What’s on your mind, Cleveland? Conceptual artist Carl Pope asked and got everything from “Erie Lives” to “an East-West racial divide visible from outer space.” The answers to his query “What do you think about Cleveland?” are the focus of a Cleveland Institute of Art exhibit titled The Mind of Cleveland, which runs through May 3. They were also displayed around the city this spring on billboards, posters and public signs. The answers Pope chose to include in his “public conversation” ranged from hopeful (“I want Cleveland to be what New York was in the 1930s”) to puzzling (“There’s a thin line between love and construction”) to heartbreaking (“I wish my friends felt safe visiting my neighborhood”). The public component of the project ended April 18, so you’ll have to visit the Cleveland Institute of Art soon to experience Pope’s vision. Until then, take this one with you: “Be bold, be fearless, be united, be a new Cleveland!”
The decision ensued after a public opinion survey, which critics say entailed leading, personal and political questions, was posted online this week. By Ken Prendergast, NEOtrans
