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Time for Kokinis, Browns to agree and part ways
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MAC Roundtable
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Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
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Bye week coming at good time for Flashes
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
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Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Report: Grant visited Michigan State
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (63) Commonwealth Fund Report on Primary Care
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
Group will hear expert on preserving areas like Goodyear Heights
By Dorothy Shinn
Beacon Journal art & architecture critic
Published on Thursday, May 15, 2008
When we think of architectural preservation, the first thing that comes to mind is a place like Stan Hywet — big, impressive, posh and at least 100 years old.
But as we discovered when the public television program History Detectives came to Akron to determine whether a house was an original Firestone Park house, sometimes it's the modest, affordable less-aged structures that are just as historic.
Akron's Progress Through Preservation has picked up on that theme and run with it.
In the past, the group has led guided tours of Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park. And why not? Akron has two outstanding examples of early planned communities built to accommodate thousands of young rubber workers in the early 20th century. F.A. Seiberling built Goodyear Heights, and Harvey S. Firestone built Firestone Park — both neighborhoods part of Akron's working-class-built environment.
On Monday, the local architectural heritage group will hear Donna DeBlasio, director of the Center for Historic Preservation at Youngstown State University, who will discuss the importance of appreciating the structures of the working class, including recognition and preservation of worker housing that defines neighborhoods and lends to an area's sense of place.
It's all part of the preservation group's campaign to raise awareness and lobby for the responsible historic preservation of schools and parks through adaptive reuse, restoration or responsible maintenance.
Ironically, the meeting will take place at the Tudor Revival mansion of Raymond Mason, grandson of Goodrich senior executive Frank Mason on the west side of Turkeyfoot Lake.
Seating is limited to 30, so respond early. A tour of the house will begin at 7 p.m. DeBlasio's talk begins at 7:30 p.m. Members are encouraged to meet afterward for desserts and coffee at 8:45 p.m. at Olde Harbor Inn, 562 Portage Lakes Drive, Coventry Township. Reservations must be made by today. Call 330-374-3787 or e-mail ptpakron@att.net.
No deal, museum says
The Cleveland Museum of Art said there is no agreement between it and the Italian government to return any objects in its collection to Italy.
Museum officials, in a terse and carefully worded e-mail sent in response to inquiries, expressed ''surprise'' at what it described as ''an incorrect statement concerning works of art in our collection, reportedly made by former Italian cultural minister Francesco Rutelli.''
On May 9, the Associated Press reported that Rutelli told reporters that Italy had recently reached an agreement, to be formalized by the new minister, Sandro Bondi, with the museum concerning the return of certain ancient artifacts and artworks. The story appeared in the Beacon Journal on May 10.
Rutelli's statement at first appeared to be confirmed by Maurizio Fiorilli, an Italian state lawyer. But Fiorilli then said the agreement was verbal, and that the parties were near the final phase of negotiations for a written accord.
Fiorilli also said that the museum had approached Italy ''spontaneously'' some time ago to see whether Rome sought to recover any Italian antiquities in its collection.
Italy contends its ancient cultural treasures have wound up in museums and private collections abroad after they were looted from archaeological sites, then sold with false documentation.
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum in New York returned a 2,500-year-old vase by the Greek artist Euphronius, which was unveiled with ceremony in Rome.
The Cleveland museum said that Fiorilli has since corrected Rutelli's statement and confirmed that there is no agreement with the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Cleveland officials said discussions are continuing, but no agreement has been reached with the Italian government and no timetable has been set.
Museum officials also declined to say which artworks were part of the discussions.
Today
Museum art events — From 6:30 to 8:30 tonight, Kent State University art history instructor Albert W. Reischuck delves into Art for Art's Sake in his Art History 101 Class in the Akron Art Museum's Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium. $7; free for members. 330-376-9185.
On Saturday, there will be a members-only trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Private motorcoach transportation. The tour has Life's Pleasures: The Ashcan Artists' Brush with Leisure, 1895-1925 and the Detroit Institute collection. Lunch is in the Institute cafe. $105; $85 for Akron museum members. Information and reservations: 330-376-9186, Ext. 225.
Also from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Icing Impasto: Paint with Frosting, a Saturday Family Workshop with art educator Julie Hogarth. Registration required and one paying participating adult must be present for every three children, ages 5 to 12. $13; $5 for museum members. Information and registration: 330-376-9185. The program is sponsored by Harris Stanton Gallery and the Dominion Foundation.
Talking about May 4 — The Ohio Historical Society, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue, Columbus, holds a Community Conversation called Reflections on Kent State from 6 to 7 p.m. as part of its exhibit, It Happened in Ohio: The Kent State Shootings. Visitors are invited to experience the exhibit and Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs (both on view through July 25), then gather for informal conversations with a panel that includes then-student Alan Canfora, now director of the Kent May 4 Center. Museum admission is $8, $4 students and FREE/OHS members and children 5 years old and younger. Information: 614-297-2300 or 800-686-6124 or http://www.ohiohistory.org/capture/.
Friday
Sweet portraits — Hudson portrait artist Shannon Casey will be at Main Street Cupcakes, 238 N. Main St., Hudson, from noon to 3 p.m. doing charcoal portraits for customers on a first-come, first-served basis. The drawings are $35 each. Information: Casey, 330-342-3643, or http://www.mainstreetcupcakes.com.
Peninsula art classes — Peninsula Art Academy, 1600 W. Mill St., Peninsula, holds several workshops and seminars this weekend, including:
Portrait Sculpting Seminar with Philippe Faraut, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. $475 ($450 for academy members).
Cement Art with Scot Ensign, from 9:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday. $150 ($125 for members).
One-Day Oil Painting with Diane Keske Talmadge, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $45 ($40 for members).
Glassblowing with Bob Pozarski, with a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. class Saturday and a 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. demonstration Sunday. $90 for the class ($70 for members). Registration required.
Information or registration: 330-657-2248 or http://www.peninsulaartacademy.com.
Walking tour — At 10 a.m, Kim Kenney, curator of the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive N.W., Canton, and author of the book, Canton's West Lawn Cemetery, conducts a free walking tour of West Lawn. The tour stops at 10 sites, including the Werts Receiving Vault, where President McKinley was entombed before completion of his memorial; Revolutionary War Soldier Capt. Benjamin Page; Repository founder John Saxton and the McKinley family. Reservations required. Information and reservations: 330-455-7043.
Saturday
More walking — Margy Vogt, representing the Massillon/Westark Tourism council, leads a public walking tour of Massillon's historic Fourth Street at 1 p.m. The houses on Fourth Street, dating from the 1830s to the 1930s, were home to Massillon's entrepreneurs and bankers, to prominent families who played host to President McKinley, and to humanitarians who harbored fugitive slaves. This is a public tour, no reservations needed. There's a $5 fee, payable at the beginning of the tour, which starts at Fourth Street and North Avenue Northeast, in front of Five Oaks. No rain date. Free street parking. 330-832-8469.
Chalk Festival — The Ravenna Parks and Recreation Department holds a noon to 4 p.m. Chalk Challenge. Chalk murals will be created on the walks of downtown Ravenna. Individuals, families, schools and neighborhood groups are invited to participate. Children under 15 must be accompanied by supervising adults. $50 goes to the best in show in three categories: youth, adult and senior. A large square and a 24-color box of chalk is $16; small squares and a 12-color box of chalk is $8. In case of rain, the festival will be held May 18. Information: 330-296-2864 or http://www.ci.ravenna.oh.us/parks_EventsAndSchedules.html.
Deadlines
Wednesday — To reserve a place at the Akron Camera Club's Awards Dinner, to begin at 6:30 p.m. May 28 at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, 2131 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls. $12.50 per person for the catered buffet. 330-628-4558 or 330-677-6516.
May 31 — For early registration in the Cuyahoga Valley Plein Air Painting Competition, to be held June 27-29 in Cuyahoga Falls, Akron and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Early registration is $20, $30 June 1 and later. Make checks payable to the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, 2131 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. 330-928-8092.
Worth noting
Down to the Wire — With two weeks to go, the Fund for ArtsinStark has raised $1,114,000 — 80 percent of its $1.4 million goal and the largest fundraising goal for the arts in 40 years. County Arts Council Chief Executive Robb Hankins calls the results of the group's efforts an ''arts explosion.'' He added, ''It's the fastest I've ever seen any county in America discover the power that the arts have to revitalize downtowns, transform neighborhoods and become an economic development force for the region.''
The campaign, which began on March 17, will end at 4 p.m. May 22. For the 10 years leading up to 2004, the annual arts campaign was able to break the $1 million mark only once. Since becoming ArtsinStark in 2005, it has broken the $1 million mark every year.
Dorothy Shinn writes about art and architecture for the Akron Beacon Journal. Send information to her at the Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640 or dtgshinn@neo.rr.com.
When we think of architectural preservation, the first thing that comes to mind is a place like Stan Hywet — big, impressive, posh and at least 100 years old.
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