People sometimes say that a Cleveland artist must leave home in order for her art to flourish, but Wendy Collin Sorin disputes that perception. Sorin, a 1970 graduate of Cleveland Heights High who still resides in her childhood hometown, believes that her northeast Ohio community has encouraged her as an artist.

She began drawing before her first birthday, sometimes sitting on the counter of her family's Lee Road dry cleaning business. Her parents, who collected Russian enamels, American and French art glass, and Satsuma ceramics, were supportive. They enrolled her in children's classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cooper School of Art, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. She credits great art teachers at these institutions as well as at Heights High for developing her talent.

She married fellow Heights High alumnus Steven Sorin (class of '68) when she was 18, and pursued her art while raising two now-grown children. She obtained a B.F.A in printmaking at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1993. After graduation, she joined forces with several of her Institute alumna to form the 40th Street Studio. After a fire, Sorin worked in her home studio until the opening of Zygote Press at 72nd and St. Clair Avenue. She maintains a studio there for her print work but still works primarily in her home studio in Cleveland Heights. She is a member of the Board of Directors at Zygote, where she had, until very recently, served as President. Zygote Press provides accessible, affordable workspace for printmakers. Since 1997, Zygote has created an open dialogue between printmakers and the northeast Ohio community, through exhibitions and classes.

Since she was a child, Sorin has had penpals all over the world. She continues to connect and collaborate with artists and writers in cyberspace. The internet has made it possible for her to be both a regional and global artist.

Ellipsis by Wendy Collin Sorin

Sorin's collection of found paper and other ephemera was the inspiration for the image, Ellipsis, HeightsArts first Patron Print.

Sorin first began working on this print from a batch of letters found on eBay written by a woman to her husband stationed in Tennessee during the Korean War. The word "Ohio" stood out in the center of one of the letters and the artist began painting out some of the words around it to create another meaning from the message in the letter. As she bracketed and underlined key words and phrases, she became aware that the story she was uncovering was about her father. A drawing in her collection from a text about electrical current was then altered slightly to more resemble a heart shape. She then transferred the two images to aluminum lithography plates.

One day, as she walked her dogs on what would have been her father's 74th birthday, she figured out the missing elements in the piece. This work became a letter to her father who had always given her a gift on Valentine's Day. Though she created an image that arose from her subconscious, an expression of personal feelings, the print is a striking image of a universal theme. The choice of an electric magenta ink was inspired by a painting entitled "The Creator" by one of the artist's favorite artists, Paul Klee.

The artist has donated the edition of 50 to HeightsArts as the first in a series of annual Patron Prints. The print is available with a donation of $200 or more to support the gallery.

To purchase the print, please call 216.371.3344

Western Reserve Chorale March 13 at 7:30 p.m
Grace Lutheran Church
13001 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights

Requiem by John Rutter, directed by Danny Call.
Soprano soloist: Marian Vogel

Free concert, free parking, reception immediately following the concert.
Freewill will offering.

For more information, contact Joanne Poderis at jpoderis@email.msn.com

Coming Into My Years: Voices from the Heart of American Music
Rosalie Sorrels and Peggy Seeger

March 11, 8:00 p.m.: Rosalie Sorrels
March 12, 1:00 p.m.: Traveling Ladies and Thoughts of Time: Stories and Songs from the Road. Rosalie Sorrels and Peggy Seeger together, swapping songs and stories, and taking audience questions. Hosted by Deborah Van Kleef. FREE
March 12, 8:00 p.m.: Peggy Seeger

Old Parish Hall
6203 Detroit Avenue on Cleveland's west side (just east of Cleveland Public Theatre)
Tickets $12 in advance / $15 day of show
Two-concert package $20 in advance / $25 day of show

For more information call 216-321-9350, or email rootsofamericanmusic@aol.com