Browse Interviews

Stephen Harrison, curator of Decorative Art & Design at the Cleveland Museum of Art, discusses the career of influential artist and designer, Victor Schrekengost. Harrison reflects on Schrekengost's artistic contributions in Cleveland and beyond.

In this 2007 interview, Karen Novak, a freelance photographer and life long east-side Clevelander, talks about Cleveland's underground rock club scene during the 1990s. One of the venues that she discusses in great detail is the Euclid Tavern which was located at East 116th and Euclid in Cleveland. Ms. Novak reveals an immense amount of her knowledge of rock, punk and other bands from Cleveland and other bands that came to Cleveland in the 1990s. She recounts a number of interesting stories…

Artist Derek Hess describes his experience as a concert promoter at the Euclid Tavern, including the club's transformation from a neighborhood bar to one of the most important underground music venues in the US. Hess, who began working at the Euclid Tavern in 1989 while he was a student at the Cleveland Institute of Art, created distinctive poster art to promote each show, which eventually brought him international attention as an illustrator and artist. Hess provides rich detail about the…

Russel Adkins discusses his work as a poet and the relationship of the arts to the city of Cleveland. A graduate of Central High School, Adkins remembers Cleveland as an artistic hub and historicizes artistic movements in the city that was home to Llangston Hughes and the "Black Arts Movement," the Ohio Poetry Society, Freelance Magazine and other publications, and beatniks. Adkins poetic accomplishments and publications in magazines such as Experiment are situated alongside his discussion of…

Derek Hess is a Cleveland artist that got his start while working at the Euclid Tavern, booking bands and creating concert posters. In this interview, Hess discusses his past and current endeavors, and shares stories about concerts he used to attend when he was younger.

Alexander Cook was an editorial cartoonist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He also taught art in Cleveland Public Schools for approximately 25 years. By focusing on his teaching career, he mentions busing desegregation and the noticeable change in students' work ethic and discipline. Cook also makes a distinction between suburban schools and city schools. He served in World War II and describes the experience of being one of the first troops in Japan after the dropping of the atomic bombs.

Elizabeth Breckenridge, Chicago native, describes her time living in Cleveland. For a time in her life, Breckenridge taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). During this time, she lived in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Cleveland Heights. She relates what that was like. She also mentions what it was like to work alongside Viktor Schreckengost. She believed that his work while great was dated, and as a result, time and the rest of the world had passed him and CIA by.

Sura Sevastopoulos was born in Cleveland in 1948. She grew up with her mother and grandmother in Cleveland Heights, originally attended Coventry School, and recalls the walk to school quite vividly. She went to college at the Cleveland Insitute of Art, and while in school she worked at a nightclub called "La Cave," which featured many popular artists such as the Velvet Underground. Sura participated in antiwar marches down Euclid Avenue, and once lived on Hessler Road in the late 1960s. She…

Walter Allen, an artist and active participant in West Creek preservation, details his life and work as a designer for the organization. Born in the 1920s, Allen's story highlights not only his work with West Creek and carreer as an artist, it highlights the historical impact of national events on the city of Cleveland. Allen, a product of the GI bill and graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, details this and other elements of history in relation to the greater Cleveland area.

Artist Michaelangelo Lovelace (b. Michael Anthony Lovelace) discusses his personal background and career; including details on his family and art education, and insights on the intersection of art and race. Lovelace, a native Clevelander, describes the formative moments of his life, including his first encounters with racism, the mentorship of artist Reverend Albert Wagner, his art education experiences at Cuyahoga Community College and the Cleveland Institute of Art, his first art exhibit at…

Artist Moe Brooker discusses his life and career. A native of Philadelphia, Brooker came to Cleveland in 1979 to teach at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he became its first full-time African American instructor. Shortly after arriving in Cleveland, Brooker won top honors at the prestigious May Show at the Cleveland Museum of Art, overcoming the common perception that no black artist could win the show. The artist describes his own artistic education and development from his early interest…

Artist Virgie Patton-Ezelle, a native Clevelander, discusses her life and career as an artist. Ms. Patton-Ezelle describes the earliest recognition of her artistic ability and its impact on her identity. She notes individuals who encouraged her to pursue art as a professional, especially her teacher at John Hay High School, Mrs. Shidoba; artist John Ferguson of Karamu House; her instructors at the Cleveland Institute of Art, including artists Paul Travis and John Tyrell; and arts patron Richard…