July 2006 Issue

Artistic Invention
Sarah Morrison is accustomed to luring art-loving Ohioans to Cleveland with groundbreaking works that use such unconventional subjects as sand sculpture and the psychology of human behavior. But last year, the contemporary dancer/choreographer made waves - literally. She hooked herself up to an EEG machine for an avant-garde performance that visually recorded her brain activity while she danced. "Talk about being exposed," Morrison recalls of her original composition, "Molecular Bodies Within." "It's an...

Child's Play
They are the childhood treasures that were tossed away, but now demand a king’s ransom on eBay. Vintage editions of Slinky, Silly Putty, Tinkertoy and the pièce de résistance, the Kenner Easy-Bake Oven, are just part of the nostalgic collection of 300 playthings showcased at the Ohio Historical Center in “Kid Stuff: Great Toys From Our Childhood.” All are objects, says author and pop-culture enthusiast David Hoffman, 52, that helped define a generation. “In our age bracket, there isn’t one o...

Connecting Art & Business
Mark Hackworth loves being on the Public Square. He says it is perfect for students enrolled in Hocking College’s Arts, Marketing and Design program, because they can interact on a daily basis with artists whose shops and galleries make up Nelsonville’s Historic Square Arts District. As coordinator of the Hocking College program, Hackworth oversees activities at 73 W. Columbus St., where students learn creative techniques from some of the area’s most recognized and accomplished artists. “Student...

Creative Community
“Experience Nelsonville…” The billboards along U.S. Rte. 33 encourage passersby to venture off the highway and into the heart of the community where shops, galleries and eateries are located. One block separates highway traffic from the historic Public Square and its quaint, century-old charm. Since 2003, artists have been quietly moving into vacant storefronts, and a bustling arts community has given a new life to buildings where oiled floors and tin ceilings and walls are commonplace. Those whos...

Making a Culinary Statement
Art comes in many forms and at Rhapsody - fine dining and music on Nelsonville's Public Square - art is a most enjoyable edible. Doug Weber, managing chef, and student chefs from Hocking College's award winning Culinary Arts Institute, have served an impressive list of patrons during their first year of business. CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante says, "I loved the space, the wonderful dinner and the exceptional staff... I look forward to coming again." Local resident Mike Brooks, Rocky Bra...

Natural Inspiration
There's nothing unusual about people finding sparks of inspiration in their surroundings, or developing interests that complement their environment. For instance, make a trip to a historic Ohio town such as Marietta, and it seems every resident from the sheriff to the ice cream shop owner is an amateur historian, capable of waxing professorial on their town's significance in centuries past. So perhaps it was inevitable that in our state's awe-inspiring Appalachia region - an area so beautiful that its r...

Play Ball!
Baseball is a red-hot commodity in Toledo: In 2002, a new ballpark opened for the Toledo Mud Hens, the city's Triple-A International League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Last season, the Mud Hens won their first championship since 1967. And this month, the city will host the Triple-A All Star Game for the first time ever. In Hollywood, such a script would not seem believable: No one has so much good fortune in such a short period of time. But in this case, every bit of the story is true. "If we would...

Sky-High Surprise
The birthplace of aviation isn't some sandy beach at Kitty Hawk. It's a bicycle shop in Dayton, where those brothers Orville and Wilbur crafted their first flying machines. Today, the city of Dayton pays tribute to its lofty heritage with air shows and aviation attractions and adventures. The jewel in the flight crown is the No. 1 free tourist attraction in the state, the National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the U.S. Air Force Museum). Some 1.2 million tourists visited the facility l...

Take A Closer Look
  Arts and Culture Discovery Supper –– or a show? Do both at the Carousel Dinner Theatre, which brings the best of Broadway to its star-studded stage. "The Buddy Holly Story," the be-boppin' musical tribute to the '50s icon who changed rock 'n' roll forever, plays July 5–September 2. Set within the bucolic environment of Blossom Music Center, Porthouse Theatre gives Kent State University student actors, designers, technicians and managers the opportunity to work with professionals in the ente...