Aja Joi Grant is a Cleveland-based artist, curator, writer and educator documenting stories and visions of art, identity and community. She has been an active artist in Cleveland for 6 years showing work in exhibitions, publishing her photo magazine Ease, and awarded fellowships and residencies with Zygote Press, Cleveland Print Room and Karamu House. She is a 2024 graduate of The Land’s community journalism program.
Currently, the garden is about $2 million short of its budget for completing construction. However, Cleveland City Council approved freeing up to $325,000 that was earmarked for this project.
The former Community Greenhouse Partners space will soon house Food Strong and other community partners. Nonprofit leadership hopes the site will become a community gathering space, a hub for fighting food injustice, and a catalyst for growth in the neighborhood.
 Aja Joi Grant spoke with members of the Cleveland Art Workers collective on what it takes to survive as an artist in Cleveland and beyond. The wide-ranging conversation covers the need for an artists’ minimum wage, improved performing conditions, the trapfalls of gig work, and more.Â
A check for $32,000 was presented during an Ice Cream Social + back-to-school event at the community center playground that offered free book bags, community partner resources and treats like ice cream and a video game truck for kids. These funds have contributed to the establishment of the Spectrum Training and Technology Center at Lakeview Community Center.Â
Rooms to Let (RTL) has been making space for artists to ignite homes, buildings and storefronts with art, interaction and performance for 10 years. These places have been otherwise abandoned and left to the elements, due to economic changes within the Slavic Village neighborhood.Â
The gathering of leading local writers celebrated the mission of helping young creatives in the juvenile detention system to find their creative spark.
Following a recent renovation, what was previously a 900-square-foot storefront packed to the brim with a seemingly endless supply of upcycle treasures has been transformed into an open, ground-level studio with plenty of seating for programs and meetings.
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