Constant as the Sun

Part of MOCA Cleveland's Summer 2017 exhibitions, Constant as the Sun includes work by 10 artists and artist collectives from Northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York and eastern Michigan, who engage their community in a variety of ways, from traditional studio practices to responsive, ground-level activism. Upon entering the main gallery, guests are greeted by billboard-sized black-and-white photographs by the Cleveland-based artist collective Acerbic. Poems printed on large sheets of plexiglass hang from the ceiling directly in front of these images, and a video examining the repercussions of Cleveland's Opportunity Corridor plays on a nearby screen. The interviews with residents of Cleveland's "Forgotten Triangle" add an additional dimension to the work. At 2 p.m. today, MOCA Cleveland hosts an engaging discussion with Acerbic members Donald Black Jr., Gabriel Gonzalez and Ali McClain. The program includes a reading of McClain's new, original poems inspired by Black and Gonzalez' photos, each followed by an Acerbic-led discussion with the audience. Admission is free. (Usmani)