Shaker Sells — March 7 - August 10, 2025 

In the 19th century, the Shaker name signified quality through the brooms, furniture, seeds, and medicinal herbs that sustained their communities. After the decline of Cleveland’s North Union Village, the Van Sweringen brothers repurposed Shaker imagery to market Shaker Heights as an idyllic escape from industrial Cleveland. Their exclusive suburb contradicted Shaker values, yet the romanticized image of a “peaceful Shaker village” fueled the city’s growth and remains a lasting brand to today.

Shaker Sells is co-curated by Cleveland State University student Elliot Rendall and is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

History is Messy — March 7 - June 1, 2025 

Between 1883 and 1929, Andrew Carnegie funded 2,500 “Carnegie Libraries,” 1,700 in the United States. He required local support for the libraries but not much else. It amounted to over a billion dollars in today’s funds. Carnegie was an emblem of the Gilded Age and a ruthless businessman. Here we are roughly a century later and, arguably, are in yet a second gilded age. Most of these libraries are still in use - in cities and very small towns. Although a great deal has changed, when you go into these places, a great deal is the same. Children still listen to stories. It is a safe and comfortable place. There are still books, though there are computers, the Internet, audiobooks, and a full spectrum of contemporary media. Librarians are there to recommend and to assist in research. The public value of these places is palpable. You can feel it.

The project includes 125 libraries in 12 states and one province. In each image, there is a librarian with a favorite book. The upcoming viewing of History is Messy highlights selections from this body of work, including photographs of Cleveland-area Carnegie libraries. This exhibit is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

About the Artist: Charles “Chuck” Mintz studied photography at Maine Photographic Workshop, Parsons School of Design, International Center for Photography, Lakeland Community College, and Cuyahoga Community College. He has a BSEE from Purdue University and an MSEE from Cleveland State University. He is the former board chair of ICA–Art Conservation in Cleveland, OH and board member of the Cleveland Museum of Art – Friends of Photography. Chuck is a Life Director at Jewish Family Services of Cleveland. His work is found in museums, including the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and private and corporate collections in North America, Europe, and Asia. Chuck was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for 2017 and 2015.