The last time I was in the Cleveland area (out to eat at the Olive Garden) we visited the district of Little Italy, also known as the cultural center of Cleveland because of its proximity to the Art Museums, Severance Hall, and its many cultural and educational values. We ventured into Barnes and Noble, just to browse, and found that it connected into an, otherwise unrecognizable, shopping mall; the Eton, Chagrin Blv. We stopped in to look around in the different stores and galleries there, and soon found ourselves in the Dick Kleinman Fine Art Gallery.
An impressive gallery currently featuring the artwork from Charles Fazzino, the most popular 3-D artist in the world today, Elizabeth Estivalet, Jonas Gerard, Pino, Emanuel Mattini, Victoria Montesinos, Patricia Nix, and several other local, national and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists; the beautiful glass pieces from David Lotton, and the well recognized sculptures from Steven Zaluski and Jerome Soble.
This gallery also has a large section dedicated to the art of Ted Geisel. All limited additions from The Art Of Dr. Seuss project launched in 1997 by Ted Geisel’s wife, Audrey. It was really interesting to learn that none of his art has been published before, and to see the works showcased another side of the Dr. Seuss we all know today. The Dick Kleinman Fine Art Gallery houses works from the ‘unorthodox taxidermy’ series, hidden art, lithographs and illustrations from the widely known Dr. Seuss Children’s books, and bronze sculptures from the commemorative series by artist Leo Rijn.
Even more memorable about this specific gallery was the owner, Dick Kleinman. An extremely nice man, easy to talk to, very helpful… he had a wealth of information on any topic when it came to his showcase and the featured artist, and he didn’t hesitate to chatter with us about it (even though we were clearly only passing through).
I remember his genuine smile as he talked about a time when he met Dr. Seuss at a book signing, and was proud to tell us that, though many don’t know about the place, it is truly the birthplace for The Art of Dr. Seuss. The first gallery in the world to display the pieces from Audrey Geisel’s project.
You may learn more about the Dick Kleinman Fine Art Gallery and his featured artist here: http://www.dickkleinmanfineart.com/index.html
And be sure to visit The Art of Dr. Seuss website: http://www.drseussart.com/index.html
