Friends of Euclid Creek Present an Environmental Double- Header: Art Show and Speaker Series

Painted rain barrels that will be on display at the Art in Nature show to be held July 31st to August 22nd at the Beachwood Community Center art gallery located at 25325 Fairmount Road in Beachwood.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            Contact: Ken Messinger-Rapport

            Phone:   440-605-1543

            Email:    foecpresident@gmail.com

Friends of Euclid Creek Present an Environmental Double- Header

Art Show and Speaker Series

Cleveland, Ohio, June 2019 – Fifty years ago, on June 22, 1969 Cleveland captured the nation’s attention when the Cuyahoga River caught fire. The river was dead, killed by carelessness and industrial waste. Although the Cuyahoga had caught fire a dozen times before, this was to be the last time the river burned.  National outrage over a burning river turned into national determination to clean up the environment across the United States.  This event in combination with a massive oil spill in California led to the establishment of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Clear Water Act, and the Clean Air Act.  These actions formed the foundation of the environmental protection movement which led to the cleaning of the Cuyahoga.  Citizens and government agencies working together have brought the river back to life so that 50 years later, the Cuyahoga River is once again safe to admire and enjoy.

The Friends of Euclid Creek, The Collinwood Rain Barrel Project and the City of Beachwood are celebrating this anniversary with an art show, a painted rain barrel silent auction, and an educational program on how we affect Lake Erie, and how, in turn, Lake Erie affects us. All events are free and open to the public at the City of Beachwood Community Center, 25325 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, Ohio

The “Art in Nature” exhibition will feature painted rain barrels, photography, paintings and mixed media works by local artists. Proceeds from the painted rain barrel silent auction will benefit the Friends of Euclid Creek programming fund.  The public can meet the artists at an Artists’ Reception on Sunday, August 4 from  1:00-2:30 PM at the Beachwood Community Center. Light refreshments will be served. The  art show will run from Wednesday, July 31 through Thursday, August 22. The art gallery is open from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 10 AM – 3 PM and on Sunday 10 AM  – 1 PM.

The “Lake Erie Speakers Series” will be held on Thursday, August 8, from 6:30-8:30 PM and refreshments will be served.

The Friends of Euclid Creek “Lake Erie Speaker Series” will feature three distinguished speakers:

  • Fredrick Vincent of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will speak on the "Deep Tunnel Sewer Project" currently under construction beneath the streets of Cleveland. Wondering about endless street construction holes, giant pipes and raising sewer rates? Mr. Vincent will explain the project and its importance to the health of Lake Erie.
  • Chris Winslow, Director of the Ohio State University Stone Lab, will discuss "How Activities on Land Affect Lake Erie.". Population pressures, development, litter, and pollution are just a few things that harm the lake.
  • Dr. Robert Brand, of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health will speak on "Safe Consumption of Fish from Lake Erie".  This talk should be of interest to anyone who fishes in Lake Erie or eats Lake Erie walleye or perch.


The Euclid Creek watershed encompasses eleven communities in eastern Cuyahoga County covering 23 square miles.  It drains stormwater runoff from that entire area and extends from its headwaters in Beachwood to its mouth at Wildwood Reservation in Lake Erie in Cleveland.  The Friends of Euclid Creek works to improve the health of the environment in the Euclid Creek Watershed; seeks to raise awareness about and preserve the natural features of the Euclid Creek Watershed; and acts as the citizen voice for the Euclid Creek Watershed. The Friends of Euclid Creek volunteers offer educational opportunities, stream restoration activities, and monthly water quality monitoring of the Creek. For more information on the Friends of Euclid Creek, visit euclidcreekwatershed.org or contact Elizabeth Hiser the Euclid Creek Watershed Program Manager at ehiser@cuyahogaswcd.org.

The Friends of Euclid Creek gratefully acknowledges the financial support of our sponsors that make these events possible: Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, the City of Beachwood, and the members of the Friends of Euclid Creek.

Ken Messinger-Rapport

President of the Friends of Euclid Creek

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 12:30 PM, 07.07.2019