1-11-2026 MY INSPO: beauty is in the eye...
the cleveland art scene
when sib and i were watching the marc jacobs and louis vuitton documentary, she exclaimed "that's the cleveland clinic pumpkin" when the camera panned over yayoi kusama's pumpkin. i was confused. then sib explained - the major hospital does in fact have the 2014 pumpkin in the main campus' display and sent me the website of the hospital's artwork. and i remembered when we visited a relative there years ago - there was art in many corners.
i thought that was such a cool concept - art is present in all our eras in life. we celebrate through art: little kids birthed in the hospital connect with crayons and messy paint. so many people in recovery from illness - unable to work - develop the time to heal through art. in my work i use art a lot as a coping skill. when struggling with grief, many people resort to creating and consuming art as a way to express how we feel, beyond words. here's what the clinic states about the art there:
we believe that art is a powerful way to express what it means to be human. it affirms our individuality and makes us feel seen and connected.
a 2024 cleveland clinic survey of more than 1,000 people illustrated the impact of our art collection. nearly 75% reported that the artworks improved their mood, lowered stress and increased overall satisfaction. almost half reported that experiencing art even helped ease their pain.
some of the other featured art can be found on this instagram. the collection ranges from local, to international.
beside hospitals, though, sib suggested i talk a bit about all cleveland (adjacent) art spots, give pride to the land. here are some of the art spots i've frequented to in the area:
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| stella's art gallery. downtown willoughby. went to a paint and sip event for bestie victoria's birthday years ago. they do various art classes you can sign up for, and regularly showcase local artists |
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| croatian heritage museum. eastlake my childhood is here. this small museum opens only on fridays, but get lunch at dubrovnik restaurant and you've got a cute date. |
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| reithoffer's aka hoff's chagrin falls cocktail bar, event space, art space, musical venue. they hold various events, my first time going was recently for their antique christmas sale. |
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| enchanted grove. downtown willoughby not an art space per se - it's an esoteric store with a very beautiful shrine, and you can get your fave supplies of incense and gemstones. occasional events related to tarot can be found here, and they do sell local art from time to time. |
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| lake county fair & geauga county fair painesville. burton. the county fairs have a wonderful selection of handmade local art. i don't care about the rides, show me the arts and crafts competition! |
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| cleveland museum of art cleveland if you read my stuff frequently enough, you know i visit the museum almost monthly. their events are eclectic, and the art displays and exhibits have been amazing as of late. |
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| the glass asylum chagrin falls you can by art from local glass blowers and do glass blowing classes. another opportunity made possible by bestie victoria for her birthday. they even do chandeliers - wow!! |
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| rock and roll hall of fame cleveland if you're a music fan - this is the place to be. the rock and roll hall of fame has movie showings and other events, and hint: they're open for free on mlk jr day. |
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| i-x center cleveland track down their events as there are many throughout the year. boyfriend and i visited the lego exhibit a couple years ago here. beware of traffic, though |
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| playhouse square cleveland i am a big fan of the ballet, and the international film festival in early spring. i just found out that this is the second biggest theater in the usa - broadway obviously being #1?! |
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| immersive events cleveland okay - take this one with a grain of salt and do your research. the van gogh immersive event was held in cleveland during covid - and it was overpriced, mainly targeted to sell van gogh-inspired merch. choose the cheapest option if you can, don't settle for anything more. |
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| the gallery at lakeland kirtland i attended this community college when i moved to the usa. i loved this place - i had more fun than my actual undergrad transfer to cleveland. the gallery had multiple exhibits, showcasing local artists, had a huge focus on female artists, and often collaborated in documentary showings as well. a great hangout spot, and i am looking forward to stopping by one day again. |
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| wildwood cultural center mentor i participated in the [un]veiled exhibit for local artists that was showcased over the summer in the civic center. wildwood hosts many events, from holiday markets to story time walks in the forest. |
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| honorable mention otherworld columbus not in the cleveland area, but when i visited columbus, sib and i detour to the outskirts of the city to check out otherworld. immersive, interactive, fun for all ages. the art was super cool. |
the a-team
do you ever get in the mood to try on a bunch of different crazy makeup looks on a random tuesday night? happens to sib and i periodically. happened to us this week, actually. i was inspired by (wait for it) - my early teenagerhood (there she is again, with the nostalgia). in the 2010s, particularly '12, the smokey eye look was everywhere, but another phenomenon was also present - a pale lip. some girls went so far that they'd use concealer. i witnessed it - these were my friends doing it. i tried it as a 13/14-year-old, borrowing my mom's makeup and testing my bb cream. didn't look good. i was inexperienced with makeup. i only truly started experimenting in 2016 with the mua renaissance and actually developed a signature makeup style during covid.
nevertheless, the smokey eye + pale lip combo was everywhere. indie sleaze and kesha's breakthrough, grunge rebirth, skins on tv (i've never seen but growing up in croatia felt similar enough experience), this was the look of the time!
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here are rundowns of various runway shows that presented their version of stormy or smokey + pale combo, from makeupforlife.
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| chanel s/s 2013 couture |
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| marc jacobs f/w 2012 |
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| derek lam f/w 2012 |
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| mac s/s 2012 makeup trend report - ore-inspired |
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| chanel s/s 2012 couture |
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| emilio pucci s/s 2012 |
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| jason wu f/w 2011 |
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| cushnie et ochs f/w 2010 |
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| just cavalli s/s 2010 |
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| summertime sadness - lana del rey abandoned skate park. marlboro menthols and a magazine in hand. mid-spring. gossips with the friends and wired tangled headphones. a walk to the fair and sneaking another cigarette with a swig of lukewarm flavored vodka. |
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| feel so close - calvin harris fall. sitting at the train station. pregame with an energy drink and vodka. the town is grey and muddy. boots are muddy. hanging out with friends in an abandoned office space, and graffiti on the walls. |
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| the night out - martin solveig house party - neon lights and girls in neon dresses. lots of booze and smoke. messy hair and feeling blackout. ripped tights and an attempt to do a makeup touch up in the crowded bathroom. what's the point, it stays smudged. digital camera photos, and everyone's getting tagged on the facebook albums. |
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