CLEVELAND (Dec. 3, 2015) - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Destination Cleveland and LAND studio have teamed up with the City of Cleveland to pay tribute to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in a project called ROCK BOX that went in front of City of Cleveland's Planning Commission today.
The ROCK BOX project is a permanent outdoor installation that consists of multiple clusters of custom speakers placed throughout Downtown Cleveland. Installed in time for the Republican National Convention next summer, ROCK BOX will capitalize on the city's rock and roll identity and extend it throughout Downtown so residents and visitors alike can experience a taste of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the heart of the city.
Conceived by Cleveland Institute of Art graduate Mark Reigelman, ROCK BOX will combine visual and auditory experiences in a series of compositions along East 9th St., also known as Cleveland's Rock and Roll Blvd.
The ROCK BOX is an evolution of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Walk of Fame, which was unveiled during the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions in Cleveland. In this new iteration of the concept, the ROCK BOX becomes a dynamic representation of the inductees that continues to build on Cleveland as the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and extend the city's rock and roll legacy throughout Downtown. Each Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee will be represented in the project with new inductees' names being engraved as they are enshrined and musical riffs inspired by inductees being played multiple times a day.
"This is an incredible opportunity to engage with visitors and residents and expand Cleveland's Rock and Roll attitude into Downtown," said Greg Harris, president and CEO, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "The ROCK BOX project is a creative and vibrant piece of visual art that will leave no reservation that Cleveland is the center of the rock universe."
"The design committee's search for an artist included nationally and internationally renowned artists and designers, and we were delighted to have found the approach and caliber we were seeking in a Cleveland native," said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Destination Cleveland. "Rock and roll plays a significant role in our city's history; it is the foundation of one of our many world-class attributes. We're excited that it will be showcased even more prominently to both our residents and those who visit Cleveland."
Ann Zoller, executive director, LAND studio, said, "We are proud to bring Mark Reigelman back to Cleveland to work on this transformative project. Mark's work famously breaks boundaries to enhance the viewer's experience and the ROCK BOX will create a unique and memorable sense of place for those that witness it."
ROCK BOX is funded through support from Destination Cleveland.
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About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. The institution carries out its mission by giving voice to the stories of the people, artifacts and events that shaped rock and roll - through Museum exhibits, materials in the Museum's Library and Archives, traveling exhibitions, and a wide array of innovative educational programs and activities. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK (7625) or visit www.rockhall.com.
About Destination Cleveland
Destination Cleveland is Cleveland's convention and visitors bureau. This private non-profit organization's mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes nearly 17 million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.
About LAND studio
LAND studio is a nonprofit that identifies, creates, and implements a public space vision in the city of Cleveland. The organization works towards a goal of transforming and revitalizing the city by filling it with vibrant places that unite, inspire, and enrich its people. To learn more visit www.land-studio.org.
Media Contacts:
Jennifer Kramer, Destination Cleveland
216.875.6635
jkramer@destinationcle.org
Greg Peckham, LAND Studio
216-621-5413 x103
gpeckham@land-studio.org
Shauna Wilson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
216-515-1215
swilson@rockhall.org