Written by: Lois Elswick

The annual Ingenuity Festival hit Cleveland last weekend and featured some very exciting art and technology.

The festival took place behind the Cleveland Browns Stadium in two large warehouses that overlook the lake. The festival planners stated that their mission was “to ignite the creative spark where arts, science and technology intersect.”

This year’s festival definitely accomplished its goal. Many talented local bands performed on a large stage at one end of the pier, and their music could be heard throughout the festival. The two warehouses gave the festival more of an open feel, and the beautiful lake provided a great view for attendees dining on food served by vendors and food trucks.

A wide variety of art was on display at the festival. Pieces ranged from simple small paintings to elaborate, technological and sometimes interactive artworks. There were many places where the guests were encouraged to tag walls with their own art or opinions and many people enjoyed the overall interactive feel of the event.

“My favorite installation was the interactive movie theater where you could stand in front of the screen and see your projection in the movie playing on the screen,” said attendee Theron Dannemiller.

Tony Samangy, assistant professor of graphic design at The University of Akron, displayed his installation as part of the COLLIDER5 exhibition. He said his project, “You Are All Pixels,” has been updated since last year’s COLLIDER4 exhibition.

“Users submit a photo of themselves or their friends through a mobile device live, during the festival, and their image joins other audience-submitted photos to a website that displays the images on a projected screen,” Samangy said. “I think this piece is in line with the core principle of Ingenuity Festival. It’s nothing without the audience. They can view the photos, surprise their friends, play, and interact.”

People came from all over Ohio and even from other states for this special event.

“I came all the way from Detroit, because this show is awesome every year, and I can’t wait to see what is in store. I was not disappointed!” said attendee Richard Smith.

Next year, keep your calendars open and make the short drive to Cleveland to see the Ingenuity Festival. The event never fails to bring out some of the best artists in many fields and give them the opportunity to converge in one space.