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Recycled and Organic enters the mainstream

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Just a decade ago, in order to find a natural, organic or product from recycled products, you had to find a natural food store or specialty shop.  My how times have changed.  Now, you can find organic produce at most grocers; natural products at most retailers, and even Wal Mart carries toilet tissue with recycled content.  That doesn’t event take into account the rise of the internet.  These days, you never actually need to leave the house to do your shopping.  Nearly every option is available at your fingertips.  What does this mean for greener products?  Manufacturers and retailers can now sell their products around the world with little or no outlay.

So, as the gutters are finally losing their icy coating, and we can actually see the grass again (albeit in patches) you might be thinking of swing sets, walks in the park, and other outdoor activities.

The cool thing is, that now you can buy outdoor goods from mainstream retailers that use recycled plastics.  Check out this cool recycled plastic bench.  A good use for all those plastic bottles that you recycle all year.

I was approached by an online retailer.  They wanted me to give away a $25 gift certificate to one of their sites, swingsetsandmore.com I was a little apprehensive at first.  What do they sell that folks who read out blog might get excited about?  Turns out, quite a lot!

When I got the email, I went to the site, and typed in recycled.  There were over a hundred and fifty products that they sell that came up.  I looked at only a few, and I was sold.  Besides the obvious, like the bench that is pictured, there were a ton of other cool stuff-especially if you have kids.  I was thrilled with the cool Young Scientists Club science kit.  Your kids can learn about the science of composting, grow seeds, and other cool stuff.   There were other cool kits that can teach your kids about solar power, make recycled paper, and a host of other stuff that I would have loved as a kid.  There are toys made from recycled wood fiber, toy storage bins made from organic cotton with recycled pop bottle resin appliques, and a pile of other cool stuff.  No kids, not to worry, there are products that appeal to the adults.  Weed block, outdoor furniture, and even a serving cart.

So how do you get your gift certificate?  Visit the site Swingsets and More, check out some of the products and write something in the comments here or on our Facebook page about the site.  Random winner will receive a $25 that is good for this site or any one of their affiliate CSN sites.  Good luck!

UPDATE: Comment by Monday, February 21, 2011 and a winner will be chosen on Tuesday.

Posted in Giveaways, Green, Technology and the internet | 2 Comments »

COLOR FORECASTING part 3 of 3

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

We now come to Susanne Dotson’s final three palettes.  You will see that the color expanse is not wide; there is no rainbow here.  Instead there is a defined focus on a narrow range of brilliant, vivacious, luxurious colors and soothing, comforting, supporting neutrals.

The seventh vignette Susanne labeled “Will Health Insurance Pay for Facials & Pedicures?”:

Amidst all the worries of the economy people still need entertainment outlets.  With the lowest economy since the Great Depression (and some numbers dipping below that) the movie industry has had some financial success with surrealistic films like “Inception” and feel-good romantic films like “Eat Pray Love”.  Theme parks, on-line movie rentals, and yes, pedicures and manicures are all receiving a good share of the population’s limited income.  This palette is optimistic, fun and playful, yet still grounded in solid classical neutrals.  A hint of silvery blue is played against the olive green and red-orange of the other palettes, complemented by a deep chocolate brown and a cool gray.

The next palette has been labeled “Would Mies Van Der Rohe Approve?”:

Now here Susanne has made a bit of a leap.  The palette is still grounded in the classics, in this case Bauhaus black and white and near primary red, yellow and blue.  However, the primaries are a bit tweaked with the blue tending toward the Eighties mainstay teal and the red being a strong lipstick red with an orange flavor.  The yellow is more muted, hearkening back to one of Susanne’s earlier palettes.  The tote bag that will be given as a prize at the end of this series is featured here.

Thank you Susanne Dotson for your insight and talent!  Thank you Jackie Kubilus for forwarding me your photos from the event!  And thanks again to Mitzi Mills of Anzea for supplying the beautiful Tote Bag and Cosmetics Bag/Wallet!

If you would like to win the Tote Bag and Cosmetics Bag/Wallet, please post a response to this blog with the answers to the following questions (all answers can be found in the posts):

1.  What is the name of the cafe/meeting place in the Eighties show “Saved By The Bell”?

2. What was the decor movement of the Seventies that kept my childhood in the dark?

3. Which judge on Project Runway hates “matchy-matchy”?

Your response can be made in a comment to any of these three posts or in an email to info@thegldc.com, be sure to include an email address…  contest ends on Halloween.

Thanks People!

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COLOR FORECASTING part 2 of 3

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

Again, I want to thank Mitzi Mills from Anzea Fabrics, Jackie Kubilus from Atlas Carpet Mills, and Susanne Dotson of Susanne Dotson & Company.

The fourth vignette Susanne showed us in her Color Forecasting presentation at Ohio Desk was called “It’s Not Your Seventies Brown & Orange”:

Again you can see the oranges are more ruddy and less yellow than in past years.  The neutrals lean toward reddish beiges and muted olive greens.  The browns are more milk chocolate than Belgian Dark.  Although this is a nod towards the past, especially the Seventies, there is something more optimistic here.  The Seventies saw the movement called Mediterranean.  My own parents decorated their new home with black wrought iron, avocado appliances, dark walnut woods, heavy orange velvet drapes to block out all sunlight, and amber light fixtures that helped to eradicate any unnatural light.  It seems that I lived my childhood in darkness.  Susanne’s palette is lighter and brighter than those dark ages.  Her trend board reads “Optimism, shift in orange, red infused, organic, juxtaposing rich neutrals with brights”.

The fifth vignette was called “Tarzhay and Hermez”:

The focus here is on how the economy has changed our spending habits and therefore our design aesthetic.  Stores like Target have become the go-to shops for the home decorator, setting trends in dish-ware,  appliances, and decor for the shopper on a very limited budget.  Susanne’s trend board reads “Adapt, mix old and new, revival of classics, tweaking of tradition, subtle patina, layers of texture, Rule in Design….no Rules”.  Even in fashion we’ve seen this No Rules trend.  Although classic styling and materials are back, thanks in part to AMC’s “Mad Men”, some of the hard and fast rules are being thrown out like having shoes match purses.  On Lifetime’s “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia has exclaimed her distaste for what she calls “matchy-matchy”.

The sixth vignette, Susanne called “Yes The Glass Is Half Full”:

This green-laden palette has a joyfulness and optimism the photo can’t relay.  Her trend board says “Optimistic Realism, ready to move on, new sense of playfulness, saturated green, renewal, regeneration, looking for brights”.  The green is saturated and a bit acidic, but not the same green used on Volkswagen’s pre-economic-downturn Beetles.  Susanne complements the green with a vivid red-orange and a pale yellow.  A few years ago the “color of the year” was Pantone’s Canary Yellow; this new paler cousin is not buttery but more margarine-y.  Susanne feels this color will be an important one in tomorrow’s fashion.

[part 2 of 3]

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COLOR FORECASTING (part 1 of 3) REDUX

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

I apologize, this is a redux of the original post from this morning.  After writing it, Jackie Kubilus of Atlas Carpet Mills sent me much better photos along with lists of the materials and names of the palettes.  Please dismiss the earlier post as nonsense ravings of a lunatic mind and install this new one in its place:

Every year I look forward to a wonderful event put on by Atlas Carpet Mills, Anzea Fabrics and Susanne Dotson & Company.  Susanne is a color expert and each year she reveals what colors are “right now” and which ones will be “hot in the near future”.

Held at Ohio Desk’s showroom on Prospect Avenue, this year’s event focused on optimism out of the recession.  The colors are bright and inspirational with a definite nod toward the classic.  Why reinvent the wheel in a down economy?

Susanne led us around the room where she had staged a number of fabric samples overlaying coordinating carpets and either coordinated or contrasted with wood samples.  There were pillows and bags made from Anzea fabrics, graciously donated by Anzea’s Principal Mitzi Mills and then given away at the end of the event.

At the end of this three part blog series there will be a tiny quiz.  The first person to leave a comment that has the correct answers to the quiz will win this incredibly fabulous tote and cosmetic bag/wallet combination!  The tote is lined, has a zippered pocket just right for the cosmetic bag/wallet, and has a built-in (concealed) base board:

Susanne gives each of the vignettes a comical name.  This first palette is called “Michael Kors and Calvin Clein meet the Brooks Brothers”:

This palette is made up traditional classic neutrals, beiges, tans, grays contrasted with vibrant splashes of color and heavy solids.  The biggest departure from the past few years is the temperature of the ORANGES.  No longer are they tinted toward yellow; now they are leaning heavily toward red.  Stores such as MaxWellness who relied on yellowish orange as a staple for their logos and interior decors, may find themselves quickly outdated.

This second palette is called “Dirty Martini with a Skewer of Olives”:

The olive color is making a comeback.  It’s not quite the seventies’ avocado green we all remember on appliances.  Susanne compliments the greens with dark ruddy woods, coppery browns and tight repetitive patterns.  Her “trend” board reads: “Realism, espresso + concrete, architectural, chameleon, citrusy (sic) olive, vintage, repurposed”.  There are vintage notes here, found objects, eclecticism with an eye towards art but all tempered with realism.

The third vignette is another nod towards the past.  Susanne titled it “Are We Really Going Back to Mauve?”

Of course the answer is “not really”.  However, cloudy purples, brownish violets, and muted burgundies are in order.  Susanne contrasted them with dark yellows and pale green neutrals.  The Eighties hit us over the head with their heavy-handed use of mauve, rubine red, and teal as seen in the Max, Saved by the Bell’s ever present cafe/meeting place.  We won’t be seeing that particular combination any time soon (with the exception of retro designs), but there will be hints of some of the colors.

[part 1 of 3]

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Foothills or steep slope?

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Whenever you get a dozen citizens in a room at any event in Cleveland, there is always one “Negative Nancy” in the room who will do and say whatever it takes to try and bring down the energy in the room.  So when yesterday’s Sustainability Summit 2010, The Glocal Engine began, I tried hard not to be that person.  I have already written about why I remained reserved in my enthusiasm before the events.  And when I think of the fact that nearly an entire year was available to prepare for this event, I feel things should be just right.  Small things often drive me crazy, and there were plenty of small missteps-coffee ran out, the WIFI didn’t work, etc.  Then the days events began with a lot of talk and very little action.  I had to remind myself that there were about 50% new attendees in the room, and had not heard some of the info and been brought fully into the fold.

However, after lunch, it felt as thought the tide was beginning to turn.  We broke into groups and did some brainstorming.  We created some ideas and fostered some discussion.  We made our headlines for the news in 2019 and listened to some enthusiastic responses from many in the room.  To me, it felt like the conference had finally begun.  So today, we start day two.  One thing is clear, this year the Summit is not the event that it was last year.  Many of the folks who work the hardest and are the biggest advocates for sustainability and innovation were conspicuously absent from the room.  There was no Bill Doty or Mike Dungan, and one of the biggest draws to downtown Cleveland, The Cleveland International Film Festival, had no representation.

So we shall see what happens today.  Keeping in mind that we are trying to find ways to generate enthusiasm, create action and build momentum for 10 full years, I wonder about the outcome of such an event.  So far, those I have spoken to seem less impressed than last year, less optimistic and more nonchalant.  I try to keep my enthusiasm pointed in the right direction.  But like anything in this region, I have to wonder if it would be better if this task was left to the private sector.  With the future of the region riding on our ability to generate new ideas and create new inroads to success, why are we hearing from the same speakers, that are saying the same things?  Two young and enthusiastic adults organized and coordinated the half day event that was TEDxCleveland last year.  Not only was the event sold out, but the speakers were amazing, the crowd pumped, the response huge.  This Summit had a year of planning, a broad subject matter, and the resources of City Hall.  The most exciting people we have heard from were Chris Kious from APOC, (that I could have called myself for free) and the speaker from Wal Mart-that told me all the stuff I have written about in my own blog.  The day closed on a positive note, as we had a speaker from Oberlin who raised the energy and enthusiasm of the room with his short speech.  If all the speakers spoke with this passion, then the entire day would have been a huge success.  I wonder what kind of day it will be today.

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10 tips for living greener in the modern age…

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

This world is a fast moving place these days.  Modern convenience and throw away society has made it easy to do almost anything, find anything, consume anything.  But all of this technology and convenience comes with a hefty price tag: depleting ozone, greenhouse gases, burgeoning landfills, disappearing resources, and the wars and negotiations that we conduct to preserve this wonderful way of life.  But just because you want to live lighter on the earth doesn’t mean that you have to buy an yurt and move to the wilderness or join an ashram in the Himalayas.  There are plenty of ways to live a modern life, with its conveniences, and still reduce your impact on the planet.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Turn off the lights.  Simple, but effective.  Turning off the lights when you are not in the room means less kilowatt hours of energy that you will be using in general.  This concept goes to more than just the lights, though.  Turn off your television if you are leaving the room.  Don’t leave your TV or radio on for your pets while you are at work ( they really don’t want to listen to it anyhow).  Just be mindful of obvious waste of electricity.  Look for ways that you waste energy and try to find ways to reduce it.  Buy a night light instead of leaving the bathroom light on at night,for example.

2. Buy larger packages. While the convenience of individually wrapped items is great for kids lunches and the like, they come with a lot of extra packaging.  The 6 pack of individual applesauce cups has a tone of packaging that will likely not be recycled, vs the large jar that has 3 times the amount.  The cost savings of buying in larger packing will allow you to invest in reusable containers to put in those lunch bags.  For that matter, think about the throw away stuff that you get everyday.  Take your own mug for that morning coffee, use reusable bags for your groceries, buy in bulk when you can.  We are nearing two years of plastic bag reduction and I have only brought home one plastic bag in that time.  All without any inconvenience to me.

3. Buy only what you need. This is a biggie for me.  Most American households throw away nearly 500 pounds of food every year.  This can take a definite change of habit, but once it becomes a regular thing, you will find it easy to maintain and will save you money.  You will need to plan better, create shopping lists and stick to them, and buy perishables in easily usable quantities.  After shopping, you may need to break down larger packages and freeze some of your food.  Use your freezer as a way to prolong the life of food for short periods, not long term, as this will lead to less food surprises in the back of the box and less food wasted to freezer burn.  When it comes to things other than food, buy what you need and invest in better products that will last longer.  The more use you get out of products, the more money you will save and a better use is made of the energy put into making them. That $3 T-shirt is not such a bargain if it lasts only one wearing…

4. Drive less.  Walk more. Simple enough, but harder to do.  Plan ahead, combine trips, and use your legs and bicycle.  Take the first spot you see in a parking lot and walk a little more, rather than driving around or idling while you wait for that spot nearer the door.  The exercise will do you good.  If you are going to a strip mall, park once and walk between stops.  Don’t get in your car and drive to the other store that is 100 yards away.  Try to do more in your own neighborhood where you can get to by foot-at least when the weather is nice.

5. Recycle. Even if you don’t have curbside recycling, you can drop your plastic bags off at the store, your cans and bottles at a local spot, and many schools and churches take paper to recycle for extra funds.  But it really goes farther than that.  Try to buy products that use recycled content (or else why bother recycling?) and that use reduced packaging.  Furthermore, think about what the packaging is:  aluminum cans are likely recycled and back on the shelf in 60-90 days-shoos it over glass or plastic;  steel is heavily recycled due to casts and most steel used at all has at least 25% recycled content already; glass bottles are more heavily recycled than plastic; paper is a commodity that is easily recycled-a paper box is better than a plastic container if you are not going to reuse it.

6. Reuse. Simple.  Try to reuse anything that you can at least one time before throwing it out.  That plastic zipped bag that your food came it can easily be rinsed and reused instead of popping out a new Ziploc.  If something comes in a plastic tub, then will work jsut as well as Tupperware.

7. Avoid specialty use items. Why in the world does anyone need a special brush that is just for putting butter on corn when a knife will work just as well.  The more specialized a product, the less use it will get and the more resources are wasted in its creation.  We have been eating corn on the cob for plenty of years without those special little prong holder things to hold the ears with.  Don’t get me wrong, some items have a definite purpose, but most of us don’t need the tools of a butcher or pastry chef, no matter how much we think of our own cooking.

8. Print less. One of the joys of the modern era is the ability to share things digitally.  Use technology to your advantage and print things less often.

9. Buy Energy Star. When buying a new appliance always try to buy Energy Star rated appliances.  Yes, they will likely cost you a little bit more, but the energy savings will pay for itself in no time.  Look for rebates in your area for Energy Star.  While in Seattle, my mother had to buy a new refrigerator.  By buying Energy Star, she was able to receive 10% off at the store, get a state rebate, get a local utility company rebate, and she had it recycled for an additional rebate.  It was actually cheaper to buy Energy Star, before even turning it on.

10. Turn things off at the source when  not in use. Many appliances suck up energy even when you are not using them.  We have a big TV, but we use a master strip to cut the power when we are not watching it.  Same with the DVD player, VCR, etc.  It is estimated that over their lifespan, most appliance use 75 % of the energy that they use when they are not in use.  Same goes for portable devices: cell phone chargers draw power even when they are not charging anything, and cell phone batteries will last longer if they are not overcharged.  Timers and the like are for more than just heating.  Make sure that your computer is set to go into stand by mode after a set period.  This means that you can easily reduce the energy you use without having to remember to power it down.

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More Food Madness on Monday

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

My buddies at Stove Monkeys are gearing up for their next Yumm event at Mercury Lounge.  I have written about these guys and their friends before.  Now every month they are showing Clevelanders just how adventuresome food can be.  Getting this monthly project off the ground has been an adventure for Matthew Mytro and his team.  The first month they tried this experiment, it was pretty unclear as to whether or not Cleveland was ready to embrace the concept of molecular gastronomy and food combinations.  That first evening was one of the first beautiful nights in Cleveland.  It also happened to coincide with an event for the Indians at Jacobs Field-and who could have predicted a solid playoff round for the Cavs?  We were there early and the crowd was light, but things picked up as the evening wore on.  But if last month was any indication, Cleveland has embraced this monthly foray into cooking concepts with open arms.  Unexpected crowds crammed the patio and  the introduction of cocktail concoctions had patrons lining up at the bar.  This month, Matt tells me that they will making optimum use of the overall space at Mercury.  This month looks to be the best month yet!

For a mere $10 ($7 in advance) you can get some nitrogen frozen tomato mozzarella salad, liquid raviolis, Bacon PB & J, Corn On Da Cob, and ice cream.  There will be molecular cocktails, too like Mom’s Apple Pie and liquid Jack and Coke.  Check out some of the highlight from last month’s event:

Stove Monkeys is mostly a clothing company.  If you place an order of $25 or more, you can get a free ticket to this event.  I love their latest designs, so check them out and tell me what you think!  You can get one of their You can join these guys on Facebook and on Twitter to find out what other cool things they are doing!

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It’s Hot in Cleveland! Win this shirt!

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Facebook darling Betty White is back on TV.  Her new show is an original program from TV Land called Hot in Cleveland.

I love Betty White.  She has played so many great characters over the years and has the ability to be funny when playing straight lines, being truly off color, or even down right filthy.  Her appearance of as the host of Saturday Night Live was all thanks to a Facebook campaign, and it shows the power of social media in making things happen.  I have been waiting for the premiere of this show to see how it plays out.  Many times the city featured in a sitcom is the butt of most of the jokes, and I love Cleveland and we can do without the humor at our expense.  So when I was invited to the premier party last night, I jumped on the chance to attend.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Betty White
www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

The party was held in the Skylight Room at Tower City Center, where I spent most of my days during the film festival.  The rooms were packed with hip folks drinking cosmos and white wine, all Sex in the City style.  I don’t know who was catering the event, but the food was tasty, though a bit uninpired.  Shrimp crostini, caramel onion tarts, crab cakes and roast beef with horseradish mayo were passed and only left me hungry for something more substantial.  There was a screening room, but I never really figured out how it worked.  The room was always packed, and when I turned around,   there was a huge line for the next screening.  I decided to pass, as it debuts tonight and I figured I could wait to see it in the comfort of my own home.

On our way out, we picked up a couple of gift bags.  The door ladies gave us a quizzical look, but didn’t say much.  We figured out that the gift bags were apparantly for the ladies, as they had t-shirts that were definately ladies sized.  So, what do you do with a couple of Hot in Cleveland t-shirts in a Ladies size large?  Why give them away of course.  If you are interested, comment about the party or about the show, on this blog, on our Great Lakes Green Pages Facebook page, or on our Great Lakes Design Collaborative Facebook Page.  I will choose a couple of winners at random and send you the free tee!

And be sure to watch the premiere tonight on TV Land at 10pm!  Comment before Sunday night when I will do a random drawing!

Thanks for your comments!  Our winners are Alicia Y and Michele K.  Thanks for all who entered!

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Nature Friendly makes my day at the CIFF!

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

home I forget that not everyone thinks like me.  I hang out with so many “greenies” that I am sometimes surprised when someone that I am talking to just doesn’t ‘get it.’  From my experience at the film festival last year, I knew that we would be generating a pretty hefty amount of garbage.  Feeding thousands of plates of snacks and sandwiches, I was determined to find a way to reduce our environmental footprint.  With plenty of negotiations and a few dozen phone calls, I was finally approved to start composting on Tuesday morning.  Unfortunately, the hospitality headquarters opened on Friday morning.  I put our order together, and had it delivered Thursday afternoon.  When it arrived, however, I was disappointed to see a substitution.  My enviro-friendly hot cup with the corn resin sealant on the inside was substituted for a hot cup that had a Styrofoam core.  Not happy.  I then spent the afternoon scouring the city for a hot cup that I could use in the compost.  There were surprisingly few options.  When I did find an option, I couldn’t get it.  Minimum orders, no delivery, no pick ups, were all assorted hold ups.  Enter Nature’s Friendly Products…

I had started with Nature’s Friendly Products, as I knew they had a full line of compostable products.  They have stuff made from stuff like corn and sugar cane.  They will compost in your own garden over a season.  While their office is here, they need several days lead time to get the orders in from their warehouse in Indiana (or Iowa-one of the I states…).  Jeri Leigh talked me through all the catalog and sent me more information than I needed.  I put them on my short list to order from.  When the deadline passed and I still did not know if I would be composting, I started looking at other sources.  When my order came in wrong and I was freaking out, I finally called Nature’s Friendly Products again and nearly cried on them.  A sweet young lady named Tammy calmed me sown with her sweet southern drawl and promised to call em back.  Within ten short minutes, I got a call back.  The customer forms were in the email and a single case of cups had been rounded up and would be waiting for me by 10 am the following morning.  I am sure that she called every rep they had and probably pulled their cups from the employee break room to take care of me.

The following morning after our staff meeting, I jumped in the car and dashed off to Beachwood to pick up my cups.  Within a few minutes of arriving, they were loaded and I was back on the road.  As I sped down the road, driving farther than I have driven in months, I wondered about the emissions and gas usage by this crazy pick up.  As if on cue, the first of several plastic bags floated across the road and hit my windshield with a light smack.  The irony was not lost on me that while I was desperately trying to divert our food service waste from the landfill, the trash from someone else was attacking me.  While I cannot manage to keep others from littering or reducing the trash that they create, I can make sure that the things under my control were as green as possible.  Without the help of Nature’s Friendly Products, I would have had to use a standard hot cup and that might derail all of my plans for composting our waste.  And compost we are!  In a single day, we managed to create a single bag of garbage.  With the hundreds of plates of food that were served, that was quite an accomplishment.

If you are having an event, I highly recommend checking in with Jeri Leigh Siss and her cohorts at Nature’s Friendly Products.  With the help fo them and Rosby Companies, your next event could be zero waste.

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What is the Capital of Cleveland?

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Kudos has to go out to Matt Zone, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and the city of Cleveland for all the efforts that have gone into the Gordon Square Arts District.  They managed to take a great neighborhood with great bones and transform it from an aging area to a lively and fun district.  I have already written about the great places to eat and shop here, but what may be the finest jewel in the crown is the Capital Theater.

Cleveland was a thriving city in the early 1900′s.  This being the heyday of vaudeville and the beginning of the movie business, it comes as no surprise that the city is littered with theaters.  Nearly every neighborhood had some sort of stage theater or movie house, most of which fell into complete decline.  Later, many were torn down to make way for McDonald’s, shopping malls, or other some trappings of modern life.  Even our beloved Playhouse Square came close to becoming another parking lot.  Still others were converted into something else-churches, porn theaters, even offices.  Some fell into such disrepair that they could not be salvaged at all.  Luckily, the Capital Theater managed to find new life.

I am a big believer in adaptive reuse.  Far too many of Cleveland’s precious architectural gems have become the victim of the wrecking ball and are gone forever.  These theaters were truly sad in that they were places to attract patrons and as such were often sumptuous and ornate.  A hundred years later, it becomes very expensive to return these little treasures to their former glory, but the Capital Theater did it.  Operated by the Cleveland Cinemas chain, it is a great asset to the Gordon Square district.  Cleveland Cinemas has a long history of meshing arty and independent films with traditional new releases.  Who knows?  as the Cleveland International Film Festival continues to grow, maybe we will get to see some of the films from the festival showcased at this awesome locale. (Speaking of the CIFF check out the site to be in the trailer!)

I was pleased to go and see Avatar at the Capital and loved the work that was done.  They managed to blend modern comfort with old world elegance.  The screen is big enough for all those great movies like Avatar that really should be seen at a cinema, yet the theater is also small enough to make the space intimate enough to create that arty theater feel.  Being newly renovated and so sparling clean, yet grand and ornate-this is my favorite in the Cleveland Cinemas chain.

If you have yet to see the theater space and the work that they have done, then make the time.  They are showing some cool films, screenings and one day showings, as well as big names like Avatar.  They are even showing midnight movies with cult classics like Fight Club!  A new film that is coming out is Extraordinary Measures.

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES (CBS Films) Opening Date: January 22, 2010 From his
working class roots, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) has finally begun to
taste success in corporate America.  Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen
(Keri Russell) and their three children, John is on the fast track.  But
just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his
two youngest children, Megan and Patrick, are diagnosed with a fatal
disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and
determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and
unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford).  Together
they form a bio-tech company focused on developing a life-saving drug.  One
driven to prove himself and his theories, the other by a chance to save his
children, this unlikely alliance eventually develops into mutual respect as
they battle the medical and business establishments in a fight against the
system – and time. But, at the last minute, when it appears that a solution
has been found, the relationship between the two men faces a final test -
the outcome of which will affect the fate of John’s children.

You can be one of the first to see this film!  The Capital is having a pre-screening on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:30 pm.  Even better, there is a way that you won’t have to pay!  Have you visited the Got City Game website?  I wrote about the GCG television show earlier.  It is a web based reality show set in Cleveland and they are giving away cool stuff.  Not only do the contestants have a shot at the grand prize, but the viewers have a chance to win cool stuff as well.  When you go to the site and vote for your favorite team, you are entered into the drawing.  The more you vote (you can vote once a day) the better your odds.  They are giving away some scholarships as the grand prize, but along the way they are giving away some cool stuff too.  This week they are giving out VIP passes to the pre-screening at the Capital.  They have a handful of passes to give out this week, so get over there and enter!  You can also win by being a fan on their Facebook page.  GO NOW!  They have multiple pairs of passes to give away, but the screening comes up Wednesday!  Get your entry in ASAP Got City Game!!  If you believe in Cleveland, then you should be watching this show.  What a great way to raise awareness about how cool this town is than by having a reality show that shows off our assets.  Tell your friends from around the globe to watch, too.  Let’s give the whole world a glimpse of our great city!

Posted in Arts & Culture, Cleveland, Giveaways | 1 Comment »

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