Under the Bridge Downtown

If you have not yet heard, Ingenuity—Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technology, will have a new home in 2010; the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge.  In previous years Ingenuity has occupied Public Square, Playhouse Square and the area near Prospect and East 4^th as it staged its three day presentation of arts installations, technology, and both musical and performing arts.  While the event has always been very interesting artistically, some patrons have wondered if past locations did a disservice to the programming (to wit, one of my colleagues performed one year in an alleyway, in front of a dumpster).

The new location under the bridge will allow much of the programming to be concentrated and provide some connectivity for patrons to move from installations to performances.  The enclosed area of the bridge’s lower level will also force the patrons into a defined space, making it feel more like a communal arts experience and increase patron interaction.  The act of hosting an interdisciplinary arts and technology festival in a once-used, but now forgotten level of a bridge is also unique to Cleveland.  According to Ingenuity’s press release, “there is no other event that brings together art, music, technology, business, and urban landscapes quite like this.”  The decision to move Ingenuity in its entirety to the Detroit Superior Bridge most likely stems from the successful Bridge Project that Ingenuity staged in September of this year.  Over the course of two beautiful summer days and nights patrons explored different areas of the bridge’s lower level, experienced music, dance and visual arts presentations, and got to see the Cuyahoga River and downtown skyline from angles and perspectives most have probably never experienced.  The weekend was a great success for Ingenuity and prompted the recent announcement that the full blown festival will take similar shape in the fall of 2010.

At this point local and regional artists are being asked to get involved with Ingenuity by responding to its call for artists.  Because of the location in the bridge’s lower level, Ingenuity is seeking “site specific” and environmental work.  Artists are encouraged to attend one of the tours of the space being offered once each month until mid-April.  More information can be found HERE