Heights Arts is offering everything from art classes for kids and for adults to special artist-in-residence programs and lively performance events, all in a vibrant studio environment where the walls are hung with works in progress and there's always something new to see and do at the Studio.
For class fees and a comprehensive list of offerings see the registration form .
Teens and Children may be eligible for a reduced class fee thanks to our community development block grant. Please check here.
All classes take place at Heights Arts Studio, 2340 Lee Rd, across the bridge from the Main Library in Cleveland Heights.
Questions about registration: email register@heightsarts.org or call 216-371-3457
Ages 5– 8
Cartwheels, Sunshine and Finger Puppets with Erika Anderson
Monday and Wednesday mornings 9:30- 11:30am
Begin summer break by making sculpture, paintings and collage with a fun twist. Students of all abilities will have the opportunity to learn new techniques and to become more comfortable expressing themselves.
Ages 7-10
It’s Greek to Me!! with Joan Levin
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1– 3 pm
Come explore the ancient civilizations of Greece, Egypt and the Aztec Empire. We will be creating Greek columns, bronze Aztec plaques, cat mummies and pharoah's jewels, decoding hieroglyphics along the way.
Ages 7-14
Masks and Puppetry with Kris Barnes
Monday and Wednesday afternoons 1 – 3 pm
Bring out your child's creative and dramatic interests with mask making and puppetry. We will explore making masks and puppets out of different materials while including some art history and discussion about their ceremonial uses.
Ages 7-14
Let's have a look at you! with Jeanne Regan
Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30 – 11:30 am
Use the mirror and photographs to learn about the art of portraiture. We will use techniques of tracing, drawing, and monoprinting to create fabulous faces. Get to know yourself a bit better!
Ages 7-10
Pop in for Some Pop Art with Joan Levin
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1- 3 pm
Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg, American artists of the late 1950's and 60's made everyday objects into art. We will incorporate their techniques to create our own works with paint, oil pastels and papier maché.
Ages 8-11
Animalia with Marty Young
Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30—11:30 pm
Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes on the savanna, Hippos in the river,Tigers in the jungle, Meercats in the desert, Housecats on the windowsill...We will explore the wonderful world of your favorite animals (and their habitats ) through drawing, painting, and sculpting.
Ages 10—14
Experimental by Nature with Lisa Focareto
Monday and Wednesday afternoons 1 – 3 pm
Two- and three-dimensional art will be created as we evaluate ways that different materials can work together to express an idea. Students will develop their understanding of the building blocks of art and design as we study a variety of historical and contemporary figures for inspiration. Students of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend!
Ages 13-18
Variations on a Theme with Lisa Focareto
Monday and Wednesday mornings 9:30 – 11:30 am
How many ways can ideas be expressed? Using a variety of materials and sources of inspiration, we’ll find out together. This class will focus on concepts of design as we create two- and three- dimensional artworks. Come with an open mind and a will to experiment!
Ages 6 –10
Remixed media! with Mark Yasenchack
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1 – 3 pm
Materials provided
Mixing scraps, found pictures and stuff with paint, polymer clay, paper and lots of glue we'll make art for hanging and wearing.
We will collage & assemble wall pieces, small sculpture & jewelry that will reflect your individual voice and character.
Ages 10 –14
I, Superhero with Marty Young
Monday and Wednesday mornings 9:30 – 11:30 am
Materials provided
Borrowing ideas from Japanese Anime and American Comics, we will draw and paint our own personal, life-size alter egos.
Ages 7 –14
Book Collage with Kris Barnes
Monday and Wednesday afternoons 1- 3 pm
Materials provided
Each person will be creating and assembling a collage book. We will learn new techniques with collage such as painting, stamping, sewing and bleaching images.
Ages 13 –18
Balloon Art Basics with Ronnie Fowler (aka The Flower Clown)
Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30 – 11:30 am
Materials provided- includes balloon pump and one bag of balloons
Have you ever wondered how balloon twisters create such amazing creations with just air in a tube?? This beginners balloon twisting class is your chance to find out. Class will cover balloon care and twisting basics.
Ages 8 - adult
In Your View with Helen Liggett and Greg Donley
Wednesday evenings 6:30 – 8: 45 pm
July 9 — July 30
Use photography to look at the world around you and capture the reality you see. Your photographic story will be exhibited at Heights Arts Studio with an opening reception August 1, 2008. Intergenerational participation encouraged. Bring your camera!
Adults age 16 and up
Watercolor Painting
with Robert Raack
Sundays 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
July 13 - August 3
Supply list: click here.
Subjects to be painted from life will include still life, botanical subjects and the human figure (no photographs). A brief 20 to 25-minute demonstration each class will introduce students to the important issues related to visual perception, composition, handling of the paint, and color mixing. Students will be encouraged to work in a spontaneous, painterly manner. The primary emphasis will be on understanding paint as a constructive medium and thinking of color as a means of establishing visual relationships, with particular attention to how colors can convey a sense of light and space.
Tuesday, June 17 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Fast and Fun Books with Ann Carroll Kearney
Ages 6 - adult
Partly traditional/partly innovative, learn to make four simple folded and/or sewn small book structures. Make one, one of each, or as many as you can! Bring any paper or fabric materials you might want to include.
Tuesday, June 24 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Handmade Clutch Purses with Debbie Apple-Presser
Ages 10—adult
In this workshop we will make clutch purses out of felt, paper, embroidery and paint. These purses are easy to make, can be as simple or as detailed as you like.People will be chasing you down the street asking where you bought your unique purse.
Tuesday, July 8 6:30-8:45 pm
Painting Techniques with Kris Barnes
Ages 8 - adult
A medley of projects centered on painting. We will explore the color wheel, portraiture, still lifes and black and white tonal imagery. Each participant will create small works of art and a painting book full of ideas and different techniques.
Tuesday, July 15 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Let’s Alter a Book with Brenda Robinson
Ages 14 - adult
Supply list at www.heightsarts.org and sent upon registration
BYOB--Bring Your Own throw away neglected unloved hardback Book and let’s start to recycle it into a beautiful work of art. We will use pictures, poems, collages, decorative papers, paints, and whatever your creativity inspires, to morph this book into something it was never intended to be.
Tuesday, July 22 6:30 - 8:45 pm
Monoprints with Jeanne Regan
Ages12 – adult
Materials provided
Find inspiration for monoprints in your own (or in our own) backyard! To begin exploring color and monoprinting techniques you can bring a favorite snapshot of your yardscape or you can capture a Lee Road view from the Studio. See your world anew by monoprinting it.
Tuesday, July 29 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Button Bracelet Funday with Marty Young
Ages 12 – adult WHO CAN SEW!
Supply list at www.heightsarts.org and sent upon registration
Bring your buttons, beads, and embellishments for a fun evening of creative activity. Depending on your particular stash of buttons, you can come away with a funky, chunky, cool bracelet or an elegant antique-looking bracelet to encircle your wrist. We will be making our bracelets on a denim foundation (provided by Marty) with Velcro fastener.
Tuesday August 5 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Movable Books with Melissa O’Grady
Ages 8 - adult
Watch one image magically change into another as you turn a tab. This movable image is simple and fun to make!
All materials will be provided, but if you have special pictures you'd like to use, bring them along. We will have enough time to create one prototype and one finished piece.
Tuesday, August 12 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Introduction to Calligraphy with Diane Klann
Ages 8—adult
Learn simple ways to give your documents an artistic touch. Discover design elements that you can only get by using calligraphy tools. Learn the correct way to stroke, identify fonts, copy a font style, create drop shadows and add flourishes and filigrees to your work.
Tuesday, August 19 6:30 – 8:45 pm
Experimental Relief Printmaking with Laura Kushnick
Ages 10 – adult
Learn the basics of relief printmaking. We will make two types of plates to be printed- a collage plate using a variety of materials, and a Styrofoam scratch plate that allows us to print drawn lines. We will experiment with printing these plates separately as well as together on the same paper, side by side, overlapping, repeated, etc. Materials are safe for kids yet exciting for adults as well! Feel free to bring in textured fabrics or thin objects to be included in the collage plate and printed.
To register for one or more workshops click here.No financial aid available for workshops.
The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District reflects its community's passion for the arts. In particular, the music program is noted for its excellence.
However, as in schools throughout the country the arts are often threatened by budget crunches. In Ohio, public schools are primarily funded by local property taxes. The schools do not obtain increases in this income without levies, which come to the voters every three years. When levies fail, the arts programs are at risk. Heights Arts's role is to continually advocate for the arts in the schools as well as connect our rich cultural institutions to the schools in appropriate programs which sometimes supplement curriculum, and sometimes provide art for arts’ sake .
Heights Arts’s belief in a prominent place for the arts in education is reinforced by a major study of the arts and education demonstrating that the arts increase academic achievement and community involvement in the schools.
The Annual Heights PTA Young Artists Exhibition is an annual spring showcase of art by students in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights public schools . More than 300 pieces of art are selected by the certified art teachers at each school, and installed by volunteers. The Board of Education, Teachers’ Union, and Heights Arts each award three $50 purchase awards.
The art was exhibited at Cleveland Heights City Hall from 2001-2006. In 2007, the show will move to Heights Arts’ gallery at the CH-UH Public Library.
This event is presented by HeightsArts, CH-UH PTAs, and the City of Cleveland HeightsTo see pictures of the exhibitions click on the pictures to the side.
The Mosaic Experience (ME) is one of 5 small schools at Cleveland Heights High School created through the Ohio High School Transformation project organized and funded through the KnowledgeWorks Foundation.
Heights Arts is The Mosaic Experience’s community partner, assisting in the mission to infuse a rigorous course of study with the arts and technology to develop life-long learners who use creative thinking to adapt to a challenging global society.
In ME’s inaugural school year of 2005-06, Heights Arts created two projects for the school:
- Artist-in-Residence funded by The Ohio Arts Council
Bill Wade, Jr., the founding director of Inlet Dance, was in residence the month of February in the Mosaic Performance Room. Thanks to Superintendent Delisle, this room was retrofitted with flooring appropriate for safe dancing. Wade’s company introduced themselves with an initial performance during the school day for Mosaic students. At the end of the residency, students performed with the company both during the school day and in an evening performance for the community. This group of students also performed with Inlet students from East Cleveland and Collinwood at a public matinee at Cleveland Public Theater in March. As a result of student enthusiasm for the dance residency, Mosaic has added a dance class to the curriculum next year. Additionally, Heights Arts has applied to the OAC for a second year of funding for the dance residency.
- Arts Integration Consultancy funded by The Ohio Arts Council
Arts integration specialist Cathy Culp Posner worked with English teacher Gary Swider to integrate the arts with three units of his ninth grade curriculum. Posner brought in actor Scott Plate, artist Alexis Thynne, and poet Dr. Mary Weems to work with Swider and his students. Students held a Poetry Coffeehouse as a culminating event for the poetry unit, and John Carroll English professor and noted poet George Bilgere recorded their poetry for his radio show Wordplay on WJCU 88.7. The result of this project will be a compendium of arts integrated lesson plans, and a teacher trained in arts integration. Posner and Swider presented their partnership at a professional development day, and additional teachers are interested in working with Posner next year if funding permits.
