Guitarmania, Part 3

In 2002 Cleveland joined the trend of big cities with public art sculptures. Unlike the pig, horse or cow, of other cities, Cleveland went with what it knows, the guitar. Co-sponsored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the United Way, Guitarmania was born that year. 90 designs of the 10-foot tall Fiberglas Fender's were created - our favorite was designed by Bootsie herself.

In 2004, a second iteration was attempted, and again about 90 guitars were created, but the same magic wasn't there. I'm not sure if it was because it seemed like a repeat, or it wasn't publicized enough, or possibly the bulk of the designs seemed wanting. It barely even registered as an event.

Now I see that they are trying for a third exhibition in 2007. Let's hope that something helps to invigorate this project. Cleveland needs public art. It would be great if the new version involved a different form - drum sets, bass guitars...but I see from the website that the form will remain the same. Possibly a new group of artists will participate and really push the limits. Suspend guitars from buildings, hide them on the lake, melt it down into a puddle of Fiberglas (does Fiberglas melt?)...something that wakes Cleveland up and pushes some limits.