UPDATE – Rooms to Let 2024 has been postponed, after the Corlett Movers industrial building on E. 55th and Truscon was deemed unsafe. A new location will be announced soon, likely along the E. 55th & Broadway intersection. September 14 and 15 are the tentative dates for RTL 2024, and Slavic Village Development continues their commitment of turning blight to beauty in their neighborhood through artistic development, the organization said.
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.
From 2014-2021, Rooms to Let utilized vacant homes that were slated for demolition, which were plentiful in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis. The only real solution was to demolish these homes; they were bringing down the property value of the surrounding residential area, directly impacting community members, according to Greta Thomas from Slavic Village Development. Artists were given free range to paint, install, and fully revive these residential spaces with previous stories and histories, into one final reimagining before being torn down.
In 2021, RTL made a shift to storefront businesses on 55th and Broadway.The shift from homes to storefront was a way to keep the project fresh, and turn attention to potential development of the vacant storefront structures in the area.
“RTL has had a real organic flow with the shifts of buildings we utilize with this project,” said Greta Thomas, business development associate with Slavic Village Development (SVD).
“Once we started to run out of adequate homes slated for demolition and safe enough for artists to work inside, we made the shift to 55th & Broadway where RTL was held from 2021-2023.”
This shift was inspired by a response from the neighborhood to utilize and activate the plentiful vacant structures along E. 55th St and Broadway, another reflection of change in the area. You see old signs and plenty of space that show what used to be present in the district, an old bank building, a dentist’s office, an unfinished cafe, among other structures.
Some buildings are historic, highlighting the story of this area and all the past activity in Slavic Village.
“A main goal with the storefront project was highlighting to developers that this area can be revitalized, having such a high volume of visitors from all over Northeast Ohio to see Slavic Village bright, alive and colorful with the interaction of artists and community, shows the potential of a future lifetime,” says Thomas. “The weekend is full of artists and guests using their imagination to start discussions of what can happen within these spaces, recognizing the full potential of these buildings.”
The aura of honoring artist autonomy and making space for artistic expression to do its job boldly is at the core of Rooms to Let.
SVD strives to keep semi-permanent installations and murals that come from Rooms to Let to beautify space. For example, there is a building painted by Guicemann in 2022 located on Broadway Ave, as you approach the intersection with E. 55th St. His geometric patterns display affirmations and positive messages to the viewer/reader, encouraging good vibes and positivity with patterns and color.
Rooms to let has hosted some of Cleveland’s well established artists, as well as emerging artists. 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize Winner Kisha Nicole Foster has performed in a room painted entirely silver in a Rooms to Let installation curated by Cleveland Print Room. Last year, theater and film artist Jimmy Woody built an interactive installation with the help of participants during the event, inviting people into the Labyrinth. RTL allows for some truly unforgettable experiences, and presents a challenge for artists to adapt to new environments and utilize their creative problem solving and innovation.
“It’s a glimpse into the future, and being able to watch it all unfold shows how much can be accomplished when artists and community come together, and we all get to witness what it looks like to be in this moment and see what happens when creativity is unbridled.” says Thomas. “Spaces come to life in ways they haven’t in decades.”
My Experience with Rooms to Let
My first year of working with Rooms to Let was in 2022, and I built a “cafe” with fellow artist Chimi Peculiar. The freedom of creating space doesn’t come without the work and sweat of sweeping, painting, and moving existing objects.
Chimi and I spent a couple early mornings moving dust and debris, picking up trash and painting over large walls.
Our room was right off the street, and the first stop for many visitors in the building we shared with several other artists. Abbi Ruppert had an amazing installation of vintage lamps installed in a web like canopy of wires, illuminating the hallway as you went upstairs to find an installation by Antwoine Washington, and a letterpress demo by Zygote Press, that left you with an “I love Slavic Village” print, amongst other artist’s work.
Needless to say, after that experience I have been hooked ever since. The project allows you to meet so many people, and the audience for Rooms to Let are an especially receptive bunch, soaking up every moment immersed in different styles and techniques, wanting to hear everything about your process.
“As a maker, emoter, and space taker upper, Rooms To Let has given me the esteemed opportunity to find myself in the spaces generously made available. To show what is possible with everything I have RIGHT NOW. The revolutionary act of taking up space, charges communities forward. Personally, the capacity to be part of this project has been a catapulting experience for my work as an all around composer of time and space. Year after year RTL leaves me optimistic about the Cleveland community’s capacity to make space like this for us year round,” said Peculiar, a returning artist.
Peculiar is a multidimensional artist, who loves to interact with their audience. Rooms to Let offers the perfect venue for this extension of art making, and allows for artists to be planted directly with a new audience, and talk about their process, materials and inspirations.
“Having so many different diverse artists activating space in Slavic Village, a neighborhood I frequented growing up, was a joy,” says videographer Wayne Smith III of Liaison Media.
During Rooms to Let 2023, he held a panel discussion and was able to engage directly with the community around his process of videography and digital media.
“I got to network with a lot of people who practice in different mediums than my own, and it was great. I was able to have a panel discussion, to talk about my work and practice. There were dancers, and digital artists, graffiti artists, installations, and live music all held within these gorgeous historic buildings,” he says. “It allowed me to share with people, locals and people from out of town, it allowed everyone to experience the breadth of what Cleveland has to offer.”
Smith held an immersive art installation later that year at Ingenuity Fest for his project, No Two Flowers, which touched on themes of masculinity, disability, and nature.
Berry, who had his first experience with Rooms to Let in 2023, says it helped him build a foundation for his creative practice. “I don’t consider myself an artist, but utilizing RTL allowed me to expand my practice through taking the challenge to assemble an installation with found goods and organic materials, and experiment with shape and composition of said materials.”
There is no fee for entry, and since Slavic Village Development is putting on this event as a non-profit, they are raising funds to further support artists and to allow for this event to be as safe and sustainable as possible. Suggested donations ranging from $200 to supply the 250,000+ square foot industrial building with battery operated LED lights, & $1,000 to support additional artists, will help make this project its best yet for the 10th anniversary.
One of the main intentions is to thoroughly activate space, to show community members, visitors and investors the potential to thrive in Slavic Village, and the infinite ways the community can be reimagined to benefit all, to be even bolder than past embodiments. The city and its inhabitants have so much to offer, and endless possibilities when creativity, innovation and development are at the forefront. Consider supporting this unique project in Cleveland that is rooted in community development and engagement.
What I greatly appreciate about Rooms to Let as an artist, is their philosophy for supporting artist’s practice through compensation and opportunity. No artist is working for free in this project, and this endeavor offers many eyes and ears on your work. In this project artists are the facilitators for innovation and reimagining, and recognized for it. Artistic vision and expression is celebrated and sustained, with each installation piece, and each coat of paint.
RTL appreciates and supports big ideas, depending on the building, there are little to no restrictions. Artists with a practice rooted in experimentation and interaction are given fertile ground to expand their practice, with literal space and opportunity, as well as the unique interactions with visitors from the neighborhood, across town or out of state. The diversity in activity supplies it with something for everyone to walk away inspired. The live music, food, and artist market makes for an experience with the unique flavor of Cleveland’s most expressive storytellers.
You can learn more about Rooms to Let on the Slavic Village website.
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