8/2/2018 From demolition to inspiration: Rooms to Let will transform soon-to-be-demolished homes into art

Artist Meg Matko - Rooms To Let 2017 - Hosmer House curated by Dana Depew

TRICIA CHAVES | THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018

From demolition to inspiration:

Rooms to Let will transform soon-to-
be-demolished homes into art

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8/2/2018 From demolition to inspiration: Rooms to Let will transform soon-to-be-demolished homes into art

Bob Per

Up House - Rooms To Let 2017

Turning demolition into inspiration, Northeast Ohio’s largest temporary art event will
celebrate its fth year this weekend in Slavic Village. Led by curators Dana Depew, Scott
Pickering, and the Visit Arts Collective, Rooms to Let will transform a trio of properties slated
for demolition into interactive public art installations—with the intention of lovingly honoring
the condemned homes in a creative way before they’re leveled.

This year's participating artists include Gina Washington, Chester Hopkins-Bey, Broadway

School of Music and Arts, Liz Maugans, Zygote Press, and Soulcraft. Supported by a grant
from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the event is hosted by Slavic Village Development.

Slated for noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29, Rooms to Let will also
feature food and beer, live music, kids’ activities, and a Sunday-only market along with the art
installations. Check-in for the free event will take place at the Lavender Garden (6520 Sebert
Ave.), centrally located between the three transformed properties which can be found at
6806 Fleet Avenue, 6904 Fleet Ave, and 6720 Forman Avenue.

In keeping with tradition, the artists’ work is on display for one weekend only. However, the
addition of a Better Block initiative will ensure this year’s event leaves a lasting impact on the
neighborhood. On Friday, July 27, the Rooms to Let festivities will kick off with a pop-up
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8/2/2018 From demolition to inspiration: Rooms to Let will transform soon-to-be-demolished homes into art

block party (hosted in partnership between Slavic

Village Development and Better Block Foundation).

Funded by the Cleveland Foundation, the project will

empower members of the community to temporarily
redesign public areas in the neighborhood into the
places they’ve always wanted—such as a diner, mini-
market, record store, and “parklets” (micro hangout
nooks nestled into spaces the size of a parking spot).

According to Joe Linsky, SVD’s Community

Engagement Coordinator, the easy-to-assemble CNC
plywood furniture used for the neighborhood meal will
be stored post-event and available for the nonpro t
community group’s use in the future. In preparation
for the Better Block pop-up, volunteers are helping
with cleanup efforts aimed to enhance the curb
Hosmer House - Rooms To Let 2017
appeal of storefronts and residences surrounding the
intersection at Fleet Ave. and East 65th St.

Another new element of Rooms to Let this year will be

the CAN'T Triennial, a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the
high-pro le CAN Triennial. With a slogan of “You can’t
get rejected from CAN’T,” the effort is spearheaded by
local artist Loren Naji, and designed to give exposure
to Cleveland artists who weren’t chosen for CAN.
(According to Naji, only one in ve local artists who
applied was accepted “into an exhibit intended to
Naji at the 2016 event represent the Cleveland-area art scene,” which he
found off-putting.)

“The idea took shape a few months ago, after I was rejected from the CAN Triennial,” says
Naji. “CAN'T is meant to be a countershow, an underground thing. What a great opportunity,
to take advantage of [exposure to] the thousands of people who come to Rooms to Let.”

As many as 150 artists’ works will be on display in a makeshift gallery inside the garage—or,
as Naji calls it, the La Ga’ LLarage—of the Rooms to Let home that Scott Pickering is
curating. “Loren is a wild, out-of-the box thinker and a really nice guy,” says Linsky.

Sounds like a perfect t for this out-of-the-box event.

Check-in for this free event takes place at 6520 Sebert Avenue in the Slavic Village Lavender
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8/2/2018 From demolition to inspiration: Rooms to Let will transform soon-to-be-demolished homes into art

Garden. Parking is available on side streets and Fleet Ave.

Indigenous House - Rooms To Let 2017

Read more articles by Tricia Chaves.
Tricia Chaves is a 'hair raising reporter' who splits her time between writing and and her
Thousand Locks Charity project to increase awareness about hair donation among stylists
and improve the availability of free wigs for women and kids with cancer. A former style and
beauty editor, these days she's more likely to be wearing her toddler on her back than makeup
on her face. You can follow the adventures of her foodie family at Planes, Trains and All of Our Meals.

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