creating new culture grooves

[rnojonson]

I am not knocking the multi-cultural festival held here every year to display our heritages and share with others all the flavors, but something is missing. The past should be balanced with an equal striving for the future. And because we are a blending cultural town, we don't know what that is going to look like. Maybe the city needs to have local artist depict a vision of Lorain or see what artist are seeing. Maybe Lorain needs a place for local artist to display and local people to come-look-buy artwork. Not a tight collar, turned up nose place, but a homey inviting place. Maybe local artist can distill the local flavor and show us what we look like.
So, where are the local artist? Where can they display?

Somebody will ask how can we buy art, can't afford bread?
Posters, they can be inexpensive compared to paintings. The point is to lift the gloom and inspire and motivate.

[christ_jewells11]

I couldn't agree more. I actually was thinking the same thing just recently. A local art scene, i'm sure, would be very appealing to the general public and, quite possibly, even to the high end dealers who could commission local artists.

As for the multi-cultural festival, i think people are missing the forest for the trees. It's not about being Spanish, or Hungarian, or French, or English, or Greek or any of that on their own. It's about being a town of all of the above. And the beauty of the melting pot is not to try to tout one's culture over another (like you find in a multi-cultural society, as opposed to a melting pot), but rather to be inspired by past ancestral roots to produce a new, vibrant, lively, modern flowering.

For reference, i'm mixed with every ethnicity i listed above... and then some.

[rnojonson]

For instance, traditional artist and traditional galleries and museums have kind of a lock on what is considered art, what gets displayed, shown, etc, etc. Most of the youngish people these days have grown up with digital art of some kind, be it movies, video games or screen savers. Perhaps the old school art establishment should look into the future. Now for Lorain here is an opportunity to break the mold and cut new ground. A place where the "artistic" stories of the people of Lorain (city and/or county) could be displayed, be it photos, artwork (what ever media), film.........hummmmm, Avon has antiques, Vermilion has marinas, Elyria has shopping, Lorain has......ah!?!

To talk about contrast...... the closest museum is I think in Oberlin, the Allen Memorial Art Museum, how traditional compared to say the Lorain County Visitor Center in Amherst. That Lorain County building is an origami ready to fly. The point is to remember the lessons of traditions and use them to move into the future, but not live in continual retrospect. Cleveland has all this stuff in one place within the city, it is spread out across Lorain county here. So we need to develop cultural webs, education webs and industrial webs, all at the same time. If Lorain is a hub to other venue cities, that's fine, we should develop our center, our core. If Lorain is a spoke or rim city, we should at least be as attractive as other surrounding cities.

A downtown Lorain people plaza surrounded by shops and eateries and small businesses and galleries, would be as cool as the Black River Landing. Sort of a mix of old and new worlds. Invite artist and educational community here by renovating brownstone spaces, above store spaces and have reasonable rents/mortgages.

Yeah, artist can be untamed, but are usually tempered by acceptance or rejection of the community. Artist also bring a softening of the industrial/technical edge and brings out the questioning curiosity which fuels learning.

Above all if we don't have the institutions or if the ones we have aren't working for us, we need to dig into the grassroots for solutions that haven't come up yet.

[rnojonson]

First stir up interest, not hard because Lorain has loads of talented people waiting to explode. Have some talks at the Main Library about digital art, digital photography, traditional arts and crafts. Provide classes and tutoring and present challenges in the way of contest and public art shows. The Main Library has had art shows before. Maybe a poster contest about promoting Lorain. The several winners get their posters printed and plastered all over Lorain county or put on calendars. Did someone say yearly event?

Maybe we should have a cultural arts center to embrace the traditional and new media, music, crafts and plays. This would supplement the schools on all levels and create paths for related support businesses to sprout up. The Karamu House in Cleveland has flourished for years as a cultural hub and is more accessible than University Circle by public participation. The whole idea is to provide a place for Lorain locals to develop and express and promote Lorain.

[rnojonson]

When I talk to long time Lorain folks I know they don't seem to say much about Lorain as a place to come to. Lets say folks take the boat ride up the river to the landing. We got a lighthouse and what else? Maybe a couple of restaurants? What if we had a string of nice bed & breakfasts with gardens and some specialty cafes (organic food, fish, wine and Lorain's cultural flavor), a couple of homes converted into mini galleries/local art spaces for hand crafts, traditional arts and of course digital art (my favorite). Some artists studios/shops. Have a couple of mini theaters, giving virtual tours and movies. You could probably throw in a cultural/history of Lorain center. Power it all with a couple of wind turbines. Come to Lorain, stay for a green weekend! Don't leave without a mug, tee shirt, mouse pad and a good time.

We should have a spruce it up project where one home a year on the main drag of downtown Lorain is fixed up. They could be bed & breakfasts, mini museums or residence of proud Lorainites. When driving down Broadway from downtown on the left there is a tall, worn warehouse, perfect for loft space studios. The lofts of Lorain even has a ring to it! How many tired looking places are downtown? Are we trying to keep an old look and feel or ignoring the tired? If it is not attractive, drawing people to live, work and spend, then what?

If you ask me what's the biggest draw in downtown Lorain, it's the Main Library. It is a big attraction, every day. Ponder about Lorain, think and talk about what could be done here. If the dream in your head pushes you to action, you've help transform Lorain already.

[rnojonson]

Lorain is.............a blue collar town, most do grunt work, who hasn't made pipe or mounted auto parts? Sports, we love football and basketball, baseball, soccer and yet there are no fitness centers anymore. Oooh, have you seen the custom cars meandering around the neighborhood and impromptu car shows that spring up. What about the arts? "If I want some art I'll go to the mall in Elyria and buy something (imported from China) with scenes of California coastlines." DID SOMEONE SAY TIME FOR A LORAIN CULTURAL UPGRADE!?!

On Lorain's web sites, arts is not even a topic and the only public display of art I ever saw here, since 2002 has been in the Main Public Library. Having art places is something to do where families can go. Not only does one picture tell a story, it can be shared, trading points of view making new stories. Art stirs the public to participate, to engage, to read faces, press palms and hate and appreciate in civillity. And you don't have to go to the mall, buy imported (made for export) stuff to feather your nest. Arts can be an industry, but the arts are also humanizing and attractive to every person.

Come to Lorain, take the boat to the islands, when you come back, stay at our bed and breakfast or new motel, visit our galleries and shops, roam our sculpture gardens with wine and whatever, stay and eat, take in a movie. Lorain needs to develop ways to display home grown talent. You won't raise the cultural standard without lots of art.

[rnojonson]

The DAV or Digital Arts Village is something I wish I had the expertise to carryout here in Lorain. Ideas always come to folks who can't do much about it. So I put it out there for you to ponder. The DAV would be a group of businesses and services to provide a core for job growth and community enrichment in Lorain. Digital involves computers in every creative way possible, from artistic creation to business communication and video production. Arts cover fine arts, commercial arts, graphic arts, printing, photo processing, you name it (including traditional arts). Village is the glue to the whole system. You have to have actual buildings, residences and visitor amenities. Like bed & breakfast/spas or motels, parking facilities, stroll park/gardens, coffee shops, local artist's galleries, print-shops to make instant photos, posters, tee-shirts, etc. Community gathering spots, visitor hotspots, not just a couple of annual events.

Then we need to distinguish ourselves with a real by the water seafood restaurant, a restaurant with diabetic cuisine, or totally Ohio grown organic foods eatery. I would try to avoid franchise businesses in the DAV. This would help develop our own flavor, uniqueness. The community immediately surrounding the so-called downtown area should be enhanced. Small business and small jobs are better than pimping poverty.

[rnojonson]

Yeah! Yeah MAN! Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! The fuss and excitement and the possibilities to come. I'm talking about the new Lorain Arts Council. Perhaps now we will slowly begin to build some serious art stuff going on in Lorain. I will definitely have to become a member. When the community of the artistic come together, both the appreciators and the art makers, good things begin to happen. It makes the city very attractive, adds some cultural richness to a dusty industrial town like Lorain.

[rnojonson]

So what can you do with a Lorain Arts Council? I guess you got to get members first. But how about a web site with a listing of Lorain area artist wither they are members or not, and a gallery for posting works, flyers, business ads etc. And don't forget the event roster. The on-line art gallery should be backed up with a brick-n-mortar space so that stuff can happen here on our turf.........A moment of silence as we fade into an earlier idea, the DAV (Digital Arts Village) which could be expanded to DAV (Diversified Arts Village). Retail space, studios, class rooms, a printshop specializing in short-run artist printing and print-on-demand technology. There is a lot of wiggle room for art and computer technology businesses and putting vacant spaces to better use.

I don't know how it would work out, but in anticipation I, a Lorain artist of the digital variety, have posted my art on-line at http://rno.imagekind.com/ (http://rno.imagekind.com) You can see how an artist, printing business, framer and gallery all converge.

[rnojonson]

Hi folks, it's been a while since posting and I like all artist have disappeared into my cave of wonders to dabble out of view. My economic plight has not improved but I am still here. I did finally get a gift of funds to use at my discretion and sent in my membership fee to the Lorain Arts Council. $25 is not much but when you have overhead you do more pending stuff first. The LAC hasn't gotten back with the official inauguration yet and though I don't expect a coronation, a simple welcome will do just fine. It is hard to know what to expect of a LAC, that organization thing turns off many free spirits. But on a practical level we need a hub, a center to commune and keep in touch. When we are developing a community, its not about planned events, its about the work of art itself. Tools, techniques, media, venues for display and creating a market. In the big picture, an added dimension to promote Lorain. If we don't sell Lorain to us, how are we going to sell Lorain to others. The location of Lorain as a hub is a cool thought. We are surrounded by other small cities all claiming to have something of their own but in reality pulling away from us. The only way to recoup is to be a strong community rather than just a developing city. It is not through official channels that communities become strong, it's neighbors actually talking to each other. Now ponder the possibilities and ramifications and consequences of that.

[rnojonson]

I am not an organizer, but I do want to start something. So, I am calling all Lorain computer artist specifically and all Lorain artist in general to think about some sort of face to face gathering. I myself am thinking about perhaps a digital art special interest group. The quest is how to promote our art and raise the Lorain flag. We are far too casual concerning Lorain. I did finally send in the $25 artist membership fee to join the Lorain Arts Council. Come on, we don't have to paint on the same canvas, start a political action painter's party, just trade improvement notes. That's for the business of art opportunities and the improvement of the arts itself, here in Lorain.,

Email me at rnojonson@centurytel.net with ideas, suggestions, questions, hopes, dreams..........what? it's called networking!!!!

[rnojonson]

Hello everyone who wants or has culture or curses culture or..........it's been a year and yes I have joined the new Lorain Arts Council and it is fun. Not just the events, the people and the thrill of hope. Hope that people in Lorain are saving their own city from the inside and not waiting for the next big employer to come from the outside. Ooh, you have a very attractive city, my company would love to make it's home here. You see forget about attracting flies with honey, plant flowers, attract bees, to make more honey er a money.

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