CLEVELAND — Parade the Circle, the popular summer arts festival featuring a parade of art, stilts walkers and floats, will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cleveland Museum of Art announced Friday that Parade the City will be this year's version of the popular arts parade that takes place in University Circle.
Parade the City will keep the spirit of the annual event alive by pairing local artists with community groups to create art installations through Cleveland and community locations.
The 2021 Parade the City event will feature eight installations created by local artists with the help of eight community groups including the Cleveland Schools of Arts, Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center, Esperanza, Karamu House, Extended Family, LGBT Community Center, Cleveland Public Library’s South Branch and the PIVOT Center for Arts, Dance and Expression.
Route maps and a list of displays that are open for public viewing will be available at the newly created Community Arts Center or online.
The Cleveland Museum of Art also announced Friday it will open the Community Arts Center in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood.
The Community Arts Center will house the museum’s community arts staff education outreach program, which creates experiences for residents in Greater Cleveland through art-making activities and community collaborations such as Parade the Circle, Chalk Festival Winter Lights Lantern Festival and Studio Go.
The 20,000-square-foot space located in the former Astrup Awning Factory will also serve as a dedicated space to store large puppets, costumes and art-making supplies.
When the center opens on June 12, visitors may also view the inaugural exhibition, "Parade the Circle: Celebrating 30 Years of Art and Community," opening in tandem with the center, which features a varied collection of puppets, costumes and masks created by artists and the community that reflect diverse cultures and global art traditions.
In the summer and fall, as COVID-19 safety restrictions are lifted, the Community Arts Center will offer even more programming:
- Daily studio and gallery experiences for schools and community groups, with tours and activities led by local artists
- Daily public hours with studio and gallery experiences
- Classes and workshops led by local teaching artists for children, adults and families
- Drop-in activities for all ages
- Guest artist workspaces
- Conservation projects
- After-school arts experiences and summer camps
- Activities and workspaces for community members participating in Parade the Circle, Chalk Festival and the Lantern Festival
The Community Arts Center will be open Wednesday to Friday, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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