Building Creativity and Community One Room at a Time
Look no further than Shore Cultural Centre in Euclid to find unique creative spaces where inspiration is alive and thriving. Built in 1913, Shore ceased to be a Euclid public school in the 80’s. From that time forward it has served as a cultural hub for the region.
Behind the Shore walls you will find an eclectic mix of artists, entrepreneurs, and community organizations. Eileen Sheehan, an artist who has been an instructor at Shore for many years, made the transition to becoming a tenant. “I love having my studio, Create-A-Craft, in Shore Cultural Centre. The room fills with light, laughter, and good times when neighbors, friends, and families gather in the studio to create,” she stated. Ms. Sheehan has transformed the former junior high art classroom into a space where many artists “co-op” to bring a variety of arts classes to the community, including instruction in painting, jewelry, and ceramics.
The unique aesthetics and old school charm of Shore, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has attracted those active in the creative workforce. “I feel pretty fortunate to have an office at Shore Cultural Centre. For several years, I had an office in my home, but the move to Shore has really been a game-changer for me”, shared Denise Reynolds, President of visual art based communications company Outside the Lines Creative Group, LLC. “I have a space at Shore that’s bright, affordable and inspires creativity, which is essential for the cartoon campaigns that I create for my clients. I love that this cool, old building still plays a much-needed role in this community.”
Photographer Jen Hearn has been a tenant at Shore since 2015. She “enjoys seeing the changes and updates to the building. It's a great community center and perfect for artists. The staff are incredibly helpful and each room has its own character.” Ms. Hearn is not the only one to be visually inspired by the halls of Shore, as several other photographers are based in the building as well. Filmmakers, including the Paramount’s “Fun Size” director, have been drawn to Shore for projects large and small due to the exciting visual opportunities the building provides.
With downtown restaurants and shops (including Lake Erie) within walking distance, Triangle Park directly in front of the building (with an active fountain during summer months), easy access to freeways and public transportation, Shore is ideally located. Valued service organizations, such as the Euclid Hunger Center and WIC, are in the building. Shore’s over 800 seat acoustically renowned auditorium is home to the Euclid Symphony Orchestra and Silhouette Productions musicals (“Anything Goes” this October), and a wide variety of performing artists such as The Singing Angels and recent grammy award nominated Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Two event rooms are available to be rented for parties, meetings, and functions throughout the year. Tenants frequently take advantage of these amenities, often collaborating together on projects and events that take place at Shore.
Laura Kidder, Executive Director of Shore Cultural Centre, is happy to give tours and answer questions about all that Shore has to offer. Her motto for Shore is “We’re on a mission!” One aspect of her role is to help new tenants feel at home, make connections in the community and assist with helping to make their new space uniquely their own. Ms. Kidder can be emailed at llk@thecoralcompany.com. Shore Cultural Centre is located at 291 E. 222nd Street, Euclid, OH, 44123 and information can be found at www.shoreculturalcentre.com.
Chris Cipriani
Director of Programming and Marketing for Shore Cultural Centre