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THE VOICES OF CLE PROJECT IS SPARKING IMPORTANT DIALOGUE [ Leslie Basalla-McCafferty ] For the viewer, a public artwork might be a mere of beauty, or perhaps a comment on the surrounding streetscape. The Voices of CLE project seeks to elevate the potential of public art by pairing local artists of color with businesses and organizations eager to display their work. The end goal? To provoke emotion, foster healing and engender empathy by promoting meaningful conversations about race and community. Meet the Voices of CLE:
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Stina Aleah An accomplished oil painter, Stina Aleah discovered her talent for art almost by accident after a broken leg sidelined her high school track career. Her works center the experiences of modern Black women, seeking to highlight their beauty and shatter stereotypes in the process. Her paintings can be found adorning the windows of 1350 West St. Clair Ave. and on Public Square. Jerome White Since childhood, Jerome White has pursued his passion for art. Today he works to instill that same passion in others as an art teacher at Cleveland Heights High School and
2022-23 SPRING/SUMMER Official Visitors Guide
by participating in mural projects throughout the city. White believes that, in creating art, he acts as a conduit for inspiration from a higher power. His Voices of CLE work can be viewed at North Coast Harbor.
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Rashaun Dillard As a child, Rashaun Dillard first explored art by drawing comic book heroes. Since then, his path has followed that of a traditional artist, working in acrylics and as a digital creator. Dillard’s paintings often contain social commentary, and he hopes his Voices of CLE work—which can be seen at North Coast Harbor and alongside Aleah’s on West St. Clair—will stimulate productive conversations and convey a message of unity.
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Lauren Pearce By combining bold, geometric and abstract elements with portraiture, Lauren Pearce has created her own distinctive signature. She uses her mixed-media images to examine the complex intersections of race and gender that inform her identity. A selection of her large-scale work can be viewed at 770 St. Clair Ave.
Photo above: © Will Lindsey. Photos, opposite clockwise: © Bouffant Pride, 2003. Ellen Gallagher (American, b. 1965) © 12 Literary Arts, © Cleveland Public Theatre, © The Nose, 1947-49, Succession Alberto Giacometti/ADAGP, Paris, 2022,
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