Cleveland Sketch Crawl

January 21, 2012 is THE WORLDWIDE SKETCH CRAWL

2012-01-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
We will be participating in this world wide event on Saturday January 21st. Since this weekend marks the Chinese New Year (year of the dragon) we will be meeting at the Asian Plaza at 2999 Payne Avenue at 10am. Google www.asiatowncleveland.com to see all the events planned for the day. This included the Lion Dance at 10:30. Li Wah's is open at 10am for traditional dim sum, and if you have never experienced this wonderful style of Chinese food you are in for a treat.
Hope to see you there, I will be in and around the plaza, look for fellow sketchers who are drawing if it is crowded to see when we will be meeting for dim sum.

Happy Sketching
PS: If the weather/roads are bad, I certainly am not going.
Noreen

January Sketch Crawl

2012-01-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Come join us this Saturday January 7th at 10am at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We will be sketching within the Roman and Greek collections for those who come later.

All are welcome......remember...dry medium only (pencils....charcoal...)

Hope to see you there

Keep January 21st open, it is the date for the World-Wide Sketch crawl. We are thinking of the Asian Market since it is Chinese New Years. I will update you on this website.

If you would like to be in our email list, contact me at noreenmolek@gmail.com

December Sketch Crawl Tower City

2011-12-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have posted the sketch crawl pictures at a new site we have extablished in Cleveland Ohio. The new site is http://www.urbansketchers-cleveland.blogspot.com/ .We have now become a part of Urban Sketchers (USK). You can visit their web site which showcases sketchers from around the world,
www.urbansketchers.org

USK Manifesto

1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation. 2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel. 3. Our drawings are a record of time and place. 4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness. 5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles. 6. We support each other and draw together. 7. We share our drawings online. 8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.
The Urban Sketchers logo was created by Italian graphic designer Franco Lancio.

December Sketch Crawl

2011-11-28T05:24:00.003-08:00

Meet us on December 3rd in Tower City at 10am to sketch some Holiday Cheer. We will be near the jumping fountains. Hope to see you there

Novemebr 19th: An afternoon with artist Stacy Gibboni at Old Stone Church

2011-11-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sketch Crawl Novemeber 5th at the Rocky River Nature Center

2011-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

2011-10-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

TWO TWO TWO November Sketch Crawls

Novemebr 5th: We will meet at 10am at the Rocky River Nature Center to sketch either in or out of doors
Novemeber 19th: Old Stone Church on Public Square.

Stacy Gibboni is a multimedia artist, who currently works and teaches in Venice, Italy. This prolific artist is currently exhibiting concurrently at the Gallery  at Old Stone 
in Cleveland and at the Chace Randall Gallery (The Chair Show) in upper state New York. 
"Junkyard Essays" (showing at the Gallery at Old Stone) is a version of the show 
held this summer in conjunction with the Biennale in Venice, and currently in the running for acceptance into the Scope Art Fair in Miami.  Stacy has exhibited in Italy, Canada, Poland, and various locations
throughout the USA-including multiple shows in NYC.  Stacy is also in corporate collections in Aruba, Italy, USA, and England. 
 
 Workshop details: 
Artist meet and greet and discussion of the work in the Gallery at 
Old  Stone -10am Bring a treasured recycled item for creative purposes. 
Sketching, Photography etc.
End time no later than 12pm

2011-10-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sketch Crawl at the Cleveland Gardens Rockefeller park 10/1/2011

Sketch Crawl Saturday October 1st

2011-09-27T04:35:00.000-07:00

Come join us this Saturday at Cleveland's Rockefeller Park Greenhouse. We will meet at 10am. The forecast is for rain so we can sketch both indoors or outdoors if the sun is shinning. Hope to see you there!!

2011-09-10T03:04:00.001-07:00

Looks like rain today for the Sparx City hop, hope to catch you in October, stay tuned for more information, have a great weekend

2011-07-10T15:51:00.001-07:00

2011

CLE Sketch Crawl Dates

We are still working to confirm the locations for the remaining months this year. Mark these next two down in your calendar and we'll see you then!

August 6th
Take A Hike Historic Tour, Downtown

September 10th
Sparx City Hop, Ride trolleys through several CLE neighborhood

2011-07-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cleveland Sketch Crawl at the Westside Market July 9, 2011

Cleveland Sketch Crawl May and June 2011

2011-06-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Another great couple of days sketching at the Sculpture Garden at the Cleveland Museum of Art and within the Circle in front of the Natural History Museum.

Pilgrim Congregational United Chruch of Christ Sketch Crawl April 2, 2011 Tremont/ Cleveland, Ohio

2011-04-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

April 2nd Sketch Crawl in Tremont!

2011-03-31T12:14:00.001-07:00

Tremont

This month (April 2nd), the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will be heading to Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Tremont! This iconic church is one of those landmarks that thousands of Clevelanders have passed by, but have never taken the time to go inside. Well, this Saturday we'll remedy that for many of you with a tour of this magnificent church!

We'll meet at one of the entrances for the church off of W.14th. The door we'll meet at is to the left of the main staircase to the sanctuary off of W.14th. As always, we'll meet at 10am and sketch till 12noon. Kate, the custodian of the church will give our group some background on the building and a little of the congregation's history in Cleveland. After sketching during the crawl, make sure to take time to explore Lincoln Park or Grumpy's Cafe for breakfast....both are right across from the church.

The church loves the fact that our group is coming this Saturday. As a nice gesture for opening their building for us, I thought that anyone willing to, could scan their drawing for the church to use. The church will make a scanner available in their office if anyone is interested.

Artwork/ Clevelnd Museum of Art Sketch Crawl 3/2011 African Art and etc...

2011-03-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Egyptian Paint Box

Artwork Gray's Armory Sketch Crawl 2/2011

2011-03-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Artwork from the Cleveland Museum of Art Armor Court Sketch Crawl 10/2010

2011-03-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

Artwork from the Cleveland Mounted Police Unit Sketch Crawl 1/2011

2011-03-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

Artwork form the Tower City Sketch Crawl 12/04/2010

2011-03-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

March Sketching in the Museum

2011-03-10T12:06:00.001-08:00

Ah...the Cleveland Museum of Art! A respite in crazy weather like this.

If you are thinking, "Wait a minute, we're suppose to be headed to St. Theodosius this week for the Sketch Crawl!". You aren't entirely wrong. We had originally planned to sketch the magnificent church, but there was a scheduling conflict and we weren't able to make it work. We are working on it for next month.

This Saturday (March 12th), we'll be headed to CMA from some exploration. Because its inside, you don't have to worry about what the weather is doing. You can take your time and sketch to your hearts content.

We'll meet in the lobby entrance to the museum just off Wade Oval, at 10am. We'll sketch till noon as and official group and share what we all have! Look forward to seeing you there!

2011 Sketch Crawl Dates

2011-02-02T09:52:00.001-08:00

We are still working to confirm the locations for the next several months. In the mean time, we have the dates for the next several CLE Sketch Crawls set. Mark these down in your calendar and we'll see you then!

March 12th
St. Theodosious, Tremont
Still working to confirm location

April, 2nd
St. Stanislas, Slavic Village
Still working to confirm location

May 7th
Cleveland Museum of Art, University Circle

June 4th
Natural History Museum & Wade Oval, University Circle

July 9th
The West Side Market, Ohio City

August 6th
Take A Hike Historic Tour, Downtown

September 10th
Sparx City Hop, Ride trolleys through several CLE neighborhoods

Feb 5th Sketch Crawl - Grays Armory!

2011-02-02T09:49:00.001-08:00

On February 5th, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will head to the historic Cleveland Grays' Armory at the intersection of Bolivar and Prospect (near E.14th), 1234 Bolivar Road. This historic building was once home to the Cleveland Grays, an independent volunteer militia company organized on 28 Aug. 1837. The Grays were established to provide extra protection for the growing city of Cleveland and the Western Reserve. The armory building was built in 1893 and is truly a one-of-a-kind architectural gem. Today the armory acts as a museum, event hall and even has an active firing range.

We'll meet at the entrance at 10:00 am. We'll sketch inside till about 12noon. Although it will most likely be cold outside, make sure to get plenty of photos of the outside of this magnificent building! Or if you're truly brave, you can sketch outside (not for the faint of heart).

Any age and skill level are welcome! Whether you are a sketcher, painter, or photographer...you are welcome at the Cleveland Sketch Crawl

If you have questions, call Josh Taylor at Downtown Cleveland Alliance (216-736-7799) or email him at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net

Sketching the Cleveland Police Mounted Unit

2010-12-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Police has a storied history. From the very beginning, the mounted unit has been an integral and powerful part of the police force, which continues to this day.

In our attempt to always find new and interesting locations for us to sketch, we will be heading to the Cleveland Mounted Police station (1150 E 38th St, just south of South Marginal Road) on the near east side of Downtown in January. By the way, if you try and look for this on Google Maps, it will give you the wrong location. Click here to see where the stable is. Due to the New Year, we will be getting together on Saturday, January 8th (the second Tuesday of the month).

This will be an awesome opportunity to visit and sketch a true hidden gem. Make sure you are able to make this one. Noreen will be on hand to lead this first Sketch Crawl of the new year. Email her at mole182@roadrunner.com.

As always, we'll be meeting at 10am and sketching till 12noon.

December Sketch Crawl

2010-12-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

The holidays are here and so are the amazing performances at Tower City Center! For this month's crawl we'll be meeting at the fountain inside Tower City to sketch the activity surrounding the mall and the lobby of Terminal Tower.

There are tons of amazing things to sketch and at 1pm, special performances for the whole family will take place on the main staircase. Hundreds of families come down for those performances, so it is quite a site to draw.

As usual, we'll meet at 10am and sketch till 12noon. Of course you are welcome to sketch as long as you like, but we can at least meet back up at noon and share our sketches with each other.

Sketch Crawl for November

2010-11-05T14:01:00.001-07:00

The November Sketch Crawl will be at the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse on November 13th. We'll be off of our regular schedule of the first Saturday of the month; however, we'll still meet at 10am and sketch till 12noon.

The Greenhouse is one of those hidden gems that not many people know about. It is open year round and is a nice respite from the colder temps outside.

2010 into 2011

CLE Sketch Crawl Schedule

Saturday, November 13th
City of Cleveland Greenhouse (The Rockefeller Greenhouse)
750 E.88th Street (in Rockefeller Park)

Saturday, December 4th
Tower City Center - Holiday performances and decorations
230 Huron Road

Saturday, January 8th
Cleveland Police Mounted Unit
1150 E 38th St

Saturday, February 5th
Gray's Armory and Museum
1234 Bolivar Rd

Still working on March, April and May locations. We'll post these as soon as we line them up!

October 2nd Crawl at the CLE Museum of Art

2010-09-30T06:52:00.001-07:00

How about some Sketch Crawling this Saturday? On Saturday, October 2nd, we'll be sketching inside the Cleveland Museum of Art's Armor Court. There are an amazing array of items to sketch at the museum, but we'll begin inside the Armor Court (where the knight is on the horse). We'll meet at our usual time...10am...we'll meet at the armor court.

This is going to be a different crawl for some of you. The museum only allows pencil for sketching. You will not be permitted to bring in pens, ink of any kind, paints, pastels or charcoal. Only pencils and graphite will be allowed inside the museum.

On most crawls we have some photographer friends that join us. You will need to check with the museum about the rules regarding photography.

_________________________________________

The Cleveland Sketch Crawl is a free monthly event for anyone who loves to draw and explore the city. We usually get together the first Saturday of the month, from 10am - 12noon, we "crawl" through a particular area of the city, sketching points of interest. What you draw is up to you! It is an opportunity to explore the city, learn new techniques from other artists and meet new people. Any age and skill level are welcome! Whether you are a sketcher, painter, or photographer...you are welcome at the Cleveland Sketch Crawl

If you have questions, call Josh Taylor at Downtown Cleveland Alliance (216-736-7799) or email him at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net

Cleveland Sketch Hop!!

2010-09-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm on the road getting set up for this year's Sparx City Hop, which is tomorrow! 10 great Cleveland neighborhoods will be connected by FREE trolleys from 11am - 11pm on Sept 11th. Over 100 restaurants, 70 galleries and artist studios, festivals and over 30 concerts will take place throughout the day and night! Check out all the event details here

We will be sketching through the event! Normally we meet at 10am, but tomorrow we will be meeting at 11am at the Sparx Trolley hub on E.4th Street and Prospect. Look for the group with the sketch pads. We'll start sketching all the activity at the E.4th hub and then head over to Tower City's Street Festival at 12noon. Food will be available at the festival so bring some money and your sense of adventure.

Here is a map of where we will meet:

View 2010 Sparx City Hop in a larger map

-- Post From My iPhone

Schedule for the 14th

2010-07-29T09:12:00.001-07:00

You can check out more about Open Air in Market Square here. On the 14th, The Hollywood Slim Band (swing) will be performing.

I forgot to mention...the festivities begin at 11am, so we should be able to get some great sketches of people setting up and the crowds bustling by.

Don't forget

2010-07-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody - don't forget that our next Sketch Crawl date is NOT August 7th...it will be August 14th in Ohio City. It will be part of Open Air in Market Square. This little festival takes place every Saturday through the summer, right across from the West Side Market, and it features live music and a variety of vendors.

We'll meet at the corner of Market Ave and W.25th at 10am. If you have some grocery shopping to do that week....put it off and just shop at the Market after you're done sketching. Take some time and enjoy the city!

I'll see you all on the 14th!

July Sketch Crawl

2010-07-01T07:35:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe that it's July already! As you may have seen in my previous post, we are changing the Sketch Crawl Schedule a little bit this summer. We will be meeting on the second Saturday of the month in July, August and September. This will give us the opportunity to sketch some great events!

Our next crawl will be July 10th (not the 3rd), and we will be at the Cleveland Tall Ships Festival. We'll meet at 10am (our usual time). There are two entrances to the Festival, we'll meet at the entrance that is furthest from the Science Center (the entrance that is at the end of W.3rd). Click here for a map

The Tall Ships Festival is a ticketed event. Normally the Cleveland Sketch Crawl is a free event, but sometimes we go to places that require a ticket. You will need a ticket to participate in the July Sketch Crawl. Click here for ticket info for the Tall Ships

June Crawl - Summer is here!!

2010-05-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

The next Sketch Crawl will take place on Saturday, June 5th from 10 - 12noon. This will be an interesting and unique sketch crawl experience! We'll be participating in the Take A Hike Saturday walking tour. Take A Hike is a program of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood and leads people (for free) on 4 different tours each week throughout the summer.

Saturdays
Historic Warehouse District Tour
Meet at 10 AM at Constantino’s Market (1278 West 9th Street).
Sundays
Canal Basin Park Tour
Meet at 10 AM at Settler’s Landing RTA Station (1025 West Superior Avenue).
Tuesdays
PlayhouseSquare Tour
Meet at 6 PM at the State Theatre Lobby (1519 Euclid Avenue).
Thursdays
Historic Gateway Neighborhood Tour
Meet at 6 PM at the Arcade (401 Euclid Avenue).

The tours last an hour and a half and are complete with actors and actresses portraying historic Clevelanders, including Alan Freed, Daniel Burnham, Mrs. Alfred Kelley, John D. Rockefeller, Garrett Morgan, Frances Payne Bolton and Mayor Tom Johnson.

For June's Sketch Crawl, we'll be sketching as we walk along with the tour. This will require your speed sketching skills to be in hand because we'll be moving with the group. Usually we have time to sketch in detail, but this particular crawl will be about framing scenes quickly.

We will meet in front of Constantino's Market (1278 West 9th Street).
___________________________________________

Summer Schedule Changes

This summer there are a lot of great events that are going to be amazing to sketch. Because these events all seem to fall on the second Saturday of the month, i've decided to move the Sketch Crawl from our traditional first-Saturday to a second-Saturday schedule (just from July 10th - Septh 11th). In October, we'll go back to our first-Saturday of the month schedule.

Our upcoming Cleveland Sketch Crawls include:

July 10th, 10am - 12noon - Cleveland Tall Ships Festival: We'll meet at the usual time (10am) just inside the gates to the festival (which is located at the Port of Cleveland, docks 28 - 30...behind Cleveland Browns Stadium). I'm going to work on getting a block of tickets for the Sketch Crawl. I'll let you know how that comes along. Festival tickets get you into the festival and onto the incredible ships. For more info on the festival go to www.clevelandtallships.com
August 14th, 10am - 12noon - Open Air in Market Square: This weekly Saturday festival takes place in the park right across from the West Side Market. Art vendors and musicians fill the park and create a great visual to sketch.
September 11th, 11am - 1pm -Sparx City Hop: This annual event is put on by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and connects 8 districts via Lolly the Trolley....all for free!! Art galleries, studio lofts, warehouses, stores, sidewalk concerts, mini-festivals, art shows, restaurants and bars are all part of the event. This will add another unique way to sketch the city...by hopping through the districts on the trolley. PLEASE NOTE: this event begins at 11am and that is when we will begin the Sketch Crawl. We will meet at the event's main hub on E.4th and Prospect Ave.

Walk, Rock and Run tomorrow

2010-04-30T07:41:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give everyone an update about tomorrow. I forgot that the Diversity Center's Annual Walk, Rock and Run is going to be happening Saturday morning (silly me...i should have remembered). The walk is early in the day, but the staging for the event is in front of the Rock Hall...which will most likely eat up all the free street parking in front of the Science Center.

There is a parking garage for Great Lakes Science Center. Parking is just $6 with validation from the Science Center (bring your pass in with you so that you can get it validated....its $9 without validation). Normally we don't have a cost for parking, but hey...you don't have to pay to get onto the ship...so it evens out.

We are going to start sketching outside the ship at first. If it is raining, we'll duck inside the Science Center for a bit. They are going to open the ship to us at 10:45....a little later than i had planned, but it will still be perfect. Just wanted to give you the heads up.

If you come late...check for us along the dock the faces both the harbor and the ship (on the side of the Science Center that faces the Rock Hall).

Sketching the Mather on Its First Day of the Season!

2010-04-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Sketch Crawl will be headed to the William G. Mather Museum this Saturday, May 1st! The huge steamship (built in 1925) is only open to the pubic through the warmer spring and summer months, and we are going to get to sketch it on its first open day.

The ship has a very storied history on the Great Lakes and was a technological marvel of its day. In addition to having tons of unique things to sketch, the ship offers one of the best views of the downtown skyline. Needless to say, this is a perfect location for sketching.

The weather should be warm and amazing. It may rain, but there are plenty of sheltered areas to sketch on the boat.

We will meet at 10am in the front entrance to the Great Lakes Science Center (the entrance that faces the wind turbine). I'll have passes for entry onto the Mather. There is no cost to participate in the Sketch Crawl. The pass will not grant you access to the Science Center.

Those of you that show up late: go to the Will-Call desk inside the Great Lakes Science Center and tell them that you are with the Cleveland Sketch Crawl.

Directions to the Crawl:

View CLE Sketch Crawl - May 2010 in a larger map

More Sketches from past crawls

2010-04-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth sent these sketches to me a while back and I havn't been able to post them till now (sorry Elizabeth ). These are great by the way!

If you've attended the Sketch Crawl in the past and want to post your sketches on the site...just email me at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net and send some scanned in photos of your work. Not that we've compiled a number of years worth of sketches...i think it is time to explore the Library's offer of a show in their lobby.

Cleveland Public Library

USS COD

The Old Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's RainForest

April 3rd CLE Sketch Crawl in Ohio City

2010-03-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, April 3rd, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will be taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and sketching in Ohio City. We'll be sketching the area surrounding the Carnegie West Library ( Map ).

The library is situated on a triangular piece of land that is bordered by Bridge and Fulton. The area is really a perfect location for sketching....historic homes and storefronts, St. Patrick Catholic Church and of course the library. We'll meet on the steps of the library at 10am. Bill Bradford (the branch manager of the library) will give us a brief overview of the history of the library and some of the architectural points of interest inside and out!

As always...the sketch crawl is free and open to anyone who loves to draw. We'll be sketching from 10am - 12noon. At noon we'll reconvene back at the library steps.

If you have not been to this area of Ohio City...there is an amazing crepe place (with incredible french press coffee) right across the street from the Library. They aren't open till 11am...but it is a great location to sketch the area as well!

As promised...past sketches

2010-03-12T17:33:00.001-08:00

I've finally scanned in some of the remaining sketches from past crawls. For those of you who've attended the Sketch Crawl in the past...scan in your sketch and email it to me atjtaylor@dcacleveland.net. I'll post them so people can see that people with REAL talent come to the crawl too ;)

Gospel Press: March '10

Zoo sketches - February '10

Brownstone Inn on a Georgous November day (close to 70 degrees) - 2009

Galley of the USS Cod - May 2009

Trinity Cathedral - March '09

West Side Marketing - January 2009

Flats - August 2008

Detroit Superior Subway Tour - July '08

Public Hall Tour - May '08

Old sketches from past crawls

2010-03-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

I always seem to forget to scan in my sketch book...so these are from a few crawls. I have some more in my other book (which also includes sketches from the March 6th crawl)

Above: is the old coast guard station right on the mouth of the Cuyahoga. You can access the station by Wendy Park. We were here for the June crawl last year.

Above: A view of the Stonebridge condo tower which is off of the superior viaduct (the recent addition). This view is from the underside of the Detroit Superior Bridge during one of the open subway tours that the County does in the summer. As you can see...I like to sketch a particular item or a portion of an item....i'm not big on sketching an entire scene :)

Above: the west door of the Brett Memorial Hall at the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Below is an earlier sketch of the same hall (I like it better).

Old Gospel Press Building is Incredible!

2010-03-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Tremont Place Lofts are amazing! The sketch crawl was there on Saturday and it had to be one of the coolest locations we've ever visited (sorry, don't mean to rub it in for those of you who weren't able to make it).

The complex, which is comprised of 11 different buildings, is so unique and interesting. Claudia graciously let us view multiple apartments...including the 3,000 sq ft. apartment that is on the 6th floor and is absolutely amazing! I hope to post pictures of the place soon (any of you who were there...please email me some photos...I forgot my camera). You have to check out the complex for yourself if you have never been.

If you are looking to rent closer to the city....i promise you can't find a more unique address than Tremont Place Lofts. Perfect location and incredibly unique and historic units (all fitted with modern fixtures and kitchens). It probably isn't for everybody, but if you love history, architecture and building character (in the best way possible)...then you'll love Tremont Place Lofts.

And I've just been talking about the apartments for living...they were amazing for sketching. I'll post my sketches soon....here is a link to Karen's blog and some of her sketches: http://kbladosdesign.blogspot.com/

Sketch Crawling through the Old Gospel Press Building

2010-03-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

So it may be cold outside, but this Saturday we'll be crawling through a truly amazing location. The old Gospel Press Building (now Tremont Place Lofts) is an old bible factory and seminary that has some of the most interesting and eclectic layouts in the entire region.

The story goes that the chief architect for the complex was in charge of overseeing the design of each new addition to the complex. He would attempt new styles with each new addition, which resulted in a complex of buildings that has quite a range of varying styles....perfect for drawing. For some more on the history of the building...click here

We'll meet at 10am at the intersection of Thurman and Jefferson (near the entrance to the parking lot for Gospel Press). Then we'll head on into the main office for the complex. It will be chilly so make sure you dress warm. We'll be inside and outside for this crawl.

Claudia (our contact at Tremont Place Lofts) is interested in seeing some of the sketches of the building and they might even use some in the marketing of the building! The sketch crawl leaves it's mark again :)

Anyway...i look forward to seeing you this Saturday, from 10 - 12noon!

View Sketch Crawl March 6th in a larger map

Must RSVP by 5pm today for tomorrow's Sketch Crawl

2010-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

February 6th Sketch Crawl at the Zoo

Space is limited for tomorrow's Sketch Crawl at the RainForest in the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

If you are planning on attending, you must RSVP by 5pm today in order to reserve a space. The Zoo has graciously allowed our group of sketchers to come into the RainForest free of charge. Only those participating in the Sketch Crawl get in free though (it pays to be creative ;). But you must RSVP by 5 today to get in.

RSVP to jtaylor@dcacleveland.net and let me know if you are coming (if you haven't already).

*This is a rarity that we have limited space for a crawl.

Click here for a map to the RainForest

2010 Downtown Restaurant Week

2010-02-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

The third annual Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week is back, February 22nd - February 27th! Make sure you take advantage of amazing deals at over 45 downtown restaurants. Each location will be offering $30, 3-course menus, plus various parking locations are offering special $2 parking with a Restaurant Week Parking Voucher. For more details, including info on how to win an overnight stay at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland and dinner downtown for a year, go to www.cleveland.com/restaurantweek

The Zoo's Rainforest!

2010-02-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about this month's sketch crawl! The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo is an amazing place to visit, but it is one of those spots that also makes for absolutely unique sketching opportunities. Drawing buildings is one thing....drawing animals is something entirely different.

One of our stalwart sketchers has been able to grant access for our group to sketch the Rainforest. This location is only open to those taking part in the sketch crawl....so bring your pad and utensils and join in the fun! Due do limited space, please RSVP to me if you are planning on attending to make sure there is room (jtaylor@dcacleveland.net).

Hope to see you all there!

Next Sketch Crawls...

March 6th
The Lofts at Tremont Place
(Gospel Press Building)
This complex is an old bible factory that has been turned into one of the most unique mix of lofts in the city. Don't miss the opportunity to sketch this awesome building

April 3rd
St. Patrick's Parish on Bridge Ave
Ohio City
We will be sketching the area around Fulton and Bridge

May 1st
The Steamship William G. Mather Museum
North Coast Harbor
With the temperatures still cold...it makes me happy to think of being on the deck of the Mather, sketching...with the sun actually shining. This location will have amazing views of the skyline (similar to the USS COD sketch crawl last year)

January Sketch Crawl at Tyler Village

2009-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

The Tyler Elevator Company was one of Cleveland's largest companies. Today, the complex that use to house the company is home to dozens of creative companies from database development groups & design firms to artist lofts and studios.

This is an amazing location to sketch because of how large the complex is. The top floors have a unique view of the skyline and one of the buildings still has a replica of the elevator Tyler built for Buckingham Palace.

The Sketch Crawl will be the Second Saturday (January 9th) in January due to the New Year. We'll meet at the usual time - 10am - at the front of the complex off of Superior. We'll be walking through the complex, so bring something warm to wear. While inside we'll be warm, but we'll most likely have to walk outside between buildings. For more on the Tyler Village development, click here

MAP TO JAN SKETCH CRAWL

FEBRUARY CRAWL - we'll be sketching inside the Cleveland Metroparks Rainforest on February 6th. Mark your calendars for this unique Sketch Crawl opportunity.

December Sketch Crawl

2009-12-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (tomorrow), we'll be sketching the incredible main Cleveland Public Library building. This building really is spectacular and full of amazing subjects to sketch.

We'll meet at 10am and sketch till noon. If you haven't spent time here before, be sure and check out the collection when you come down for the crawl.

See you then!

November 7th Sketch Crawl at the Brownstone Inn

2009-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

For the November crawl, we'll be sketching a piece of Cleveland that is slightly off the beaten path...but completely full of history. The historic Brownstone Inn is located on a stretch of Prospect Avenue in MidTown Cleveland that still maintains a glimpse of what the city was like in the early part of the last century. Old historic inn is an old mansion that was built in 1874 and now operates as a bed and breakfast.

We'll meet at the entrance to the Inn at 3649 Prospect Ave. The Inn keeper has graciously allowed us to come into the Inn and do some sketching. Guests will be at the B&B, so we'll have to be mindful of them as we sketch. I'm trying to get us a small tour (as i always do), but we'll have to see how busy Robin is with preparing breakfast for his guests.

You won't want to miss sketching the inside and the outside of this historic home! There are a number of historic buildings along prospect that are worth sketching...i'll point some of them out during the crawl. As always, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl is from 10am - 12noon. See you there!

2009 - 2010 Sketch Crawl Schedule is here.....finally!
I have our new schedule for the next 6 months:

December 5th
Cleveland Public Library Main Branch
Downtown

January 9th
Tyler Village
St. Clair Superior Neighborhood
Due to the New Year holiday, we will get together on the second Saturday

February 6th
The Rainforest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

March 6th
The Lofts at Tremont Place
(Gospel Press Building)

April 3rd
St. Patrick's Parish on Bridge Ave
Ohio City

May 1st
The Steamship William G. Mather Museum
North Coast Harbor

October Sketch Crawl - Tremont

2009-09-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

This month, we'll be crawling through Cleveland's Tremont Neighborhood. Sorry for the late notice. I just heard that my original location for this month (Dock 32 and the historic trolleys) fell through. We weren't able to get anyone to open the warehouse for us. That is still on our radar though. It really is a great location and I am determined to get us in!

Anyway, back to Tremont! This is such a great neighborhood to sketch...so many great buildings and awesome stores to check out as well. We will be doing some walking for this sketch crawl, so be prepared.

We'll meet at the corner of Professor and College Avenues. We'll do a bit more of speed sketching for this sketch crawl (by speed i simply mean we won't spend an hour for each sketch). We'll start at that intersection and work our way down College towards Lincoln Park, then loop back down Starkweather and finish by walking back up Professor towards our starting point.

Points of interest that we'll see:
Lincoln Park
Civilizations Coffee
Visible Voice Books
Lilly's Handmade Chocolates
Luckies Cafe (great coffee and urban garden)
St. Theodo sius

As always the Sketch Crawl is from 10am - 12noon, but you are more than welcome to stay and sketch as long as you like :)

By the way, if you want to be part of our mailing list, email me at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net

Detroit Superior Subway Bridge Tour

2009-08-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

photo by Chris Rembold: Photo Challenge 2008

On September 5th, the we will be exploring one of my favorite locations in the city, the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge. Even though it is open about 3 times a year, this is still one of the most hidden places in the city. Amazingly...too many people have never taken advantage of these "open houses".

The lower level of the bridge offers some extremely unique perspectives of the river, warehouse district, Downtown and Ohio City. In addition to the views, there are several exhibits on Cleveland's street car past.

We will meet at 10am on the north side of the bridge, on the west edge of the bridge (just off W.25th). For a map of our meeting location, click here

Bring your camera along with your sketch book for this one! There are tons of great views. Not to mention that span of the bridge that is just see through metal grate....see through all the way to the river, over 100 feet below!!

Open Air in Market Square!

2009-07-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

No, no, no....it isn't going to be snowing this Saturday! I just wanted to show a cool picture of the Market.

We'll be sketch crawling through Market Square, which is directly across from the West Side Market. We will meet at the corner of Market Ave. and W.25th at 10am. For this month, Karen Sandstrom will be leading the crawl. As many of you know, my wife and I are expecting our first born and the due date is actually August 1st! From the looks of things...we might not make it to Saturday. So...Karen has agreed to lead the crawl.

As always the Cleveland Sketch Crawl takes place the first Saturday of every month, from 10am - 12noon.

Next month, on September 5th, we'll be crawling through the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge. We've done this location for the crawl before and it has been a huge hit! The Cuyahoga County Engineers open this lower level of the bridge up 3 times a year to the general public. It really offers some unique perspectives of the city and the river. Plus there are exhibits from Cleveland's Street Car past.

check out more about these tours here

On September 12th, the 7th annual Sparx City Hop will be taking place from 12noon - 12midnight. Over 8 different neighborhoods around and in Downtown will be connected by free trolleys! This is a perfect time to sketch crawl through the city and explore.

You can park once and explore the Warehouse District, Gateway District, the Quadrangle, St. Clair Superior, Asiatown, Midtown, Tremont, Ohio City, and the Old Superior Viaduct in the Flats!

check www.cleveland.com/sparx for more information

July 11th Sketch Crawl Rained out

2009-07-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

Due to the severe storms and torrents of rain this morning, the sketch crawl has been cancelled. If anyone went to the E.14th and Euclid entance to Ingenuity, I was there till about 12:20. I hope I didn't miss you. Of couse, now it's sunny out side... Ahh Murphys Law of summer.

Next month the Sketch Crawl will be at the West Side Market. Open Air in Market Square will be taking place...it should be a great crawl!

We will be back to our normal time (10 till 12noon) on the first Saturday of the month.

See you then!

-- Post From My iPhone

Sketch Crawl at Ingenuity

2009-07-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

First - I need to start off with the "I-can't-believe-i-didn't-update-my-blog-on-the-July-Sketch-Crawl-date-and-location" apology. So.....i'm sorry for my delay in letting you all know.

Just for the month of July, we have bumped our Sketch Crawl to the second week of the month (which is tomorrow). The Crawl will be taking place this Saturday at a special time, from 12noon - 2pm. We will be sketch crawling our way through the Ingenuity Festival! Those participating in the sketch crawl will receive free admittance into the festival. This will provide a unique and challenging environment to sketch in...more than just stationary items....crowds and activities as well!

Meet at the entrance to the festival at the intersection of E.14th and Euclid (near Star Plaza in PlayhouseSquare).

To check out the festival and all there is to see and draw...click here

Environmental Sketching at Wendy Park

2009-06-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about this Saturday's sketch crawl. Not only is Wendy Park a unique and relaxing location, but it is one of those hidden locations that feels like you are a part of something special because you are there.

The park represents one of the key portions of parkland along the lakefront that will be connected by the Ohio & Erie Canal's Towpath Trail. Wendy Park itself has a master plan for redevelopment, but it still offers a completely different view of the skyline than most Clevelanders have seen and is an interesting contrast to the industry that surrounds it.

Getting there
As I mentioned, Wendy Park is hidden. Click on the map below to get a view of how to get there.

Sketching the USS Cod

2009-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

The USS Cod was a great location to sketch. Intimidating, but a great location! It is hard to believe that so many men would patrol on that sub.

Paul Farace and some of the "crew" graciously hosted us for a tour of the sub and told us the history and background stories of restorting this WWII relic. I spent the majority of my time sketching the Galley (that's kitchen for all ye land lovers). Don't ask me my I just lapsed into Pirate.

It seems like I've been posting more pictures on this Cleveland Sketch Crawl blog than sketches. I promise to change that. I have to scan in my sketches. Which reminds me, if any of you that have attending the Cleveland Sketch Crawl haven't sent in your sketches, please email them to me so that we can send them along to the locations we've been. I know that Paul from the USS Cod would love to see our renditions of the COD.

Cleveland's floating WWII musuem!

2009-04-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, May 2nd, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will be touring the USS COD...the World War II Submarine that is docked near Burke Lakefront Airport. As always, we'll meet at 10am. The COD is located off North Marginal Rd. Get off the shoreway at E.9th and then turn towards the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, you'll want to turn right onto North Marginal Road. You'll see the COD on your left hand side.

The USS COD is a great tour if you've ever been able to take it. If you haven't, you should definitely be part of this month's Sketch Crawl....because that is were we are going.

The USS COD is a WWII Submarine that had 7 war patrols in the Pacific Theater. The 312 foo submarine is a perfect example of the type of submarine manurfactured during the war in order to aide in the war effort. She was launched on March 21st, 1943. To find out more stories on the sub...you'll have to make sure you are a part of the May 2nd Sketch Crawl!

Next Month's Cleveland Sketch Crawl: June 6th
We'll be touring Wendy Park on Whiskey Island. This is a bit of a different location for sketching because it is more of greenspace than an urban location. However, there are great views of the skyline (from a very unique perspective), you can sketch the old Coast Gaurd station, the yaht club and the ships coming into the river. It really is a unique place. Click here to find directions to the park

As usual, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl is from 10am - 12noon on the first Saturday of each month. Anyone who loves to sketch is welcome, no matter what your skill level. While the focus of the Sketch Crawl is drawing....we do have photographers and other artists that attend.

Old Stone Adventure

2009-04-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

To say that Old Stone was amazing, would be an understatement. Beth Giuliano was the best tour guide (even if she didn't think she had all the stories down). I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

To start off, there was a choir practicing for Easter when we were in there (if you are new to reading this blog....yes,....i did say EASTER. I am one of those "Holy crap i forgot to post" bloggers), so the atmosphere was amazing. Beth started off the tour in one of the more modern chapels in Old Stone, but after that, we headed towards the basement of the old building....which was really cool. You could see the old stones from the original foundation (the first church on the site burnt down in the late 1800's). Very interesting.

But the most interested part of the day, was when Beth unvield the keys to the bell tower. At first we werent' sure if we'd be able to get up into the tower...because the key didn't seem to work. But one of the gentlemen on our crawl that day worked the key for a bit and was able to open the door. Eurika!!

From there, we climbed up a series of levels (i think it was about 5 different sets of steep stairs and laddars) till we reached the room with the clock mechanism. We weren't sure that we could make it to the clock though because some of the levels were pitch black. We had to wait for our eyes to adjust and then press onwards. All the climbing and exploring was worth it. We had some awesome shots of the Public Square and Terminal Tower....and just the ablility to explore such a historic tower was cool in itself.

Honestly, i didn't get much sketching done that day....i slipped into more of my exploring/photography mode. But hey....it's all good at the Cleveland Sketch Crawl.

Next month we'll be at the USS COD, right on Northcoast Harbor. Check out some pictures from the day.

Sketching Trinity Cathedral

2009-03-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 7th, Trinity Cathedral will be the location for our next Sketch Crawl.

The century old Church is one of the city's finest examples of cathedral architecture and is an amazing location for a Saturday morning Sketch Crawl. There are alot of amazing stories behind the construction of Trinity and hopefully we'll be able to get a brief tour of the building as well.

We'll meet in the front lobby of the church at 10am. We'll spend the entire time inside Trinity so it won't be hard to find us if you are a little late. The weather should be warm this weekend, so we should be able to sketch outside as well.

Make sure you put our next Sketch Crawls on our calendar!!

April 4th
Old Stone Church
The oldest building on Public Square is also the home to absolutely beautiful architecture and amazing stories. Don't miss an inside tour of this building!

May 2nd
USS Cod (the Submarine near the Rock Hall)
What better way to kick off the summer than to take a tour of the USS Cod and sketch the unique compartments of this World War II Sub.

2009-02-06T07:05:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow, Saturday February 7th, The Cleveland Sketch Crawl will be touring the amazing theaters of PlayhouseSquare!

We will all meet in the lobby of the State Theater (entrance off of Euclid Avenue) at 10am. From there, we'll have a short tour of some of the theaters with our very own PlayhouseSquare tour guide. Make sure you are able to be there at 10am so that you don't miss this interesting behind the scenes tour of the theaters. After our short tour, we'll start the sketching portion of the sketch crawl. If you come late the Sketch Crawl and we've already left the State Theater Lobby, you can either try to locate our group or just meet up with us at the State Theater staircase (pictured above) at 11am. You can join the crawl at that point.

There is a ton of history and stories behind these incredible theaters...don't miss this opportunity to sketch it all! You can read more about the history of PlayhouseSquare by clicking here

Make sure you mark your calendars for the next upcoming Sketch Crawls! We have some great locations planned:

March 7th
Trinity Cathedral
This is one of Cleveland's iconic churches and is the perfect location for a variety of interesting and challenging subject matter, for any sketcher!

April 4th
Old Stone Church
The oldest building on Public Square is also the home to absolutely beautiful architecture and amazing stories. Don't miss an inside tour of this building!

May 2nd
USS Cod (the Submarine near the Rock Hall)
What better way to kick off the summer than to take a tour of the USS Cod and sketch the unique compartments of this World War II Sub.

Ringing in the new year at the Market

2009-01-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

2009 is finally here! Time to start the new year off with a sketching excursion to one of Cleveland's most recognizable landmarks...The West Side Market.

Obviously the market is an amazing experience for shopping, but when you stop and take time to soak it in... actually pick a place and start to look around.... you'll be amazed at what you find, especially for a sketcher.

The January Sketch Crawl will take place this Saturday, January 3rd at 10am. The Market is located at the intersection of Lorain and W.25th. We will meet just inside the W. 25th entrance to the produce stands; this entrance faces the little park across from the Market. The produce stands form an L-shape around the main market building. If you get there late, we will re-convene at 11am on the balcony overlooking the main market building, you can meet us there.

There is a parking lot behind the Market where you can park for free, but it will be packed. Take time to find a spot. Sometimes it is easier to park on side streets (parking in front of a parking meter is free on the weekends). If the lot is packed, try W.28th (near the St. Ignatius football field).

We'll sketch together till 12noon and then have a chance to share our work with each other. Look forward to seeing you all then.

2008-12-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Explore Terminal Tower's Secret Mansion!

This coming Saturday, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will sketch its way through Terminal Tower's famed Greenbrier Suite! This secret residence was the home of the Van Sweringen Brothers (the developers who built Terminal Tower). It was built to rival the old mansions of Euclid Avenue...and is still a magnificent space. This space is not open to the public but will be open for those taking part in this week's Sketch Crawl. Don't miss this chance to explore the suite and sketch some truly hidden spaces of Cleveland!

Because of limited space on this sketch crawl, please RSVP to Josh Taylor (jtaylor@dcacleveland.net) if you plan on attending. We will meet in the lobby of Terminal Tower (right off Public Square) at 10am.

As always, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl is free and open to the anyone who loves to draw and explore! For more information on the Cleveland Sketch Crawl, log onto www.clevelandsketchcrawl.blogspot.com

2008 - 2009 Schedule is out!

2008-10-31T12:37:00.001-07:00

The weather may be getting colder, but there is no need to be down. We have a whole line up of Cleveland Sketch Crawl dates set for the next 6 months! Check out your calendar and make sure you mark down these dates.

The Cleveland Sketch Crawl takes place the first Saturday of each month and we sketch from 10am - 12noon. While the normal meeting place has been The Arcade in Downtown, we will now be meeting at the location where we draw. For more information, you can always call 216-736-7799 and ask for Josh. Check below for details:

December 6th
Tower City Center
Meet in the Lobby of Terminal Tower
Sketch the holiday decorations and the crowds at the annual holiday shows. As a special treat, get to sketch through Terminal Tower's famous Greenbrier Suite. Make sure you RSVP to jtaylor@dcacleveland.net for this sketch crawl!

January 3rd
The West Side Market
1979 W. 25th Street
Bring in the new year by sketching the Saturday activity at the market. With the enclosed produce section and the impressive indoor market space...it is the perfect winter locale!

February 7th
PlayhouseSquare Theaters
State Theater Lobby
These majestic theaters and all the interesting perspectives are perfect for exploring and drawing.

March 7th
Trinity Cathedral
2230 Euclid Ave
This is one of Cleveland's iconic churches and is the perfect location for a variety of interesting and challenging subject matter, for any sketcher!

April 4th
Old Stone Church
91 Public Square
The oldest building on Public Square is also the home to absolutely beautiful architecture and amazing stories. Don't miss an inside tour of this building!

May 2nd
USS Cod (the Submarine near the Rock Hall)
What better way to kick off the summer than to take a tour of the USS Cod and sketch the unique compartments of this World War II Sub.

November 1st Sketch Crawl

2008-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

The November Cleveland Sketch Crawl will take place at the Dunham Tavern & Museum. The crawl will kick off (as ususal) at 10am and will last till 12noon. We will not meet at The Arcade first, everyone will meet at the museum. The address is 6709 Euclid Avenue (right across from Gallucci's).

We will get a tour of the museum and grounds before we start sketching. This location was a stagecoach house that was on the main road between Detroit and Buffalo, so this place has a ton of history and stories behind it.

Bring your sketch book, camera, pens, charcoal, pencils or whatever floats your artistic boat and we'll see you on November 1st at 10am!

Some Sketches from October Crawl

2008-10-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

sketches by Richard Chodera

Almost forgot to share my sketch

2008-09-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

This thing is a sketch crawl....and i haven't been sharing my sketches. Something is wrong with that!

Here is my sketch from last month's crawl. We were on Settler's Landing over near the Cuyahoga River.

Crawl through the Malls

2008-09-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

The September Sketch Crawl is going to take place through Downtown Cleveland's Malls. No...i'm not talking about Galleria and Tower City...I'm talking about a Mall as in a large outdoor public space.

Downtown has 3 malls that make up one of the coolest spaces in Cleveland. Surrounding the Malls are the major civic buildings of the city: The Metzenbaum Courthouse, the Public Library, the Board of Education, Public Auditorium, City Hall and the County Courthouse.

While most people use the Malls as a cut through to get to other parts of the city....there are destinations in their own right and they have amazing elements to draw.

We'll be starting off at The Arcade as usual and working our way towards the Lake. The crawl starts at 10am and goes to noon!

If you are interested...there is an economic development event that is showcasing some of the plans that are being put forth in the city. It is at the Galleria at Erieview from 12 noon - 4pm. It costs $10, but you can see alot of the projects that are going on behind the scenes that are making Cleveland thrive....find out more info here 10,000 ideas

2008-08-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

August Sketch Crawl....
...tomorrow (August 2nd)!

So get ready to start your Saturday off with a little drawing and city exploration. For the August crawl, we will be starting off at our old spot (The Arcade) at 10 am. From there we will stroll down Superior Avenue towards the Flats and the river.

While we've mostly been sketching the physical environment of the city, tomorrow, we will add an exciting subject to the mix....a pop-up dog park. The Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound program of Steps to a Healthier Cleveland and the Pop-up City initiative are creating a Pop-up Dog Park in the Flats this Saturday. Read more about the event by clicking on the graphic to the left. There will be a lot of activity that will create the perfect environment for quick sketching. A little different direction for the Crawl....but hey...different is good, eh?

The Sketch Crawl is from 10am - 12noon, so bring your friends or your dog and have a great time! You can forward this e-mail easily by clicking the link below.

Hope you see you tomorrow morning.

**If you come late to the Crawl and you still want to meet up with us. We will be near the RTA Rapid station on Old River Road, near the Detroit Superior Bridge, at 11am.

Free Subway Tours and Sketching

2008-07-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody - it has been a long time since my last post. Summer is going well. There are tons of things to do this weekend with Independence Day and all. One of the hidden tours in Cleveland that not many people have heard of is the free subway tour of the Detroit Superior Bridge.

Three times a year the Cuyahoga County Engineers open up the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge to the public. This used to be the place that street cars would use to travel across the river, while traffic passed overhead. This space offers some of the most unique views of the city and is a great environment to draw in....tell your friends and bring them down this Saturday for a great time.

IMPORTANT: This Saturday (July 5th), we will be changing our meeting location for the sketch crawl to take advantage of this free tour. We will meet at the Northeast Corner of W.25th and Detoit Rd., at the west end of the bridge. We will meet at the funky public art installment right at the corner of 25th and Detroit. We will not be meeting at the Arcade like we normally do.

We will start our Sketch Crawl at the same time....10am and end at 12noon. If you arrive late and we have left the corner of W.25th and Detroit, we will be at the center of the lower level (over the metal mesh) at 11am. That way you can reconnect with the group. Feel free to stay as long as you like. The lower level of the bridge is open until 3pm.

If you have any questions...feel free to call 216-736-7799 and ask for Josh Taylor

For more information on the tours, check out this site
Detroit Superior Bridge and Subway Tour

World Drawing Day

2008-05-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

June 7th is World Drawing Day! This is the perfect opportunity for our Sketch Crawl to be part of a larger event. If you attend the Sketch Crawl, or even if you do not attend the Sketch Crawl...upload your sketches to be part of this initiative.

Locally, we are also working on an archiving project with the Cleveland Public Library. It is part of a project called Downtown Through the Public Eye. When you attend the Sketch Crawl...be sure to scan your drawings and then email them to jtaylor@dcacleveland.net. All Sketches will be archived at the Library's Downtown Branch. Once the archive grows to a certain size, the images will be part of a larger exhibit! This is an amazing project to be a part of and I hope you'll join in our effort!

June 7th Sketch Crawl

2008-05-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody - the June Sketch Crawl is quickly approaching. Saturday, June 7th at 10am we'll be leaving from The Arcade (Between Euclid and Superior) and head towards the Gateway Sports complex.

We'll sketch our way past The "Q" and Progressive Field, and then head over to the Erie Street Cemetery across the street from Progressive Field. The cemetery houses some of the city's oldest graves and while it is in the center of the city...it isn't a well visited site. There are tons of great perspectives to draw there. After we are done sketching, we'll stroll on over to Bricco, the new restaurant in Playhouse Square for a bite to eat, so bring your money and spend some time afterwards sharing your drawings and getting to know fellow artists! http://www.briccocleveland.com/

Cleveland Sketch Crawl

2008-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Whew...summer is finally here. Of course, now that i say that...the weather will turn chilly and a slight frost will be in the air, but hey....that is life on the Great Lakes. I was just sitting next to a young guy from the UP of Michigan and he said they still have snow on the ground! Nothing like hearing that to make you appreciate what we have here.

Our next get together will be this coming Satuday, May 3rd. We'll be meeting as usual in the Arcade and then we'll be off to our location for the day. We will be crawling through the Malls towards the Lake, stopping at the Cleveland Convention Center and working our way towards the Rock Hall. This Saturday is the Diversity Walk and there will be thousands at the Rock Hall for the walk and 5k. Instead of just sketching environments, this will give us some different subject matter.

The weather does call for rain, but we'll wait and see. We'll have a good mix indoor and outdoor locations to draw in just incase. Hope to see you all there.

Cleveland's Crystal Palace

2008-03-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Below are some of the images from our last Sketch Crawl. Sorry to everybody for the delay in getting these posted! I've been in the midst of battling computer issues here at work. But I won't bore you with my technological issues.

Take a look at the great images of the Arcade below! This was a great day for sketching. There was an Obama ralley at the Convention Center and a good deal of pedestrian traffic was moving through the Arcade.

Sketching America's First indoor mall

2008-02-29T06:15:00.001-08:00

This coming March 1st. We will be sketching one of Cleveland's most treasured landmarks, the Arcade. As usual, we will be meeting in the Arcade at 10am. Since we won't be leaving the building, don't worry if you are late. Once you arrive you'll see sketchers everywhere. To find out more about the Arcade, check out this link: Arcade history

Starting this month, we have a great partnership with the Public Library. They have agreed to let us use their scanners for people to make an electronic copy of their sketch. The Library will keep a record of each sketch as part of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and Cleveland Public Library's "Downtown through the Public Eye" collection! So, stay a bit longer and record your art!

Crawling "quietly" through the Library

2008-02-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we crawled through the Cleveland Public Library. We started off by heading through the Special Collections room of the Old Building (where we all received an excellent self-guided tour book of the library complex. I highly recommend picking up a copy at the Library gift shop). That room really is an amazing place...Not many people know this but the Library has the largest chess collection in the world. The collection consists of dozens of chess sets on display, but also includes chess literature and other items (some on display, but most in storage). In addition, they have a number of interesting displays to take a look at.

The views inside the building and the views of Cleveland from the library are incredible to draw or photograph.

I focused my efforts on Brett hall...the main Reference Hall of the Library Hall on the first floor. This room is really stunning. The consensus was that we should definitely return to the Library for another crawl...i agree...there are so many unique perspectives and so much to explore. While i was talking with one of the Librarians, i discovered that the Map Collections room just purchased a brand new large format scanner that allows them to make to-scale copies of old maps. I can't wait to see which maps they are able to enlarge - what a great gift for someone!

After the crawl, i stayed later to do some browsing of their Plain Dealer collection. The Library has the Plain Dealer on file from 1850's to present! So i took out some microfilm from 1901 and browsed for some "current" events. Maybe i'm a nerd, but...that is really awesome that you can just waltz into the library and take a look at those old papers (the system is even set up so that you can take a scan of the paper you are looking at and then email it to yourself!).

Next Crawl: We'll be staying in the Arcade next month. We've been starting in the arcade...then traveling around the city every month. We should spend some more time in our amazing starting location! If the weather is nice, we'll also sketch the construction process on Euclid (even though construction sucks....i think that it is an amazing environment to draw in).

New Year is here....ok so its been here for 2 weeks now!

2008-01-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I last blogged. January's Crawl was a good one...it was a smaller turn out, but we had a great day to draw in Downtown. The Christmas decorations and lights were in the process of coming down and as we starting our crawl in 200 Public Square, the large Christmas Tree was still prominently displaying in the center of the court. That "lobby" (i put it in quotes because its really more of a grand atrium) is an impressive space if you take time to appreciate it. There is an interesting public art installment in the center that depicts a progressive history of garden fountains and the greenery of the planters really does make you feel like you are in someplace other than Cleveland in January.

From there we hopped over to the Soldier's Sailors monument again. There is so much in that little quadrant...we just had to head back there. As always, the reliable curator was there with his pot of coffee and stories ready for anyone who asked.

*time for a side note: on Saturdays, Downtown feels like an explorer's paradise. The monday-friday workers are gone and the pace is much more relaxed. You can take time to appreciate the architecture, notice things that you've probably passed thousands of times, but have never had time to check out. In the case of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, you get far more than just a sense of place...you get a sense of pride, heritage and intrigue. You realize the enormity of the Civil War, but as a Clevelander, you realize that the monument represents much more than just that. It represents an era of opportunity and progress. You realize that Cleveland, no matter how amazing it was.....was at its core a city built by people, the same as it is today. Therefore, no matter what the situation, we have the same opportunity to rise up and push our city forward past its dark days, just like they did over 120 years ago. I see monuments like the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and even other great buildings in our city as milemarkers that our city laid long ago to remind future citizens to push forward towards greatness and not mediocrity...that civic pride matters...and that involvement matters.

--- I know...a lot to get out of a sketch crawl! But hey, you never know what you'll discover down here!

Next Sketch Crawl: On February 2nd, we'll be meeting at the Arcade as usual at 10am. From there we will head over to the Public Library. We'll start in the old building and then work our way over to the newer branch if we have time. There is so much to see in the old building. I'm going to try and see if we can arrange a small tour of the library. That way we can see somethings we may have never discovered on our own.

For those of you that haven't come before...we'd love to have you. The Arcade is along Superior (Enter through the Hyatt Hotel entrances on 420 Superior Ave). We meet at 10am, on the first floor near all the old shops. We usually are seating in a small group in the center of the long stretch of stores. I you see a small group, don't be shy....come up and ask if you have the right group...we don't want to miss anybody. Important: We usually wait till 10:15 am and then we're off to draw. If you miss us at the arcade try to make it to the destination we've chosen for that month.

Look forward to seeing you all there! If you have any questions...feel free to email me at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net

Touring the City!

2007-12-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we "Sketch" Crawled through Public Square and Tower City! It was a lighter attendance this past week, but we had a great time. I heard some where a bit late...sorry that we missed you. We waited at the Arcade till about 10:20, then we headed out.

As we were walking, I think Maureen or I mentioned the Soldier's and Sailor's monument...and we decided to make a detour on our way to Tower City. We walked into the monument (and if you haven't had a chance to check out the inside of the monument...it definitely is one of this cities hidden treasures) and got an in depth tour of the monument. That place is full of interesting history and stories. We decided to take pictures of the monument and sketch later because we enjoyed the tour so much. **We will be heading back there to do more sketching in January.

Our next stop was Tower City. At this point...i transitioned into my secret hobby profession...tour guide. I love showing people the interesting parts of the city. There really is so much to discover in Downtown! We spent a good portion of time in the lobby of Terminal Tower reading the historical markers and studying the paintings in the vaulted ceiling (i never noticed Charles Lindberg till then...that could be a great scavenger hunt clue) .

Tower City was packed full of people on Saturday. It seemed like there were hundreds of kids with their families down there to watch the Holiday performances at noon. It really is an amazing environment for the holidays....seeing all those kids cramming around the fountain...00ing and ahhhing...its great.

Well, we didn't do much sketching during the crawl...but we had a great time! I'll upload some photo's from the day later, but the sketch above is a perfect example of GREAT places there are to sketch in the monument (That is an awesome piece Maureen!)

Here is what we are planning for the next couple of crawls:

January 5th - We'll be back on the same route we did this past Saturday. We will head over to the Soldier's and Sailors Monument and spend time sketching inside (its warm in there...so no worries). We'll also sketch the inner lobby of the BP tower...even though it is more modern...it is a great space (and its warm!). I am going to try and see if we can get into lobby of the Metzenbaum Courthouse...but it maybe closed on Saturday.
February 2nd - Library Crawl. This complex has hundreds of awesome spaces in it and it is the perfect place to spend a cold February day! We will see if we can set up an impromptu tour of the Library by a librarian and be sure to check the special collections exhibit in the old building.

Give me a call at the office if you are interested in coming...i can give you the best directions to where we meet. 216-736-7799 or you can email me at jtaylor@dcacleveland.net.

My Calander reading skills are slipping!

2007-11-27T12:04:00.001-08:00

Hey everybody,

I apologize for the confusion about our next Sketch Crawl! Someone just pointed out that I mistakenly mentioned the date for the next Sketch Crawl being on December the 8th...when the first Saturday of the month is THIS Saturday. So...in case you have been lead astray by my previous post...

...Our next Sketch Crawl is this Saturday!

We'll meet at the DCA Marketing Suite as usual and then we'll head over to Tower City to sketch. There are so many awesome things to draw inside that complex. The holiday decorations are up and the crowds will be down for shopping. It will be a fun atmosphere. Feel free to shop too!

I will say this...while the official times for the sketch crawl are from 10-12noon...the city is open to anything you want. Anyone is free to continue sketching through the areas we explore each month. This event is more about exploration anyway! I hop you can make it down this month...we look forward to having an even bigger turn out! See you on Saturday.

Crawling Through Playhouse Square

2007-11-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

The second Cleveland Sketch Crawl took place in the Theaters of Playhouse Square. I have to say...this was a cool location. I have been in some of those theaters before, but i have not seen them from that perspective before. I'll have to see if I got any pictures so you can see what I am talking about...even though any pictures can't do justice to those theaters (especially the Allen).

We had a great time hopping through the State, Palace and Allen theaters. If you weren't able to make it...don't worry, Playhouse Square gives free tours of the theaters the first Saturday of every month. Tour guides let you in on some of the history and stories behind Cleveland's famed theaters (i just found out that George Burns and Gracie Allen were married at the Palace Theater because they loved it so much!). We will definitely be back there to sketch some more. There are so many things to draw and check out. Just check out some of the sketchings from this month:

Next month...we'll be sketching at Tower City. Looking forward to seeing everybody down there on December 8th!

First Sketch Crawl a Blast!

2007-10-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those who made it out the first Cleveland Sketch Crawl. I can't believe the weather we had...80 degrees in October...unbelievable.

We had 10 sketchers show up and crawl through the city's "arcade district" (not an official title...but perhaps one that could catch on!). Because the weather was so nice we decided to sketch outside, so we soaked in the sites of E. 4th Street and then headed over to the Library's reading garden. Local artist Tom Roese was on hand to offer sketching tips for those of use that needed a bit of help (thanks Tom...I think I've got the perspective trick you taught us down).

This is a great excuse to get out of the house and take the morning to sketch and meet new people. The city is your inspiration and there are literally thousands of interesting and unique subjects to sketch. Our next Sketch Crawl will take place on November 3rd. I'll have more details about the location for that crawl....but for now...enjoy some of the sketches from this past Saturday!

Sketch Crawl this Saturday!

2007-10-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, this Saturday is the first Cleveland Sketch Crawl! This first crawl will highlight Cleveland's most popular Arcades and the environments that surround them. It will be a great opportunity to get together with other fellow sketchers and draw unique perspectives of these amazing parts of the city.

We will start things off in the Old Arcade and work our way over towards the Colonial Arcade. This is a free and open event to anyone that loves to draw...so come on down!

If you are interested in seeing where this idea of a Cleveland Sketch crawl came from....check out www.sketchcrawl.com. This is the brainchild of cartoon artist Enrico Casarosa ( I believe he is located in California). He has started this sketch crawl phenomenon and it has really taken off! It is such a simple and cool idea...and it is a great way to bring people together to explore the city, its people and all the things that go on in a metropolitan area.

So...that is why we thought we organize a Cleveland Sketch crawl and start our own community here! If you check out Sketchcrawl.com , they will be organizing a World Wide Sketch Crawl on November 4th. Our next Cleveland Sketch Crawl is scheduled for November the 3rd....but i hope we can all participate in our own way for the World Wide Crawl the following day! It would be great to participate in something global like that!

Anyway...just thought I'd leave a quick note. See you all on Saturday!

Welcome to Cleveland's Sketch Crawl!

2007-09-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

This coming October 6th (Saturday), the first Cleveland Sketch Crawl will take place in Downtown!

The Sketch Crawl is a monthly event where sketchers of all skill levels meet Downtown and sketch a series of different locations throughout the city. The sketch crawl is a simple way to explore parts of the city you've never seen. and share your art with others.

The first Saturday of every month, from 10am - 12noon, the Cleveland Sketch Crawl will meet. The initial meeting place is the Downtown Cleveland Alliance's storefront in the Old Arcade (420 Superior Avenue). From there, we will venture out to our sketching destination for that month. The only thing you need to bring is your pencils, sketch pad and a friend, if you like.

If you feel like you can't draw...don't worry. It doesn't matter; you are welcome! Cleveland artist Thomas Roese will be on hand with coaching and encouragement for those who want it.

The crawl is being sponsored by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and is free to anyone that wants to draw, paint or charcoal the city on paper!

Come Downtown the first Saturday of every month ready to draw and explore the city.