is no longer known as a commuter college, more students are living here on campus from all different walks of life and demographics. We want to cater to that foreign palate” describes Carasai. “The good thing about Cleveland is that it is very similar to Detroit but feels a little more tight-knit, which is a good thing because word of mouth spreads quick.”

The Yum Village menu caters to many dietary restrictions and remains committed to being non-gmo. Although about 75% of their menu is vegan, Yum Village does offer unique and delicious meat choices like ox tail, jerk chicken, and curry goat. “We want the consumer to experiment and try something they’ve never had before,” explains Carasai. “We put that Afro-Caribbean twist on it.”

Yum Village is committed to serving the communities they reside in, by sourcing local or locally made products, and donating to local food banks and nonprofit organizations to provide meals to those who may not be as fortunate as others. “It helps so that the food doesn’t go to waste. This opportunity is providing to people who need food, while also opening their mind to foods they may have never tried before,” describes Carasai.

Something else that sets them apart from others is “providing African diaspora to the community and beyond,” explains Carasai. By creating these traditional dishes and cuisine that one may not be culturally familiar with, they help expand how people connect with their food. The Yum Village Market Pantry, which sells spices and goods online, allows the brand to expand their reach beyond your typical restaurant experience. “Our Market Pantry website allows you to order spices or certain goods, so you can make these dishes at home. This is another way we are different and versatile within our industry.”

Yum Village also uses a Smart Vending Machine, one in which a customer can swipe their card to open the fully stocked cooler, and purchase a meal that is ready for eating. These grab-n-go meals have a 7-14 day shelf life, and can be heated in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. In Detroit, Yum Village has five smart vending machines spread throughout the area, not just on campus. In Cleveland, Yum Village hopes to expand their reach with this same healthy meal concept, looking to partner with all sorts of businesses such as apartment complexes, office buildings, hospitals, dorms, etc.

Yum Village celebrated their soft opening November 29th, and plan to have their grand opening after the new year. You can find this Afro-Caribbean healthy eatery on Chester Avenue in the Langston building, or on most food delivery services.

The ArtCraft Show Returns

33rd Annual ArtCraft Show & Sale

Cleveland’s largest collection of fine art & craft for the holiday season is returning after a year removed during the Covid-19 pandemic, with their annual Open Studio Show, right here in the Superior Arts District!

The ArtCraft Building
2570 Superior Avenue, Cleveland 44114

Studios on the 1st and 3rd floors.
Free Parking available. Elevator access.

Friday, December 3, 2021, from 11-7pm
Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 10-7pm.
Sunday, December 5, 2021, from 11-5pm.

Masks are required.


Background and History

The ArtCraft Open Studio & Sale began in 1981 as ‘The Bohemian Department Store’ an event hosted by artists in the Tower Press Building. This grew into the ‘Eat at Art’s’ exhibit at SPACES has always been held on the first weekend in December. It has been hosted by artists in the ArtCraft Building for the past 33 years.

Artists have shared a co-operative studio in the 6th floor of the ArtCraft Building since 1987. Although artists have changed the Open Studio Sale is now in its 20th year in this location. The event began in 1981 as the ‘Bohemian Department Store’ in their studios in the Tower Press Building. This was a collection of Cleveland Institute of Art students, alumni and teachers. Out of this grew the idea of ‘Eat at Art’s’ exhibit at SPACES in 1982. The artists moved the sale as they changed studios, keeping it on the first weekend of December.

The ArtCraft Building’s 6th Floor Co-op is currently shared by Janet Luken, Ikuko Miklowski, Celeste Stauber, Clare Raack, Kristi Copez, Gail Taber, Alan Mintz and Mark Yasenchack. This is a group of arts educators, painters, ceramic and installation artists.  While not a live/work studio, there is someone in a studio just about 24 hours a day! We value the small community we have formed. Just over 50 artists have called this floor their studio over the last 29 years.

Angelica Pozo, George Bowes, Dan Postotnik, Susan Gallagher, Andrea Serafino and Susan Weir started the space in 1987, and while the residents have changed, the space and purpose have remained the same. The 6th Floor Studio is to the Cleveland art community what the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is to Hollywood.

 

33rd Annual ArtCraft Show Participating Artists

 Clothing & Accessories

  1. Jeff Balazs, J Design

  2. Deb King and Sharon Heiser, Annadele Alpacas

  3. Julie Friedman, Side Porch Design Studio

  4. Michael Wilson

Mixed Media

  1. Nina Vivian Huryn

  2. Nancy Luken

  3. Gwen Waight (N)

  4. Gail Taber

  5. Allie Freeman, Hip Knot Ties

  6. Annie Becker, spare pARTs

  7. Mark & Mandy Spisak, Retro Revival

  8. Mark Brabant

  9. April Couch (N)

  10. Celeste Stauber (N)

Clay

  1. Angelica Pozo

  2. Mark Yasenchack

  3. Ikuko Miklowski

  4. Claire Raack

  5. Shane & Kelly Roach (Fulton Foundry)

Confectioneries, perfume & soap

  1. Blistering Pig Farms

  2. Sweet Bean Candies

  3. Fortunes Cookies (N)

  4. DNF Luxe (N)

  5. Images In Bloom

Jewelry

Glass

  1. Diana Juratovac, Agape Fused Glass

  2. Earl James & Linda Zmina

  3. Carol Cross (N)

  1. Deborah Woolfork

  2. Patti Fields

  3. Zenia Lis

  4. Grace Stokes

  5. Catherine Davies Paetz

  6. Qandle Qadir

  7. Laurie Reyman

Wood & Furniture

  1. Marcus Schafer, SWORKS

  2. Kym Shippe (N)

  3. Dave Cvelbar(N)

 Paintings

  1. Janet Luken

  2. Marilyn Farinacci

  3. Bonnie Dolin

  4. Wally Kaplan

  5. Rita Schuenemann

  6. Paulette Archer

  7. Katina Pastis Radwanski

 Paper Arts

  1. Pat Isenstadt, Vintage Vision Cards (N)

 

Exhibiting on the 1st Floor:

          Cleveland Print Room

Photography

  1. Robert Colgan (N)

  2. Dan Morgan (N)

On the 2530 side of ArtCraft : #402 Images in Bloom Studio & Guests

Meet Your Neighbor: Fr. Phil and St. Peter Church

A hidden gem in Cleveland, St. Peter Church has been a long-standing member of our neighborhood. Located on the corner of E. 17th Street and Superior Avenue in Campus District, the German church of St. Peter’s was first constructed in the 1850s. It is one of the only pre-Civil War structures remaining in Downtown Cleveland, earning it landmark status.

Since then, the church has seen its fair share of history. Now, with the recent development of the Superior Arts District, and new companies like Cross Country Mortgage moving in only a few blocks away, the church will see more foot traffic than before. “With the growing of downtown and this area, I’m really interested to see where it will be in 3 to 5 years. This block, and the potential it has,” says Fr. Phil, the new pastor at St. Peter’s who joined the parish in October of 2020.

Growing up in Lakewood, Fr. Phil is a Cleveland native, catholic Franciscan friar. “I’ve been paying close attention,” he says. “[The potential] of what’s going on down here, it’s a great place for us.”

St. Peter Church is a different type of church, and a lot of Cleveland Catholics might not even know where it is, or have ever heard of it. “We are the place where Catholics who don’t like the ‘style’ of the Cathedral would come,” explains Fr. Phil. “[It is] a very monastic, progressive approach.”

“During the Eucharist, we ask people to come and gather around the altar. This strengthens their sense of community. This is a huge metaphor for the people who have been coming here for a long time. For them to come into the sanctuary and gather around the altar, strengthens their sense of community.”

Fr. Phil describes how there are no pews, only chairs, and recognizes that this open concept is unique to some. “We invite visitors to come forward.” Fr. Phil hopes many find this new style to be more open, approachable, and welcoming than the church has been in its past. St. Peter Church prides itself in its non-traditional worship style. While this might feel foreign to some, St. Peter’s believes this cultivates a special community. “We attempt to build this community and worship around warm hospitality, good music, and challenging preaching.”

“Some years ago, gates were installed on Superior Ave. that may give the impression that the church is closed. As we continue to grow, it is my hope that the gates will remain open more often,” says Fr. Phil.

St. Peter Church is unique for many reasons. In addition to its open, monastic approach is its 7 p.m. Sunday mass. Being in Campus District, Fr. Phil explains that these night masses are geared towards students and others who find themselves busy during more typical mass hours. It is also the meeting site for CSU’s Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, which is a spiritual home for students looking to grow in faith and community during their studies at Cleveland State. St. Peter’s is now a hub for a new experience for young Catholics in downtown Cleveland.

With community in mind, Fr. Phil hopes one day the church can utilize their green space, one of the only green spaces in Campus District on Superior Avenue. “It can be a place of spirituality, especially in an urban setting,” explains Fr. Phil. “There’s a spirituality with gardening, a Franciscan connection to nature, that in itself builds community.”

But the church is not only for practicing Catholics. “Our doors are always open to the community, for people who are seeking God’s presence in life. I’m here as a pastor, but also here for the community. I am here to offer encouragement and hope for people in times of need” says Fr. Phil. “The Church’s greatest gift is community.”

 

Get To Know: Jennifer Kinsley Smith and Legal Aid’s Medical Legal Partnership

Jennifer Kinsley Smith started her career as a lawyer for the City of Cleveland, where she prosecuted dockets at Cleveland Municipal Court, including specialized treatment courts. While there, she noticed that individuals were being connected to necessary resources only after they had become justice involved. Jennifer realized that this was problematic because it could cause negative collateral consequences. For example, individuals who receive minor misdemeanors or disorderly conduct charges may lose accessibility to jobs. Or a person may be disconnected from Medicaid coverage if they become incarcerated, making it hard to reconnect to medical benefits again after incarceration. Given these adverse consequences, individuals struggle to be successful in the community upon release.

Jennifer came to The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland specifically for the Medical-Legal Partnership with St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, where she hopes to “use the civil legal system to help people avoid the criminal legal system.” Jennifer explains that negative consequences, like unemployment and homelessness, follow criminal convictions and that they are sometimes “unnecessary, and are a direct result of unstable civil legal issues.” This program intercepts challenges individuals face early, and includes everything from social service referrals, food and housing security, to immediate protective orders or divorce filings, and more.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, which started in 1905, is one of the oldest law firms in Cleveland. It serves low-income individuals, families and communities.  Lawyers represent people on individual cases, and work systemically to resolve issues that are problems for the community.  Cleveland Legal Aid is the largest nonprofit law firm addressing the civil legal needs of Northeast Ohio’s poor and marginalized. Legal Aid serves a five-county service area, with over 100 staff members, including Jennifer, meeting the legal needs of low-income communities.

Medical Legal Partnerships at Legal Aid include St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, as well as MetroHealth and University Hospitals. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is located within Campus District and was founded in 1865 to serve its surrounding communities with faith-based, high-quality health care. As a result of their own Community Health Needs Assessment, St. Vincent Charity used social determinants of health to identify areas of need, not only for the Central and Campus communities but for Cuyahoga County as a whole. They partnered with Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to open the Medical-Legal Partnership in October of 2017.

The partnership works by first identifying patients who may have a legal need or may want legal assistance. Medical providers and their staff members refer patients to Legal Aid, who then evaluates the referral. Within a few hours, the patient is then contacted, and Legal Aid performs a legal check-up. This check-up helps Legal Aid identify all the areas in which they can provide the patient with legal assistance. The goal is to deliver whole person care. Not only is the immediate legal need addressed, but long-term health harming legal needs are addressed as well.

“In addition to having a legal need, most of our patients also have a need to connect with social services”, says Jennifer. “Just being connected to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center as a patient entitles you to this service, which is free to patients and the individuals in their household.”

The perk of coming to Legal Aid through St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is that the individuals who are referred get connected right away. The Medical-Legal Partnership with St. Vincent has allowed Legal Aid to focus on very vulnerable populations, individually and systemically. This partnership functions thanks to grant funding and the support of the community. We hope this valuable partnership continues long into the future.

In December of 2020, Jennifer was named a ‘Champion of Central’ by the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood. During the pandemic, not only did Jennifer work hard representing patients at St. Vincent, she also advocated to protect the rights of the unhoused on both local and statewide committees, and worked to improve public awareness of social service procedures in light of pandemic shutdowns. Jennifer also co-chairs the reentry committee at Legal Aid, which allows her to focus on the collateral consequences and barriers that individuals face once they’re involved with the criminal justice system.

If you’re interested in learning more or are seeking civil legal assistance, visit Legal Aid’s website, www.lasclev.org, to apply online for services. You can also apply by phone on weekdays at 888-817-3777 (Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).  If you are a current patient at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, you can speak with your provider about being referred to the Medical-Legal Partnership.

Community Corner: Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) Creative Arts Academy Dance Mastery Community Program

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Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) Creative Arts Academy’s virtual Dance Mastery program has granted countless students access to high-quality arts education at no cost to their families. With generous funding from the Cleveland Foundation, this free online dance program introduces students to the world of dance while immersing them in modern, hip-hop, ballet and musical theatre.

Kindergarten through eighth grade, students gain improvisational skills through choreography and a final virtual performance held near the end of each semester. The Dance Mastery program works closely with Cleveland schools to safeguard consistency and efficacy, making its after-school approach flexible to fit students’ academic curriculum.

Instructors create videos that break down the choreography and overall lesson for each class, uploading them to a digital learning platform called Flipgrid. Students can pause, rewind and fast-forward each video in order to learn at their own pace. The program includes a synchronous element in its curriculum as well. Every Saturday, students log on to Zoom, where their live dance class takes place in real time — giving them a chance to connect and engage with their instructors and classmates.

Before the College’s holiday break, students were brimming with joy as they presented the results of their hard work, dedication and commitment. Three presentations —ballet, musical theatre dance, and hip-hop — were accompanied by vibrant music selections from The Lion King soundtrack, along with holiday classics like “Jingle Bells.”

12-week courses for the spring semester start on Saturday, January 23rd, 2021.

Registration has begun and is open to the public until further notice. To register, please visit their website or email creativeartsacademy@tri-c.edu with an inquiry.

Noreen D. Thomas

Site Manager, Dance Mastery Community Program
Office Assistant, Arts Prep Creative Arts Academy
Cuyahoga Community College

Community Corner: The Central-Kinsman Neighborhood Day of Action

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Community Corner is a new e-news segment where we pass the mic to neighbors to share their experiences in the Campus District. Interested in being featured? E-mail info@campusdistrict.org


Dear Neighbors,

My name is Gwendolyn Garth, a neighborhood artist and activist. Today I write to you as a member of the Central-Kinsman Neighborhood Mobilization Team inviting you to participate in our Neighborhood Day of Action on September 27th from 1:30-3:30. This amazing team is composed of a group of extraordinary neighborhood residents and organizations that are housed in the community and/or provide services in the community. 

The Day of Action we are planning is powered by practices of the Neighbor Up Network and is just one of many endeavors of the Central-Kinsman Neighborhood residents and organizations to get out messages of hope and messages about the importance of "Being Counted in Census 2020” and using "Our Vote as Our Voice"; and also to increase voter registration and the Census 2020 count in the Central-Kinsman Neighborhood! 

The "Caravana" is a Neighbor Up Network practice being used as a way to safely get closer to our neighbors during this era of COVID-19. We have identified 10 Pop-Up Stations strategically located in the Central-Kinsman area. Each station will be activated with Music, Live painting, light refreshments, and tables for passing out PPE, Voter Registration and assistance with filling out the online Census 2020 information. While all of that is happening there will be a Central-Kinsman Neighborhood Caravana—a caravan of cars--riding throughout the area passing out giveaway bags.

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Here's our why: We imagined the 10 Public Housing estates in the Central-Kinsman area with an estimated adult population of 3,512 and we asked ourselves, "What if every one of them came out and voted and each of those families counted in Census 2020?”  We collectively feel that “The Voice of the People will be made Stronger.” We, the Central-Kinsman Mobilization Team, operate collectively with the belief that when you change a person…the community is...Changed.  

Our Final Thought: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We invite you to join us on Sunday, September 27th from 1:30-3:30 at locations around the Central and Kinsman neighborhoods. The base is located at 2259 East 55th Street.

Namaste,

Gwendolyn and the Central-Kinsman Neighborhood Mobilization Team

This endeavor is funded by Sisters of Charity Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation Census 2020 Grant, Neighbor Up Common Ground Grant, Kings & Queens of Art, Innervisions of Cleveland, FARE, Environmental Health Watch.

Community Corner: Rust Belt Riders

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Rust Belt Riders (RBR) has been serving the Northeast Ohio community since 2014 with a simple mission: feed people, not landfills. Did you know that as much as 40% of all the food grown in the United States will end up thrown away, and just a small fraction of this, ~7% will avoid landfills. When food enters landfills it squanders one of our most valuable resources, our food - our nourishment - our sustenance. Not only that, when food enters a landfill, it emits harmful greenhouse gases that accelerate and exacerbate the realities of climate change.

Rust Belt Riders works with businesses, organizations, and individuals all over Northeast Ohio to provide them with a clean, timely, and community benefiting alternative to landfills for their food waste. Whether you operate a food-based business, work in an office, or just simply make a pot of coffee in your apartment, Rust Belt Riders can develop a customized service that is right for you.

In the midst of the pandemic, Rust Belt Riders relocated their offices into the Campus District and are thrilled to be part of one of Cleveland’s fastest growing and most dynamic neighborhoods. With offices located at 2701 St. Clair Ave., they are excited to work hand-in-hand with the Campus District, its residents, and its businesses to make diverting food waste a more normal and ubiquitous practice in this, our Forest City.

In addition to their food waste hauling services, Rust Belt also launched, and is now growing, the arm of their organization that makes soils. Afterall, what better to do with all those food scraps than make compost which can help make growing more of our food locally even easier. Tilth Soil, the soil arm of RBR makes a line of soil products for growers of all types: home gardeners, house plant enthusiasts, professional farmers, and everywhere in between.

As COVID highlights just how flawed and broken our nations food system is Rust Belt Riders is quietly working on to fix, in some small way, this system for the better. They believe that if we are to truly value food, it should never be wasted. By composting this resource, we have a chance to repair our soils, reconnect with our food system, live healthier lives, and make meaningful strides in slowing our impact on the environment.

Want to learn more or get involved? Visit www.RustBeltRiders.com and follow them on Facebook & Instagram.

Community Corner: Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry

New COVID protocols at the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside

New COVID protocols at the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside

Community Corner is a new e-news segment where we pass the mic to neighbors to share their experiences in the Campus District.  Interested in being featured?  E-mail info@campusdistrict.org

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) has operated the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside since 2005. We are the largest Shelter in the State of Ohio, typically serving 400 people a night and 3400 unique individuals per year. Handling crises is not new in our line of work: homelessness itself is a crisis. Over the years we have witnessed recessions, housing bubbles burst, high unemployment rates. However, we have been confronted with a new and unknown threat to pile onto an already vulnerable population – Covid19. This disease has affected every person around the globe. However, those who are homeless are more likely to be infected and die from this disease.

In late March, the entire homeless services Continuum of Care (CoC) in Cuyahoga County rose to the crisis of coronavirus and immediately put plans into action. The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quickly stepped in and helped us launch short term solutions, including gift cards to assist in diverting people from congregate shelters to friends and family. Additionally, three hotels have been operating as satellite shelters in effort to provide necessary social distancing not possible in a full congregate shelter. Since the end of March 2020, we have reduced the LMM Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside census by 65%, and served over 400 unduplicated people in hotel rooms.

In addition to hotels, many changes in Shelter operations have been implemented including cordoning off hallways to allow six-foot distance, installing Plexiglas shields at the front desk and in the shuttle bus, scheduled hand-washing reminders, ongoing sanitation of surfaces. We even took down a chain-link fence which separated the parking lot of the Shelter and our greenspace on our adjoining side lot to encourage more free movement outside. Additionally, we provide masks for all clients and staff at the Shelter and hotels. The community has really come together to help during this time. County Emergency Response Department, volunteer “Sewing Ladies”, United Way, The Cleveland Foundation and corporate America, Yellow Cake and Case Western Reserve University (to name a few) all stepped up with fabric and disposable mask donations for clients and staff.

Distance and masks are critical to combat the spread of this disease. Since March, a dedicated team of MetroHealth staff have partnered with LMM and other homeless services providers to assist in strategy, screening, and testing of Shelter staff and clients. Metro has been vital as a partner and continues to share up-to-date Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and guidelines and is a continued presence in partnering with LMM to risk stratify to reduce transmission of the virus in our Shelters.

Because of the virus and associated economic fallout, homelessness is projected to increase 40-50% according to a Columbia University study . CARES Act funding has provided opportunities for solutions and innovation for serving those who are homeless. Despite the predictions of huge increases in homelessness, we remain committed to serve those in need. Even in the midst of Covid, we continue to provide a shelter bed to anyone who presents for one.

This piece was written for the Campus District e-news by Erin Kray , Associate Director of Housing and Shelter at the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside

 

Community Corner: Mark Lammon

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Community Corner is a new e-news segment where we pass the mic to neighbors to share their experiences in the Campus District.  Interested in being featured?  E-mail info@campusdistrict.org

Campus District Priorities 

By now, if you’re like me, you’re probably tired of hearing about the ‘new normal’ or ‘trying times.’ I long for the chance encounters with friends and colleagues while walking through the Campus District.  I miss the daily brainstorming with my colleagues.  But like all of you, the Campus District organization and team has had to adapt to our current realty. 

Back in January the Board of Directors approved our new three-year strategic plan.  This plan outlined how we were going to move the organization and neighborhood forward through a mixture of direct, ground-level, and long-term planning.  Since we’re unable to do much of our direct programming, we’ve flipped the priorities of the strategic plan.  The three main areas that the organization will work on over the next 15 months are: 

  • Renew the Superior Arts Improvement District 

    • Re-authorization of our Special Improvement District is currently our top priority.  This effort will ensure that we continue to provide the same level of outreach, cleaning, and security services to the northern part of the Campus District. We are currently very close to our making our goal a reality and are working with property owners to finish up the renewal process and continue to make great progress for the next five years.

  • Complete a Neighborhood Masterplan with City Adoption 

    • The Campus District has had numerous plans completed throughout its 36-year history, however, it does not have a formal master plan adopted by the City Planning Commission.  We had originally planned to do this work in the later part of 2021 but feel that now is the right time to synthesize all of our existing knowledge into one cohesive document.  This is especially important as Cleveland State University begins its own master planning process this fall. 

  • Elevate the Juvenile Court Site Adaptation into a Top Priority

    • The former Juvenile Court Building on East 22nd Street has remained vacant for a decade.  This site is vital to our work to reconnect the southern end of the Campus District back into the Central Business District.  As part of our master planning process, we will look at innovative ideas for the historic parts of the building and how they can be adapted to tomorrow’s needs. 

  • Embed Trauma-Informed and Racial-Equity Principles into All of our Programming 

    • CDI has a continued commitment to creating equitable and trauma informed programming.  Projects like the Bridge that Bridges and the Payne Avenue Project have used the arts to examine the wounds of systemic racism.  As we plan for the future, we're working to continue to deepen the neighborhood's understanding of trauma through development of developing a trauma training for community members.  We plan take these lessons into our masterplanning process as well; addressing what decades of redlining and urban renewal have done to the Campus District. 

As always, the public will be invited to participate in all of our programming.  Please look for future ways to participate in future e-news addition.  In the meantime, please reach out to myself or any of the Campus District staff if you have questions, suggestions, or would like to just brain storm about the future of our neighborhood. 

 

Sincerely, 

Mark Lammon 

Executive Director 

Community Corner: Deanna Dionne

Ash O’Connor of Made Cleveland (left) and Deanna Dionne (right)

Ash O’Connor of Made Cleveland (left) and Deanna Dionne (right)

Community Corner is a new e-news segment where we pass the mic to neighbors to share their experiences in the Campus District.  Interested in being featured?  E-mail info@campusdistrict.org

A letter to my creative neighbors

June 26, 2020

I moved to Cleveland's Superior Arts District in 2014 to be part of a creative community. Before I knew it, I was painting a mural with my neighbors at 1am on a hot August night. We collaborated. We regularly engaged in important conversations. Most importantly, we helped each other. 

I searched for that sort of connection in the wider Cleveland arts community. The art scene is very segmented, and behaves competitively, as there are not many active art buyers in Cleveland. There are fewer galleries, and less that you can depend on to make a living. Artists fight over grant monies that they somehow seem to depend on. In the past few years I have seen gross jealousy and undermining between artists.

However, since the pandemic, I got what I dreamed of. ArtsCLE immediately hosted weekly Zoom meetings, which served as a space for us to process new traumatic feelings together, share resources, and get help. Now I am seeing artists supporting artists directly and freely in a public space. And I am even making new friends despite being in isolation. These are little gears which are getting big gears moving. Independent artists are now forming The Artists Bridge Coalition (email lizmaugans@gmail.com for more info), and bringing together their collective voices for social justice. 

I just built a site called Made Cleveland, commissioned from Ash O’Connor. The concept is essentially like a co-op. When we all add to one pot of money to spend on advertising, we can go so much farther than if we all go it alone. The website is set up as a multi-vendor marketplace, where the artist is in charge of listing and fulfilling their items completely independently. Each item sold has a 10% commission which mostly goes into that ad-spend pot. Email Ash@MadeCleveland.com for more info. Eventually the site will encompass ALL things Made Cleveland, like music and literature. When someone needs to purchase a gift, I want them to think of Made Cleveland before Amazon. But to have that kind of reach we all need to be LOUD and BIG. 

I’m not going to sugar-coat things. It’s a hard time to sell. People aren’t spending a ton of money on non-essentials. Folks are spending hours and hours on social media every day but aren’t really engaging beyond current events. Lots of people are looking for charitable causes over “selfish” buys. But I think that’s where our sweet spot lies. Now is the opportunity to teach Cleveland what it truly means to support local art, and assert our value. Engage with our community and insert ourselves in an area we can serve. Start sowing the seeds of success. 

I feel so much for each and every one of my neighbors who are struggling at this time. I hope you can find your support, cut off that which is no longer serving you, be kind to yourself, and take time to process your traumas in health. 

Your neighborhood artist,

Deanna Dionne

New COVID Resource from CDI

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This week we are excited to roll out a flyer and social media tool-kit for your use.  This material emphasizes the CDC recommended safety practices for containment of COVID-19.  Of course, washing (sanitizing) hands, maintaining six-feet in distance, and wearing a mask have always been imperative to keeping ourselves and our neighbors healthy, but we felt as the city begins to open up this is an opportunity for Campus District to show their commitment to getting through these difficult times together.  We feel that taking these precautions are not only a key to personal safety but an act of mutual respect.
 
Our hope is that when individuals spend time in the district they’ll see a unified community committed to stopping the spread of COVID.  So hang the flyer in your windows, post on social, and keep each other safe!

A Message from Campus District

Like many of our neighbors we’ve been reflecting on the brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police and the protesting that has since erupted globally.  The expressions of anger, mourning, hurt, and resistance speak to what we’ve known for a long time: change is necessary.


Over the past two years, inspired by our social service community members, Campus District has worked diligently to practice trauma-informed community development.  This framing asks us to set aside our expectations for how individuals should or shouldn’t behave and invites us to consider that each person we meet is an amalgamation of their experiences—some joyous, some painful, and some traumatic. It challenges us to make the space for each person’s individual humanity.

Unfortunately, in our current reality to be black in America is to experience trauma—at the hands of police, exposed to a dangerous virus while working in an essential business, through historic and current governmental policies.  American social psychologist, Mindy Fullilove, uses the phrase “root shock” to describe the way these racist policies contribute to the destruction of cities—physically and to their “emotional ecosystems”. In the past, people living in neighborhoods of the Campus District experienced shock when the interstate ripped through the community in places where streets and homes once stood; we see it now as 600 individuals experiencing homelessness flow into our shelters every night while housing prices increase, and wages stay stagnant.  

Our entire city suffers when we ignore the systems that oppress its residents and until we recognize everyone’s humanity, especially people of color, things will remain the same.  Campus District is committed to working towards an equitable reality and healing the damage at our roots.  We’re doing this through using art as a means of connection and conversation, advocating for the elimination of physical barriers, outreach, and creating spaces to lift-up the voices of our community members.

We stand with the artists in the Superior Arts District who express themselves through their work, we stand with our social service agencies, clinics, and hospitals that heal visible and invisible wounds, we stand with our educational institutions that arm people with knowledge, we stand with our businesses, residents, and employees who use their voices for growth and change. 

Let’s continue to work together to build something new.  We’re here and we’re listening. 

Morgan Clark: Reflections on My VISTA Year

June 8th marked my last day of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Campus District (CDI). Although this past year has flown by, I have learned so much about our downtown community. Our district is unique and diverse, and this past year has allowed me to see the beauty of those who live, work, and create here. Namely, I constantly learned from individuals experiencing homelessness, service providers, artists, residents, business owners, and students, among others.

These individuals changed my perspectives and helped me throughout my service year, and for that I am truly grateful. From being in rooms full of community members making Pole Painting designs, to helping Jane Finley of Across the Lines Studio lead “Mask the District” during the COVID-19 outbreak, my service year has been one of enrichment. Here are a few highlights from my VISTA year:

Working from home the last few months has been unconventional, but no matter what task I was given throughout my year of service, I always knew the cause was meaningful and worthwhile. I will certainly not forget the artists, business owners, residents, and many other individuals who made my time here special.

Most importantly, I want to thank the Campus District staff: Mark, Rachel, Michael, Loretta, and Rachelle. It is inspiring to see the difference these five individuals make Downtown. I am proud to have worked with each of them and seen the progress of our community in just one year. The perspective I gained from them is remarkable and will take me far, and for that I am grateful. Thank you, Campus District!

-Morgan

Help Mask the District Today

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Help ‘Mask the District’, an initiative to give face masks to all individuals experiencing homelessness in the Campus District! This is a joint project between Campus District and Across the Lines Art Studio to keep individuals experiencing homelessness safe. In six easy steps, we are transforming medium and large t-shirts into face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This no-sew method allows anyone with a t-shirt to make two masks for someone experiencing housing insecurity.  

FULL INSTRUCTIONS HERE

There are two ways to get involved! Volunteers can either donate medium or large t-shirts, or they can follow the steps below to make and donate masks. To execute social distancing guidelines, please contact Morgan Clark (mclark@campusdistrict.org) or Jane Finley (AcrossthelinesCle@gmail.com) for pickup of any and all donations.  

 

Room UR 120

1717 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44115