Third Friday at 78th Street Studios

78th Street Studios is home to a few dozen artists, with studio space and gallery space.  Once the home of the American Greetings Creative Studios, the hand off to independent artists occurred years ago… and about 4 years ago they began to do an art walk on the third friday of each month.   The parking lots begin to fill up, the food trucks roll in, the music begins pumping, and the hallways and studios fill with visitors who want to be a part of the festivities.  Some of the biggest names in the Cleveland Art Scene are here, making it home, and drawing many visitors each month.  Here is what the studios write of their building and community:

78th Street Studios is the largest art and design complex in Northeast Ohio, featuring 170,000 square feet of art galleries, artist studios, design showrooms, and other creative spaces all under one roof. Primarily known as an attraction for fine art, 78th Street Studios has also become known as an incubator for businesses in the fields of product design, publishing, music and special events. All viewing hours listed below are free and open to the public.

We first met Allan Kradlak at an art festival.  I always am looking for pottery bowls for our shave kits, as we like to collaborate with fellow artists who create amazing bowls to showcase our shave soap.  Allan works with stoneware, and also uses a very dark clay, creating super masculine bowls.  We purchased a few, and found that quickly they were selling because of their masculine appearance.  (We also purchase bowls from the Mudd Sisters – Deb makes beautiful coiled bowls that echo Aztec designs, and Devaney throws her bowls on a wheel, using luxurious glazes and finishes. )  Allen generously invited us to his space for the third Fridays as a test in September – and it was a great evening.  Our soap was well received, and we were delighted to run into some old friends, and much beloved fellow artists.