Cleveland Hops into the Year of the Rabbit with Public Art Celebration | Arts & Culture

CLEVELAND, OH - On Thursday, May 12, 2011, Cleveland will launch the sixth in its series of annual public art campaigns celebrating the Lunar Chinese Year. This year’s project commemorates the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, which began with the new moon February 3, 2011.  To kick off the celebration, St. Clair Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC) will install 24 fiberglass rabbit sculptures featuring unique designs created and applied by Northeast Ohio artists/organizations.  The sculptures are sponsored by dozens of local businesses and will be installed throughout Cleveland’s St. Clair Superior neighborhood and in other key locations in and around downtown Cleveland. 

The May 12 installation and a series of public events to follow will showcase Cleveland’s AsiaTown community as well as St. Clair Superior’s blossoming arts district and thriving business community.  Through a variety of education programs and other events throughout the year, the Year of the Rabbit Project promotes investment in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood, celebrates city-wide cultural awareness and supports arts education and the local artist community. 

For project details/installation locations, visit http://www.stclairsuperior.org/yearoftheRABBIT or Facebook. 

Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 12                    Installation of Rabbit sculptures (free/open to public, click here for locations)

Saturday-Sunday, May 21-22    Cleveland Asian Festival, Asia Plaza (free/open to public)

May 2011                                Rainey Institute/Case Elementary youth Asian art and culture classes (made possible by Year of the Tiger sponsors)

Saturday, June 11                     Parade the Circle/Circle Village Year of the Tiger youth activities/fish kite-making, University Circle (free/open to public)

Saturday, September 24           Gala Auction Event, Cleveland Masonic Temple & Auditorium 

Participating artists:  Anna Arnold, JoAnn DePolo, Christopher Dillon, Laura Dumm, Gary Dumm, Mackenzie Glass, Beth Gregerson, Margie and Ron Hill, David Horneck, John Howitt, Sean Kelly, Eva Kwong, Mitzi Lai, Kirk Mangus, Sylvia Masek, Laurie Musser, Linda Alexander Radak, Lisa Ruschman, Lauren Sammon, Kim Thorpe, Karen Wellman, Olga Ziemska, MyCom Youth Leadership Council, Ohio Technical College Staff. 

This project was made possible through the generous support of: Artefino Café; ASI; Asia Plaza; Charter One Bank; City Architecture; Consolidated Graphics Group Inc; Cleveland Councilmen Cimperman, Dow & Johnson; Creative House Studios; Custom Rubber; Day Glo; Dominion; First Interstate; Key Bank; Kocian Meats; Legal News; Margaret Wong; MyCom; Ohio Technical College; PNC Bank; Sheliga Drug; Siam Café; St Clair Superior Development Corporation; St Martin de Porres High School; Strauss Electric