ClevelandPeople.Com Celebrating Cleveland's Cultural Diversity
Irish Cultural Garden Cleanup
Irish Cultural Garden Cleanup
A crew of volunteers led by Dave McLaughlin and Peggy Bennett regularly gather to clean up and beautify the Irish Cultural Garden. Here is a picture of the crew on June 30, 2024 and a couple of nice shots showing how the Irish Garden is designed as a Celtic Cross.
Irish Cultural Garden Cleanup Crew
Irish Cultural Garden Celtic Cross
World on Stage Drum Concert in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens
World on Stage Drum Concert in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens
Every summer the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosts a series of free World on Stage concerts at the Centennial Peace Plaza on MLK Blvd. in Cleveland. The first concert of Summer 2024 was on June 29, 2024 and the focus was Percussion of the World.
Established in 1977, the long standing Ohio Scottish Games and Celtic Festival is presented by members of The Ohio Scottish American Cultural Society of Ohio, an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of their proud Scottish Heritage and ancestry.
The Grand Parade featured lots of bagpipe units, many Clans in their namesake tartans, Irish wolfhounds, knights in armor, Clydesdale horses and more.
Athletes gathered to compete in a variety of Highland Games such as the Caber (Gaelic for tree) Toss, Stone Put, Weight Over Bar, Heavy and Light Weights for Distance, Hammer Throws and the Sheaf Toss.
There were Birds of Prey, Clydesdale Horses, Border Collies, Highland Cattle and other animals. Did you know that the Dandie Dinmont Terrier is the only dog with its own tartan!
One of the most interesting parts of the Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival is seeing the different clans that are represented and watching the interesting people.
The Estonian Cultural Garden was dedicated June 19, 1966. Each year, the Estonian community and friends gather to celebrate Estonian Victory Day (Võidupüha) and St John's Day (Jaanipäev).
The unique-in-the-world Cleveland Cultural Gardens have begun their annual season of summer concerts, cultural events and performances. Spanning over 250 acres in Rockefeller Park, the Gardens always need help planting, weeding, raking and so on. WKYC Studios and the Cleveland-based Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere organization (RAKE) teamed up for a summertime spruce-up of some of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on a steamy Saturday morning.
WKYC Meteorologist Anthony Copeland with anchors Lynna Lai, Jay Crawford and Christi Paul
The world-famous International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima is recognized as the primary way in which the message of Fatima spread throughout the world and continues today. Sculpted by Jose Thedim-"the Michelangelo of Portugal"-the statue has been traveling internationally since 1947. On October 13, 1947, in the presence of 200,000 pilgrims at Fatima, the statue was blessed by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima and commissioned to serve as the Pilgrim Virgin. The bishop prayed that Mary herself accompany the statue wherever it goes.
Our Lady of Fatima Statue in St Casimir Church
Lawrence Maginot is one of the statue custodians for the World Apostolate of Fatima USA Pilgrim Virgin Statue Program. He is also the author of The Marian Manifesto, published by Blue Army Press. He spoke about Fatima and the statue at St. Casimir Church on June 18, 2024.
Lawrence Maginot speaking about Our Lady of Fatima at St. Casimir Church
Alma Vision Cultura y Mas is a fairly new Cleveland non-profit that strives to "serve the Mexican and other under represented communities by providing artistic and cultural opportunities, giving them exposure and proper representation." Their latest exhibit is called Hecho en CLE. The installation is comprised of photos and stories submitted by Cleveland’s Mexican community. The focus is on the personal experience of the contributors and their families. Family plays a key part in their stories.
There was a surprise celebration to say farewell to Slovenian Consul General Alenka Jerak whose term of service in Cleveland Ohio was coming to an end. It was held on Thursday June 13, 2024 at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair in Cleveland Ohio.
Consul General Alenka Jerak being surprised
The event featured speeches, musical performances, food, well-wishes, hugs and some tears.
The annual Slovenian Statehood Day was celebrated in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall on Thursday June 6, 2024. The day commemorates Slovenia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991. This was a bittersweet event as it was the last such event that Slovenian Consul General Alenka Jerak would attend. Her term as Consul General is coming to a close and, sadly for us, she will be moving on.
Consul General Alenka Jerak at City Hall
The event featured dignitaries, Slovenian Folk songs and dances from Clari-ton Clarinet Ensemble and Kres Slovenian Folkdance Group, Slovenian wines and food.
At a celebration of Slovenia Statehood Day in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall on June 6, 2024 there was a display of original postcards on display. August Pust had a long and distinguished career in the ethnic and international space having served Mayors, Governors, Senators and even Presidents. He told us that his first career was actually as an Art Director and art has always been a passion. He even created drawings that were used on postage stamps. He designed a series of postcards gathered together as the "I Remember Slovenia" collection. He told about his relationship with his friend the late Senator George Voinovich and honored his wife Gloria who passed away earlier in the week. Watch the video.
The Cleveland Filipino community celebrated the 47th annual Santacruzan on May 17 - 26, 2024 with a variety of services, gatherings, performances and a parade.
On Sunday May 26 there was a special day of celebration in St. Wendelin Church hall after Mass.
Paramjit Singh was a Community Leader of the Asian Indian Community since he first landed in Cleveland in June of 1962. Being a Sikh, he has dedicated his life to doing good works and serving the needy.
To honor the life of Paramjit Singh, a memorial service was held at Gurdwara Guru Nanak Foundation in Richfield Ohio
The annual Tremont Greek Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is a Memorial Day tradition. Great food, Greek desserts, dances, music, tours of the Church and more.
Imagine being a teenager from Poland and making the journey to America - Cleveland specifically - in 1916. You settle in with your family and other Poles in what is now called Slavic Village. Your new country enters the war against Germany on April 6, 1917 and even though you are not yet 18 you are proud to enlist and become a Private in Company C of the US Army's 6th Infantry.
A little over a year later your family gets the terrible news that you "died with honor in the service of his country on the fifteenth day of October 1918".
That was my Dad's grandmother's brother Theodore Gurski. My great uncle. The certificate says "We hereby express our grateful appreciation of the patriotic service of Theodore Gurski who gave up his life while in the service of his country with the American forces whose achievements made possible the glorious victory in the Great War for World Freedom and to you we extend our heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement." I wonder how Granny felt when her young brother died so young for a country he had just come to for a better life.
Memorial Day is a solemn occasion to honor and remember the brave men and women, like young Ted, who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military. It's also a time for friends and families to come together and reflect on the significance of their sacrifice. We have other tragic stories from our family's military service over the years but I just stumbled on a tube with these 3 documents and notes about Ted. Your family may have similar stories.
Amidst all the cookouts and gatherings please remember the reason for Memorial Day and the (usually) very young people who gave their lives for our freedom. They were often immigrants or first generation who made the ultimate sacrifice for their new country. Ted was a son, a brother, a nephew and like thousands of others, an immigrant. He was also a distant uncle to someone who is fortunate to be able to safely sit at a computer and post on a website because of his and other's sacrifices.
2024 Cleveland Asian Festival
2024 Cleveland Asian Festival
The 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival was a rousing success. Almost 50,000 people attended the annual 2 day festival that included performances, food, cultural displays, health screenings, games, kids and family activities and more.
There were traditional and modern performances on two stages. There was something for everyone. Younger people really liked the Asian Pop Dance Competition. Plenty of martial arts on the second stage. And so on.
Irish American Archives Society Walks of Life 2024
Irish American Archives Society Walks of Life 2024
The Walks of Life Award was instituted by the Irish American Archives Society in order to honor individuals of Irish descent who have made an extraordinary contribution to their community in their chosen "Walk of Life." Planning for the award began in 1996, and the first dinner took place in 1997. Distinguished recipients of the Walks of Life Award have included educators, civic leaders, labor leaders, clergy men and women, journalists, business leaders, health care professionals, members of the safety forces, and philanthropists.
The 2024 Honorees were toasted at a dinner reception at Windows on the River on May 16, 2024. The honorees were:
Thomas J. Coyne, Lawyer
Joyce Dever, Engineer
Marilyn Madigan, LAOH President
John T. O'Neill, O'Neill Healthcare CEO
Sr. Catherine Walsh, CSA
2024 IAAS Walks of Life honorees
Later in the evening the 2024 group was joined by some previous awardees.
What an impressive group! Congratulations to all.
Kwan Family Lion Dance at Cleveland Asian Festival
Kwan Family Lion Dance at Cleveland Asian Festival
The Kwan Family Lion Dance Team has performed the traditional Chinese lion dance for over forty years. The annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on May 18 and 19, 2024 and attracted almost 50,000 attendees. Each year the Kwan Family Lion Dance Team opens the festival with a performance.
The Cleveland Museum of Art ehibition Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution> tells a compelling story about the history of Korean couture fashion and its transformative legacy.
Ranging from 17th-century excavated aristocratic garments to contemporary Korean couture from leading and emerging Korean fashion designers, the exhibition allows visitors to explore the rich tradition of Korean dress. Featuring more than two dozen works and accompanying ephemera, it highlights the ways Korean artists and designers use fashion to elevate and challenge aspects of traditional Korean culture, while empowering contemporary designers to invent a new artistic language. Unique in its presentation, this international loan exhibition serves as a model for future shows celebrating global fashion at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA).
Fun with Maps - Jersey, Guernsey and the Channel Islands
Fun with Maps - Jersey, Guernsey and the Channel Islands
In this episode of Fun with Maps, host Dan Hanson talks about the Channel Islands - especially the two largest islands: Jersey and Guernsey. The English Channel is the busiest shipping area in the world. Though small and not very populous the strategic location of these islands in the English Channel between France and the UK have made them very important throughout history - most recently in the Second World War when the German Nazi's occupied them. They are not parts of the United Kingdom but Crown dependencies. We look at what that means as well as what their official title as Bailiwick means.
It's fun that the people of the four main Channel Islands have animal nicknames - toads, donkeys, crows and rabbits. We explain why in the video. There are also connection to some famous people such as Les Miserables author Victor Hugo and Irish singer Gilbert O'Sullivan.
Of course we explain the connection between the island of Jersey and the US state of New Jersey. And, yes, we take a look at the Jersey and Guernsey cows!
The largest annual gathering (sold out at 500 people with a waiting list) of Cleveland's ethnic leaders and grassroots gathered Tuesday April 23 at Windows on the River for the 14th annual Cleveland International Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
The 2024 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame consists of:
Dona Brady (Albanian heritage) who was inducted by Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek.
Ambassador Edward Crawford (Irish) who was inducted by Irish Ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason.
Veronica Dahlberg (Mexican and broader Hispanic) who was inducted by Cleveland City Councilwoman Jasmin Santana.
Dr. Eugene Jordan (African-American) who was inducted posthumously Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr.
Erika Puussaar (Estonian) who was inducted by Estonia´s Ambassador to the United States Mr. Kristjan Prikk
Johnny K. Wu (Chinese and broader Asian) was inducted by Margaret W. Wong.
Click on the names (above) to go to a page with the photos and videos of that person's induction. Below is a video of the entire evening taken by TV20 professionals Dan Monroe and Raulston Douse. Thanks guys.
Albert Ratner - Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Albert Ratner - Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Albert Ratner had a 66-year career at Forest City where he grew the company from a lumber supply company to a construction company to a home improvement retailer to a real estate development company. Forest City spearheaded the redevelopment of the Halle Building, which it purchased in 1982, and Tower City, which opened in 1990. It became publicly-traded in 1960, an $8.2 billion corporation that develops, owns and manages residential and commercial properties across the country. Its national portfolio now includes 32 retail centers, 36 office buildings and 115 apartment buildings.
He has always been interested in, and has become an expert in, population and immigration topics. He led the creation of Global Cleveland in 2011. He was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame in 2011 and has given several keynote addresses at their induction ceremony. Unable to attend the 2024 induction ceremony in person he created this short video with his perspective and advice on population and immigration.
Since 2010 the Cleveland International Hall of Fame has recognized people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our multicultural city and region. An annual induction ceremony takes place to both honor the deserving inductees and to inspire a new generation of leaders.
The 2024 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame will be inducted on Tuesday April 23, 2024 at Windows on the River. The event is SOLD OUT with almost 500 people attending!
Over 90 worthy candidates were submitted to be considered. Previous inductees of the CIHF were asked for input and a committee worked hard to whittle that number down to the 6 in the 2024 Class. And what a Class it is!
The new exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Africa & Byzantium, considers the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the fourth century CE and beyond.
The first international loan exhibition to treat this subject, the show includes more than 160 works of secular and sacred art from across geographies and faiths, including large-scale frescoes, mosaics, and luxury goods such as metalwork, jewelry, panel paintings, architectural elements, textiles, and illuminated manuscripts.
Diptych with Twelve Apostles and Saint Paul, c. 1700 - Ethiopia
The Byzantine Empire (Byzantium), also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Three centuries after the pharaohs of ancient Egypt ended their rule, new African rulers built empires in the northern and eastern regions of that continent. Spanning from the Empire of Aksum in present-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Yemen to the Christian kingdoms of Nubia in present-day Sudan, these complex civilizations cultivated economic, political, and cultural relationships with one another.
During most of its existence, the empire remained the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in the Mediterranean world.
This episode shows a lot of maps of Byzantium at different dates to show how it grew and then was reduced to nothing. We also show some maps and items from the Cleveland Museum of Art's newest exhibition called Africa & Byzantium. It consists of nearly 160 works of secular and sacred art from across geographies and faiths.
French American Chamber of Commerce board members and other guests visited the site of the French Cultural Garden for an official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 7, 2024.
French Cultural Garden official ribbon cutting
The event included speeches from the Garden leaders, architect and more telling about the past, present and future of the French Cultural Garden.
Members of the Scottish Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio hosted their first annual Tartan Day celebration on April 6, 2024.
Tartan Day group photo
There were games (versions of golf, tam throwing, caber toss, etc.), food and of course bagpipe music. Watch this short video of Scotland the Brave by Bruce Greig.
Monet in Focus features five paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet, created during the latter half of the artist’s life when he fully immersed himself in capturing the momentary effects of light and atmosphere on his subjects. The "Monet in Focus" exhibit includes five Monet paintings.
Heather Lemonedes Brown, CMA curator of modern European art
Homeless Jesus - Matthew 25 Statue Collection in Cleveland
Homeless Jesus - Matthew 25 Statue Collection in Cleveland
Cleveland is only the second city in the world, following Rome, Italy, to have the full collection of all six bronze figures in the Matthew 25 Collection created by Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz.
The Bible verse of Matthew 25 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me … Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" Here is a very quick look at all 6.
The sculptures are sponsored by Community West Foundation and are located on the near west side of Cleveland:
Homeless Jesus - St. Malachi Parish
When I Was Naked - Malachi House
When I Was Sick - Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital
When I Was in Prison - Bridge CLE (formerly Family Ministry Center)
When I Was a Stranger - The Refugee Response at Urban Community School
In this episode of Fun with Maps, host Dan Hanson looks at the 2nd largest country in the world - Canada. Canada is huge and diverse and many of its cities, provinces, territories, rivers, lakes, etc. would be good topics for future Fun with Maps episodes but this episode concentrates on one area - showing the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada.
The 10 provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
"It just didn't seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for "Peace through Mutual Understanding." But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. "What is the nature of your emergency?" the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, "There's been a murder in the Cultural Gardens."
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
Cleveland is a diverse city with about 120 distinct ethnic heritages represented. We at ClevelandPeople.com and the Cleveland International Hall of Fame believe that this ethnic diversity makes us a much richer city and that we should all celebrate this fact.
We asked people from various ethnic groups to create a tile representing their heritage. These 3 quilts are a product of that effort. We hope that other ethnic groups will want to add their own tile to these patchworks showcasing our ethnic diversity.
This DVD is a Living Rosary in the sense that over 200 people participated in saying a prayer. 3 bishops, numerous priests and sisters and a variety of lay people all said a prayer (Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary or Glory Be) that when put together combine to form the complete Rosary.
We hope that you will pray along with the diverse group of people on this DVD. They are young and old, different races and ethnicities, in Church and outside, alone and in groups. The prayers are said in English, but occasionally there is a prayer in another language. You may not know the language but will understand, and be able to pray along, because of the context.
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If you want your group's events listed in our Calendar, please send an e-mail to events@clevelandpeople.com with the details. Please allow at least 2 weeks lead time.
Do you need a Hungarian Flag? A shirt that says "I love Slovenian girls"? How about a sign that says No Parking except for Irish Grandmother?
These and hundreds of other items for your particular ethnic group are available for browsing at our on-line store. It's safe, fast, easy and fun. And there is a wide selection you will never find in the stores!
