PSYCHEDELIC PRINTS | CLEVELAND
A short weekend spent in Cleveland is not enough time, especially when nothing is planned. A few things went awry: The West Side Market was closed for dinner (meaning no famous pizza bagels), the parking anywhere near anything is really crowded and stressful, and the Polish restaurant I wanted to go to on Sunday was closed. Many of my problems are food related.
The best part of our Cleveland trip was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. The experience start to finish is holistic and consistent. Everyone who works there is pumped to be there, and everyone is bursting with excitement to share the experience with you. I really appreciated how the exhibits approached rock and roll (and music in general) as a cultural expression and explained the evolution of sound and attitude through the decades.
You could easily spend 4-5 hours in this museum (we spent about 3 in the basement alone), but I was most drawn to a special exhibit titled, "Summer of Love Turns 50". Off to the side of the Elvis exhibit, it wasn't getting much foot traffic.
The majority of the artifacts in the museum are, obviously, instruments, costumes, memorabilia, and merchandise. What I loved about this exhibit was its attention to poster design. Everything was groovy, colorful, and seductive. I'm sharing some of my favorites below, but would encourage anyone in the Cleveland area to experience this unique museum and see the exhibit yourself!
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
This sign was unveiled along with other museum upgrades in 2016. The plaza was designed by BRC Imagination Arts of Burbank, California, with Westlake Reed Leskosky of Cleveland.
Eric Burdon and the Animals / Mother Earth Concert Poster
"Summer of Love Turns 50" Exhibit
The poster was designed by Bonnie MacLean for an October 19th 1967 show date. It was a gift of Manny and Skippy Gerard.
I love this poster because the texture and flow of the typography is that of brushstrokes. Type is integrated into the art form, and the entire piece is fluid and engaging. It also reminds me of Mucha girls so how could I not love it?
Jefferson Airplaine / Jimi Hendrix Concert Poster
"Summer of Love Turns 50" Exhibit
The poster was designed by Clifford Seeley for a June 20th 1967 show date. It was a gift of Phillip and Julie Cushway/ArtRock.
I like the artist's choice to keep the line drawing simple, and apply heavy contrast around the text. Again, the text is fluid and barely legible at times, but I think it's extremely intriguing and represents the groovy sounds Hendrix and Jefferson Airplanes were making.
Jack Flaps
3900 Loraine Ave.
Cleveland OH 44113
Not necessarily good type, but damn it was good food. It's description on Google is as follows, "Snug, stylish breakfast restaurant with a buzzy vibe & an innovative menu of sweet and savory items". I know, it sounds painfully hipster. And it is. BUT the neighborhood is cute and the food is delicious, and I take breakfast food very seriously.
![LUFT [AIR] MUSEUM | AMBERG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0a3312_6fab8e2260624d55a899b063df4f2619~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_74,h_99,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/0a3312_6fab8e2260624d55a899b063df4f2619~mv2.jpeg)
