Nan's Notes

HEAVENLY BODIES AT ARTS COLLINWOOD  Opening April 15 Work by Patricia  Zinsmeister Parker goes on show with a members-only reception on April 15; the artist will be present, and members of Northeast Ohio Music Exchange (NeOME) will be performing through the building. Not a member? Want to taste those fine pastries and fresh tapas? Join Arts Collinwood! Only $10, call 216-692-9500 or join as you arrive. (And if you are a member, you already know how welcome you’ll be.) If that doesn’t work for you, come to the public opening next night (April 16); see the show (though not the artist), enjoy wine&cheese, visit the extended Happy Hour in the Café and hear a special program of new music by NeOME members (that’s what NeOME does, compose and play new music – Arts Collinwood is very happy to have them visiting) created in response to the paintings. The opening runs 6-9 pm, the cafe stays open till 1 am.

Excerpts from the Artist’s Statement: You think it horrible that lust and rage Should dance attention upon my old age: William Butler Yeats.

"In essence my paintings of the human figure over recent years  have become an autobiographical odyssey of aging and change, both physical and psychological. . . . I feel that the earlier pieces [I have selected] have aged rather well, like good wine, and deserve another exposure. . . . In addition, there are five new paintings on raw canvas and unframed. Because the works on paper serve as a chronicle for the evolution of my figure studies, I thought they would be of interest to the viewers . . .  . Over the last two decades, I  have abandoned the male form completely . . .   and concentrated on drawing the female body in all  its decrepitude and corpulence . . . . I would be remiss not to mention the overtones of feminism, manifest not only in the work but in the titles . . .  Some of the figures have dismembered or missing body parts, which symbolize a sense of alienation or an  awareness of gender bias . . . The good news is that women artists will always pursue their commitment to making art and eventually, with the passage of time and a little luck, we’ll have achieved an even playing field."  The full artist statement appears on the Arts Collinwood Web site.

Writers’ Group at Arts Collinwood  April 11 The organizational meeting of the Arts Collinwood Writers' Critique Group will be held Sunday, April 11, 2-4 pm, at the Cafe at ArtsCollinwood. The group is open to all writers of any age and will cover fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The group's character will evolve as the group forms, grows and changes.  All Collinwood writers are welcome. Serious high school students may join. We hope that these fledgling writers--and anyone else who comes--will write stories for the Collinwood Observer. Many stories are not written because the Observer is a volunteer-run newspaper. Please bring paper and pencil or pens. For further information contact Jim Valentino at valen470@msn.com, or Louisa Horvath at 216-481-5102 or jartzhorvath@att.net. 

Jazz on Wednesdays Jazz on Wednesdays continues; sometimes the group is pre-announced, sometimes not – but there’s always jazz, there’s never a cover charge and the beer selection is inspiring. Arts Collinwood  15605 Waterloo Road, 216-692-9500, www.artscollinwood.org. Gallery and Café hours: Tuesday –Saturday 11-11; Sunday 11-5.

THE LOWDOWN ON RECORD STORE DAY   April 17At MusicSaves The list of stuff ordered for Record Store Day (April 17, as of course you know) is way too long to go here, but you can find it, of course, on the Web site. MusicSaves assures us that they’ve scoured the Earth to find as much info as possible about each release, and they hope it helps you out. Keep in mind that (almost) all releases will be limited, and that the store won’t be able to sell more than one copy per person. First come, first served – and expect a line when the store opens at noon. In other words, to get the titles you want, not to mention free goodies, arrive early. MusicSaves, 15801 Waterloo, 216.481.1875 www.musicsaves.comAt Blue Arrow Don’t know about their sales plan (this is a vintage store); do know you’ll get to hear Prisoners and Tasty Cakes. And if you come back on April 19, at 7 pm, you’ll find Caw! Caw! with Shiny Penny. Blue Arrow Records 16101 Waterloo Road, Wednesday-Saturday 2pm-8pm; Sunday 12 (noon)-5pm; closed Mondays & Tuesdays; 16001 Waterloo Rd., (216) 486-2415; bluearrowrecords@sbcglobal.net

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AT MEMNOTT  April 20 Bring your children to plant their very own mystery seeds, while reading The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle – 5:30-6:30 pm. Decorate your very own flower pot and take it home.Preschool Story Time: Every Monday during April, 10:30  – 11 am Stories, rhymes, songs and more for children ages 3-5 and their parents/caregivers. Memorial Nottingham Branch Library, 17109 Lakeshore Blvd, 623-7039 or email cpl-memnot@cpl.org.  

THE REAL DATE OF THE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPAGHETTI DINNERThe 5th District Police Community Relations spaghetti dinner fundraiser will be held Wednesday, April 28, 6 pm, at the Golden Age Center, 16600 Lakeshore Blvd. Tickets are $10; call Denise at 216-481-7660.TAX RELIEF AT THE GROVEWOOD  APRIL 15Do you miss the ice-cream cones at midnight outside the Orange Avenue post office? You might console yourself with the Grovewood Tavern’s "1040" dinner on April 15. It will pair six $10 wines that taste great, go very well with food, and have earned high marks from the experts with six great courses for only $40. Of course, you’ll be able to buy the wines as well as taking home the recipes.And . . . the patio is open, it must be Spring, and you’ll find the Happy Hour menu there during April (you’ll probably be allowed inside if it’s raining, though).Grovewood Tavern & Wine Bar  17105 Grovewood Avenue 216-531-4900www.grovewoodtavern.com

LEARN TO COOK AT THE MARKET The Coit Road Farmers’ Market is planning a "Chef at the Market'" cooking program, offering one-on-one lessons on specific dishes or ingredients. If you’d like to help coordinate this program (which I trust would carry tasting privileges), call Kevin at the market, or through spicehound1@yahoo.com. The market is also startig a gardening-cooking-food library for people to consult while they’re shopping; they’ll have a copy machine so you don’t have to memorize the recipe you find and a computer for recipe searches. Donations and suggestions welcome. (I’m eyeing my cookbook shelf, which can’t possibly hold anything new unless something moves out.) Cooking demos have always been popular at the market; last week, Kevin was showing people how to make flavored fresh pasta at home: spinach, roasted garlic and more. Kevin Noon, the knife sharpener, will be at the market on April 10. Coit Road Farmer's Market is located at the corner of Coit & Woodworth Road in East Cleveland. www.coitmarket. org. Open year-round Saturday 8 am to 1 pm; Wednesday, 8 am to 1 pm, mid-April to mid-December; and Monday, 4-7 pm, starting in June. 216-249-5455 during market hours.

SUMMER GUIDE 2010 For the last several years, residents of Collinwood have enjoyed taping a colorful calendar of summer events to the front of their refrigerators, and basking in the glow of all the great things there are to do in our neighborhood during those warm months of June, July and August. Getting the guide this year will be as easy as looking for the May issue of the Collinwood Observer, or stopping in to your local library or the Arts Collinwood center. 

But this guide is not only for you, it’s also by you. If your group or organization has a program or event that’s open to the public and takes place between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we want to know about it. Send a brief description of date, time, location, fee (if any) and contact information; we’ll include as many listings as possible. You can find a submission form on the Arts Collinwood Web site, www.artscollinwood.org, or simply send your information, questions or comments to info@artscollinwood.org. Or feel free to call 216-692-9500.

3500 CLEVELANDERS RELY ON GOLDEN AGE CENTERS Clara Williams is a frail, 90-year-old widow who lives on less than $1,000 a month and, without her local Golden Age Center, would not be able to live independently. For more than 3500 elderly Clevelanders, Golden Age centers provide home-delivered and congregate meals (for many, the only meal and human contact they will receive that day); transportation; a place to socialize, exercise, learn and stay in touch; licensed social workers who lend a caring ear and help get needed services; health screenings/education and nutrition counseling. More than half the 3500 seniors served by the GAC live alone, 72% are women, 90% or more live below the poverty level, and 98% of the home-delivered meal clients are eligible for nursing home care.  They need GAC’s help – and GAC needs help in delivering its services. You can find out how at www.goldenagecenters.org, which tells you how to donate, volunteer or ask for help yourself.