ClevelandPeople.Com Celebrating Cleveland's Cultural Diversity
Africa & Byzantium - Cleveland Museum of Art
Africa & Byzantium - Cleveland Museum of Art
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
Greek Independence Day Celebration - March 30, 2024
Greek Independence Day Celebration - March 30, 2024
Greater Cleveland is the home of over 20,000 Americans of Greek heritage, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is the oldest church, or mother church of Greek Orthodoxy in the area. The linkage of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on March 25th, and the Greek Revolution are very sacred to the Greek people, since the church sanctioned the Revolution.
On March 30, 2024, there was a Doxology, church service, at Annunciation Church followed by a Parade and then festivities in the Church hall.
Greek Independence Day group on Annunciation Church steps
Greek Independence Day was celebrated with a parade and more in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday March 30, 2024 at Annunciation Church in Tremont in Cleveland. Here are some video highlights of the Parade starting with the start of the Parade as they left Annunciation Church and began their march around Lincoln Park and then arrived back at the Church traveling along West 14th Street.
A Good Friday Procession covered 3 churches in Cleveland on Good Friday 2024. It began at La Sagrada Familia Church at 7719 Detroit Ave. on Cleveland's West Side. The procession included Bishop Michael Woost, other priests, men carrying a large statue of the body of Jesus, people carrying a statue of the Sorrowful Mother, a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross, Roman Centurions, Saint Veronica and more.
They marched through the neighborhoods to St. Colman Church where they processed in for a service. We counted about 1,000 people in the Church. The final stop was at St. Michael the Archangel Church at Scranton and Clark in Cleveland.
The gymnasium at La Sagrada Familia Parish which was filled with dozens of colorful, sawdust carpets, known as the Carpets of Holy Week. In Spanish, they are called Alfombras de Semana Santa. The handiwork was done by individuals, families, parish organizations, nonprofits and other groups.
This Church is home to worshippers from over 15 different Hispanic countries. The Carpets became an annual tradition in 2014 when their priest brought the custom from El Salvador. The carpets are a tradition there and in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and other places.
Carpets of Holy Week
The Good Friday procession walks over them and then these beautiful creations are swept up. They only exist through Holy Week.
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
The 182nd St Patrick's Day Parade in Cleveland was held on Sunday March 17, 2024. The honorees were Grand Marshal: Patrick T. Murphy, Irish Mother of the Year: Patricia Homan, Inside Co-Chair: David J. McLaughlin and Outside Co-Chair: Fr. Francis Walsh.
Grand Marshal Patrick Murphy starting the Parade
You can follow these links to see photos and videos of the entire Parade, split up by Division. And then a special People Page.
Polish American Cultural Center Solar Eclipse Preview
Polish American Cultural Center Solar Eclipse Preview
Those of Polish heritage have always been rightfully proud of the accomplishments of Nicolaus Copernicus. The great Polish scientist is most remembered for providing the first modern formulation of a heliocentric (Sun-centered) theory of the solar system. This could be said to be the starting point of modern astronomy and the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.
So it was fitting that Copernicus would be included as the community learned about and prepares for the upcoming Solar Eclipse on April 8.
On March 16, 2024, at the Polish American Cultural Center JPII, students of the Maria Konopnicka Polish language school and Henryk Sienkiewicz Polish language school had a wonderful time learning about the upcoming solar eclipse from Nick Anderson, Senior Astronomer of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
The West Side Irish American Club hosted their 3rd annual 2024 GOAT (Greatest Cleveland Irish Weekend of All Time) on March 7-10, 2024. There was a variety of Irish entertainment (bands, singers, pipers, dancers, etc.) and traditional food and drink. Of course the camaraderie was the best part.On Sunday March 10, the Gerry Quinn Irish Radio Show did a remote broadcast from the WSIAC during the serving of an Irish breakfast at the GOAT.
Pastor John Betters has hosted a Taste of Nations event at Ss. Robert and William Catholic School in Euclid for the last 15 years to share the diversity of the students and community. The 2024 event included rooms for Eastern Europe, Germany, Senegal and Western Africa, Mexico and Puerto Rico, Southern Soul and Ireland.
The first Arab Community Bazaar was held on Sunday February 25 in North Olmsted. Sometimes events are not very successful in their first year but the first Arab Community Bazaar was a huge success. The room was packed with dozens of vendors and information resources.
Dr. Mohammad Alhawawsha, President of the Jordanian Community of Ohio, said the event aimed to support small businesses, especially those led by women working from home to support themselves.
The Dominican War of Independence (Guerra de Independencia Dominicana) was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, was unified with the Republic of Haiti in 1822.
On February 27, 2024 the Termonal Tower in Cleveland will be lit up with the colors of the Dominican flag.
Dominican Independence celebration
Rallies and Vigils for Ukraine
Rallies and Vigils for Ukraine
Members of the Ukrainian community and supporters held vigils in Cleveland and throughout the world to show support for Ukraine against the aggressive invasion by Putin.
Local Ukrainian leaders Andy Fedynsky and Dr. George Jaskiw travelled to Washington DC to attend that vigil. George met up with his son Michael who's an attorney in DC.
Andy Fedynsky and family members Michael, Alexa and Chris at the Washington DC rally
Washington DC rally for Ukraine
Rotary Club of Cleveland honors Esperanza
Rotary Club of Cleveland honors Esperanza
Each year the Rotary Club of Cleveland honors a person or organization with their International Service Award. In 2024, the award went to the non-profit organization Esperanza. Executive Director Victor Ruiz accepted the award.
Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski, Victor Ruiz and Ingrida Bublys
Fun with Maps - The Path of the Total Solar Eclipse
Fun with Maps - The Path of the Total Solar Eclipse
This is a very special, once-in-a-lifetime, episode of Fun with Maps. It's our first look at a map that is affected by something off the surface of the planet Earth. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. For those of us in Cleveland Ohio, or visitors who come here for the eclipse, we will have an amazing opportunity to view it.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People viewing the eclipse from locations where the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun - known as the path of totality - will experience a total solar eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.
Chris Hartenstine from NASA's Public Engagement team showed us with a globe and a model of the moon how and why the eclipse will happen. The last time this occurred in any part of Ohio was in 1806 and the next time will be in the 2090's. Chris showed us the map of the path of the eclipse which is within a day's travel of most of the population of the United States. He called it a "very geographically friendly shadow path."
As Chris shows us, Cleveland has a very special viewing potential. He shows us on the map how Cleveland is on the south shore of Lake Erie, which is the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Lake Erie will still be very cold on April 8 so clouds may be pushed away from the 10 mile or so area just south of Lake Erie - which is Cleveland Ohio. This would make for exceptional viewing. See a lot more about the Total Solar Eclipse and the festivities surrounding it.
If you are traveling to Cleveland for the Eclipse, drop me a comment. Look for the next episode of Fun with Maps to be back on the Earth!
This special episode of Fun with Maps looks at a series of some cool old maps. It's a collection of anthropomorphic maps of European countries produced by a London publisher in the 1860s. Anthropomorphic means the maps have human characteristics. So the maps will be drawn as if they were people. For example, the map of England is drawn as Queen Victoria. Scotland is a bagpiper struggling through the bogs and so on. In this we look at each of the current maps of the country and then look at the cartoon maps from the 1860's for comparison. Each of the drawn maps has a 4 line verse attached to it as well. It's kind of hard to explain but once you see it you will get it.
The maps cover the countries of Denmark, France, Italy, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia, which no longer exists. As you will see, a lot has changed both politically and geographically in the last 150 years or so.
Each year we like to gather an eclectic group of friends and business associates for a holiday lunch. 75 techies, media, non-profits, politicians, business, cultural - they were all represented at Bo Loong. Of course there were many friends from Cleveland's international communities.
Dan Hanson, Ingrida Bublys, Carmen Blackwell and Slovenian Consul General Alenka Jerak
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.
Cleveland International Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Cleveland International Hall of Fame Class of 2024
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.
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!
You will see a lot more about the inductees in the future but here they are:
"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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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!
