Coventry Creations Weekend Debrief

Wow... What an amazing weekend. We connected with so many folks. Everyone was amazing. We'll be posting our experiences. This is just the beginning of this blog! Thanks to Amanda Almon for all the pics!

Elements of the Coventry Creations Project

The Coventry Creations blog, ongoing providing information and essays on easy and practical ways to promote sustainable living. This includes a listing of links to internet resources.

April 13 through 19, Informational Exhibit – Coventry Public Library, 1925 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. This exhibit will provide information and information resources for sustainable living and on the local natural environment.


Friday, April 17:

Friday, April 17, 6 to 9 pm, Reception for Visual Art Exhibit “Imagining a Sustainable Life” + “Animal Talk” –above Phoenix Coffee, 1854 Coventry Rd #A, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118.

The exhibition will feature art and design works focusing on the natural world and sustainable living.

Animal Talk, 6 to 7 pm is a “panel” discussion featuring 6 of the area’s “animals” talking about things from their point of view. (shhhh… don’t tell… but the “animals” are actually people in costume.)

Saturday, April 18:

Saturday, April 18, 10 am to 4 pm, Art Fair (come buy some art)

The Exhibition, “Imagining a Sustainable Life,” will also be open on Saturday 10 am to 4 pm

Saturday, April 18, Live Music

Saturday, April 18, 10 am to 4 pm, Coventry Creature Treasure Hunt Game - The game will function like a treasure or scavenger hunt with children searching throughout the different stores on Coventry Road. The storefronts participating will be marked with a logo in the front window for the players to distinguish the store as a creature hutch location. The object of the game is for the players to seek out all of the Coventry Creatures. They will find them as different cards each housed in its own hutch. The players will collect different creature cards from the participating storefronts. Each card will depict a specific animal and information about its habitat. The players will be able to keep the critter cards they collect, and other prizes will be awarded.

Saturday, 10 am to 12 pm or 3 to 5 pm, Animal Show – 12 to 12:30 pm with Harvey Webster from the natural history museum. Through Mr. Webster the public will get to meet and know some real animals.

Saturday, April 18, 1 to 3 pm, Costume Creations - Children young and old will have the opportunity to create a “Creature Costume” choosing form several different animals that have lived or currently live in the Coventry area including such animals as: Eastern Blue Birds, Squirrels, Skunks, Turkeys, Green Frogs, and Bats. Materials are provided and participation is free. Also provided at the “Creature Costume Creation” table will be images and explanations of the different critters, as well as their troubles, and how they can help their creature. Children will have the opportunity to exhibit their costumes in a parade later in the afternoon and there will be a “Best Critter Costume Award” with a prize provided.

Creations Parade – 3:30 to 4:00

Introducing Coventry Creations

Blue birds, squirrels, skunks, turkeys, green frogs and bats... oh my! Yes, Dorothy, the Coventry Critters will return to Coventry Village on April 17 and 18, 2009 as part of a collaboration bringing together The Cleveland Institute of Art's Visual Arts and Technology Environment, the Kacalieff Visiting Artist Lecture Series and the Coventry Village Special Improvement District.

Designed to stimulate awareness and advocate creative solutions for a sustainable ecology, Coventry Creations is being coordinated by CIA's Environmental Sculpture Class. Numerous events are planned to educate the public about the various critters that have roamed (and some that still roam) the Coventry area.

The Coventry Library will kickoff the program beginning April 13 with an informational display providing easy and practical ways to promote sustainable living. On Friday, April 17 from 6 until 9 pm, the public is invited to a reception for the exhibition "Imagining a Sustainable Life," which will include CIA student work: 1854 Coventry Rd., 2nd flr. The following day, April 18, from 10 am to 5 pm an arts and crafts sale will take place on the west side of the Coventry business district between Hampshire and Lancashire Roads.

On Saturday, the festivities continue with a hands-on opportunity for everyone to create a Critter Costume, based on an animal that lived in the Coventry area. Cleveland Institute of Art will supervise and direct this project, also providing necessary art materials for the creation of masks and fliers. Children will have the opportunity to show off their work at the Critter Parade from 2:30 till 3 pm, after which a best Critter Costume Award will be announced. The activity will take place in the mall area at the corner of Euclid Heights Blvd. and Coventry.

This event is free and open to the public.

Coventry Village Special Improvement Dristrict is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization.

(The majority of this post was written by Myra Orenstein -- thanks Myra! for further information contact lane cooper at lcooper@cia.edu)