Galleries at CSU pays tribute to Cleveland icon

Terminal Tower, the 52-story, landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, has dominated the city skyline since it opened in 1930 and is arguably the community’s most recognized icon. The power, beauty and importance of the tower to Cleveland’s identity, history and economy is the subject of a new exhibit hosted by the Galleries at Cleveland State University.

Cleveland’s Endearing Symbol: 52 Stories of the Terminal Tower, includes photography, artwork, tchotchkes, video and other cultural objects which highlight the innovativeness and importance of the facility when it opened during the height of the Great Depression and chronicle its transformation from a simple building into a symbol of what it means to be a “Clevelander.” Features include photographs of the Terminal Tower by Margaret Bourke White (provided by the Cleveland Museum of Art) and Jennie Jones (from CSU Special Collections,) Buckeye the Peregrine Falcon (on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History,) a wooden model of the Tower (provided by Shaker Historical Society) and a Public Television interview on the Tower’s enduring legacy with longtime CSU art professor Walter Leedy.

“Art helps show us where we have been and where we are going,” notes Bill Barrow, head of special collections at CSU’s Michael Schwartz Library and curator of the exhibit. “Through this exhibition we hope to highlight one of the most important historical icons of our city, look back on our past and look forward to our future.”

The show is designed by Donna Stewart, who is also with the Michael Schwartz Library, and it runs through April 21st. The Galleries at CSU is located at 1307 Euclid Avenue and is open, admission free, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about the show and additional exhibitions being staged at the Galleries, visit https://www.csuohio.edu/class/art-gallery/art-gallery.

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