CLEVELAND — If you're taking walks to get out of the house and need to jazz them up, public art can do the trick. In fact, local arts organization LAND Studio just launched a campaign called "The city is our museum" to encourage that.
Here are a few of their "open-air museums" recommendations you should check out.
Gordon Square
"In Gordon Square I think there are probably about 24, 25 different artists who have done different projects over there," LAND Studio Executive Director Gregory Peckham says.
"We did 12 different murals just last summer in the Gordon Square district. The giant water tower over there is painted by an international artist, but a majority of the art over there is done by Cleveland artists."
Gordon Square is located on Detroit Road on Cleveland's west side.
Slavic Village
Peckham also suggests a hidden gem in Slavic Village. The Morgana Run trail is 2 and a half miles long, great for walks and for art-spotting. It features about a dozen different pieces.
"It was an old rail line that was turned into a biking and walking path that snakes about 2 and a half miles through the neighborhood. So over the years LAND Studio and Slavic Village Neighborhood development group have created about a dozen public art projects along that trail. The idea was every year we would add something new. So they have the most fun and quirky pieces of public art," says Peckham.
The Morgana Run trail starts at E 49th and ends on Jones Road in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens
Another more recognizable art display is the iconic Cleveland Cultural Gardens near University Circle. Some 33 gardens show a different part of Cleveland's heritage, and can take up a full afternoon.
"You're surrounded by the city but you're in this garden-like space. Feels almost like you're in a European city, it's amazing," Peckham says.
The cultural gardens are located at 10823 Magnolia Drive in Cleveland.