THE SCULPTURE CENTER

IN THE PERIOD APRIL 2024 - JUNE 2025 THE SCULPTURE CENTER (TSC) WORKED WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PUERTO RICAN ARTIST EDRA SOTO TO MOUNT A 4-PART MULTIFACETED EXHIBITION WHICH INVITED AUDIENCES TO CELEBRATE THE EXPERIENCE OF FINDING AND CREATING HOME. CHANNELING HER OWN MIGRATORY EXPERIENCE, SOTO WOVE TOGETHER PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE STORIES OF MIGRATION AND HONORED THE DEEP AND GROWING ROOTS OF CLEVELAND'S LATINX COMMUNITY. HER GALLERY EXHIBITION LA CASA DE TODOS (MAY 16 - JULY 19, 2025) WELCOMED OVER 700 GUESTS. THE COMPANION LA CASA COMPARTIDA EXHIBITION SHOWCASED PORTRAITS OF FAMILY BY ELEVEN ARTISTS AND CREATIVES FROM THE CLEVELAND COMMUNITY WHO HAVE KNOWN BOTH THE JOY AND THE PAIN OF MIGRATION. A THIRD COMMUNITY COMPONENT, A PUBLICATION/JOURNAL ALSO TITLED LA CASA DE TODOS INCLUDED 9 LATINX WRITERS IN CLEVELAND WHO SHARED THEIR MIGRATION STORIES IN POETRY, PROSE AND NARRATIVE AND 11 VISUAL ARTISTS. A FOURTH AND FINAL COMPONENT OF THE EXHIBITION WILL BE A PERMANENT PUBLIC ARTWORK IN THE FORM OF A BUS SHELTER THAT WILL BE PLACED IN THE CLARK FULTON NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE CITY'S HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF LATINX POPULATION RESIDES. A METAPHOR OF AN IN-BETWEEN PLACE, LA DISTANCIA WILL BE A FAMILIAR REMINDER OF HOME TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AND NOW RESIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY A PRESTIGIOUS GRANT FROM THE JOYCE FOUNDATION AND THE NEA. IN LATE APRIL 2025 THE NEW ADMINISTRATION ROLLED OUT A LONG LIST OF EMAILS TO NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY NOTIFYING THEM THAT THEIR AWARDS WERE TERMINATED. TSC RECEIVED SUCH AN EMAIL. THE RUBY SHOES FUND AWARD HELPED CLOSE THE GAP THAT WAS LEFT BY THIS LOSS. FORTUNATELY, TSC APPEALED THE DECISION AND THE NEA'S AWARD WAS COMPLETELY FULFILLED AFTER THE EXHIBITION OPENED. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE RUBY SHOES FUND FOR STEPPING IN AT A CRITICAL MOMENT AND SUPPORTING THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT WITH ARTIST EDRA SOTO. TSC COLLABORATED WITH EXHIBITION-RELATED PARTNERS TO GENERATE PROGRAMS, SHARE AUDIENCES AND PROMOTE ACTIVITIES. THESE INSTITUTIONS INCLUDED OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOR AT THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AS OUR EXHIBITING ARTISTS WILL FREQUENTLY GIVE LUNCHTIME TALKS, VISIT INSTRUCTORS' CLASSROOMS, GIVE STUDIO VISITS AND MENTOR STUDENTS. FOR SOTO'S EXHIBITION, WE PARTNERED WITH A HOST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPECIFICALLY SERVE THE LATINX COMMUNITY: JULIO DE BURGOS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, CENTROVILLA25, GREATER CLEVELAND REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, METROWEST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, METROHEALTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL AND YOUNG LATINO NETWORK. ACCOMPANYING THE EXHIBITIONS, A SERIES OF PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE. ONE SUCH PROGRAM, AN ARTIST TALK WITH THREE OF THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS IN LA CASA COMPARTIDA, GENERATED AWARENESS OF CULTURAL LOSS AND MEMORY AND ITS IMPACT ON ARTISTS LIVING IN CLEVELAND. TSC HELD A PRINT-MAKING WORKSHOP DURING THE OPENING WEEKEND CELEBRATION OF THE CENTROVILLA BUSINESS INCUBATOR. MORE THAN 50 CHILDREN CREATED COLORFUL PRINTS DERIVED FROM PUERTO RICAN DESIGNS FOUND IN SOTO'S WORK. EDRA SOTO'S EXHIBITION HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON ATTRACTING NEW AUDIENCES FROM THE LATINX COMMUNITY. THE OPENING RECEPTION ON MAY 16, 2025 ATTRACTED 300 ATTENDEES AND 90% WERE FROM THE LATINX COMMUNITY. IT IS OUR HOPE TO CONTINUE EXHIBITING MID-CAREER ARTISTS ALONGSIDE CLEVELAND COMMUNITIES TO SPARK IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR LIVES AND COMMUNITIES AT HOME AND ACROSS THE NATION WHILE PROVIDING RELEVANT AND IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES FOR ARTISTS, STUDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE.