Last Monday, five accomplished international artists arrived in Cleveland to begin their three-month residencies as part of the Cleveland Foundation’s revised Creative Fusion program.  From now until the end of November, Sanjib Bhattacharya, Lucineh Hovanissian, Ivan Lecaros, Kapila Palihawadana, and Guillermo Trejo will be dancing, singing, printmaking, painting, and concertizing with local artists, teaching young people in and out of school, and sharing their cultures with the public.  They will also be making new work of their own while experiencing life and the arts in America’s heartland.

Creative Fusion is one of the foundation’s major initiatives.  It aims to help broaden Cleveland’s global diversity of thought and innovation and enrich the lives of its artists and residents through lively exchange with creative individuals from cultures not well represented here.  The artists, our first group under this strengthened and expanded program, hail from India, Armenia, Chile, Sri Lanka, and Mexico.  They will live and work here for three months.  Each is hosted by a local arts organization: Inlet Dance Theatre, Rainey Institute, Music and Art at Trinity Cathedral, Young Audiences, and Zygote Press.Though only here a week, the artists have already deeply engaged themselves with Cleveland and their work. After a walking tour of downtown and a bus tour of Greater Cleveland, Sanjib Bhattacharya has already taught several classes of Indian dance and movement to young people at the Rainey Institute.  Kapila has a master class scheduled for local choreographers through Cleveland State University, Lucineh sang in several solo performances and choral groups at the cathedral, as well as performing for her peers and their hosts, and the visual artists are in their studios beginning their work as well. 

The artists have already been featured on WJW TV Channel 8 and patch.com. And see the photos at the end of this blog post and soon on the foundation’s new website.

Watch this space for news and reports of these five extraordinary artists as they give of themselves to Cleveland and receive support and inspiration from their time here in the heartland.