19th Annual Parade the Circle Coming June 14

Annual Community Arts Event Attracts Tens of Thousands of Spectators

CLEVELAND (March 31, 2008) — Cleveland’s premiere cultural hub, University Circle, will radiate with exciting, free family-friendly events on Saturday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the 19th annual Parade the Circle presented by The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). Spectators can participate in dozens of hands-on activities sponsored by more than 20 University Circle organizations in University Circle Inc.’s (UCI) Circle Village.  

“Parade the Circle is going strong and growing each year,” said Robin VanLear, CMA’s artistic director, community arts and creator of Parade the Circl.  “This event is a true community catalyst.  No where else in Greater Cleveland can so many individuals and groups, with a variety of backgrounds, come together under one explosive march of creativity.  Parade truly showcases all the richness this region has to offer.”

Parade the Circle - Skipping the Muse – Running the Fiddle

Parade the Circle begins at noon from the Cleveland Museum of Art and proceeds in a counter-clockwise circle along Wade Oval Drive and East Boulevard.  The theme of  this year’s parade is Skipping the Muse – Running the Fiddle. 

“With the museum’s original 1916 wing reopening in June, it seems appropriate to look to the museum, the seat of the muses, and the origins of the creative process as the source of our inspiration for Parade,” in explaining the them said VanLear.  “For most artists the creative process is very evolutionary.  It is a chain of events, playing with a concept, fiddling around with that idea until it has clarified itself and then working up the courage to run with it.”

Parade the Circle features a dazzling procession of entries and musical ensembles by international and local artists as well as local schools, community groups, families, and individual participants.  Parade focuses on artistic expression and creativity, featuring handmade masks, costumes, giant puppets and floats enlivened by dancers, stilt dancers and a variety of performers.  The entries do not include written words, logos, motorized vehicles or live animals, and may not propagandize political or religious view points. 

From its humble beginnings with only 125 participants and approximately 1,000 spectators in 1990, the annual Parade the Circle celebration has grown into an area-wide cultural event drawing tens of thousands of spectators and 2,000 parade participants. Despite the increased interest over the years, the event has remained true to its original purpose of drawing on festival traditions from throughout the world to help people of all ages and backgrounds create unique costumes and floats side by side with professional artists.

For information on participating in the parade, contact the CMA Community Arts Department at 216-707-2483 or E-mail your inquiry to neisenberg@clevelandart.org.

Family-friendly activities in UCI’s Circle Village

Find Yourself in the Circle at UCI’s Circle Village from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Circle Village is a creative blend of FREE, family friendly activities sponsored by more than 20 University Circle institutions and Northeast Ohio organizations.  UCI is thrilled to announce two new participants in Circle Village this year- The Montessori High School in University Circle, and St. Clair Superior Development Corporation.  They will join yearly favorites, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Children’s Museum of Cleveland, and many more. 

After perusing the activity tents, visitors are invited to enjoy the other sights and sounds of Circle Village.  Some of the area’s most talented music and dance groups will take to the stage, as roving performers make their way through the crowds.  A variety of local restaurants will serve up delectable dishes and seasonal treats.  For more information about Circle Village, contact Sheila Corrigan (216-707-5035) at UCI.

Parade the Circle is sponsored by the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art.  The Cleveland Museum of Art is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.  Additional support from the Ohio Arts Council, which helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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Parade the Circle is presented by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Circle Village is presented by University Circle Incorporated.

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