[NEohioPAL] SCSDC expands the Year of the Rat project beyond Public Art

St. Clair Superior Development Corporation

216.881.0644; 216.881.1142 fax

Becca Britton, Project Coordinator

rbritton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

SCSDC expands the Year of the Rat project beyond Public Art

Cleveland, Ohio – St. Clair Superior Development Corporation will be partnering with two local non-profit organizations, Art on Wheels and The Organization of Chinese Americans of Greater Cleveland (OCAGC), to implement an educational art program for Cleveland’s inner city children.

Third and fourth graders at Case Elementary school (located at 4050 Superior Avenue) will be the first recipients of this program. Each class consists of art projects taught by Art on Wheels, based specifically on the Chinese culture, as well as guest speakers from the OCAGC organization educating the students about certain aspects of the Chinese culture.

Classes begin Friday, February 29^th, and are fully funded by Year of the Rat premium sponsors, ASI International, Consolidated Graphics, National City Bank, Ohio Technical College & Marigold Catering.

Upon program completion, all art projects will be on display the month of May at Cleveland City Hall in the Rotunda, in honor of Chinese heritage month.

Year of the Rat Project Overview: The Year of the Rat public art project celebrates St. Clair Superior’s growing Asian Community, its blossoming artistic community and its business community. The project is in commemoration of the Chinese Year of the Rat, which began with the new moon February 7, 2008. In celebration, SCSDC will install 23 fiberglass rat sculptures painted by Northeast Ohio artists throughout the St. Clair Superior Neighborhood, which encompasses the area from the lake to Superior and Payne Avenues from Martin Luther King Boulevard to East 30^th Street and in other key locations.

In addition to the public art, the Year of the Rat Project also includes a variety of Asian & art education programs and events throughout the year. These will include the Year of the Rat Unveiling Festival, Art Education Classes for St Clair Superior Neighborhood schools, and more. The goal of this project is to promote investment in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood, cultural awareness, art education, and to support local artists.

Visit www.stclairsuperior.org/yearoftherat.html for project details.

Contact Johnny K. Wu, President for more information about OCAGC email : johnny@xxxxxxxxxxx
www.ocagc.org

For more information about Art on Wheels, visit www.aowinc.org

Johnny Wu

Producer/Director/Editor

www.mdifilm.com

www.rapturethemovie.com

President

Organization of Chinese Americans of Greater Cleveland

www.ocagc.org

Administrator

Cleveland IndieClub