Northcoast Zeitgeist

Quigley, striking an heroic pose.

Quigley, looking somewhat like the Fountain of Eternal Life.

Northcoast Zeitgeist + Wholly Craft.

If Gilded Age-era political cartoonists were tasked with depicting the last few months at Northcoast Zeitgeist, they may portray the NCZ as an octopus with its tentacles wrapped ever-so-aggressively around all corners of Ohio. There's the awesome Native - Cleveland, selling all manner of NCZ goods on Waterloo Rd. in Collinwood on the city's east side. Next, holding things down on Cleveland's near west side in Gordon Square is the Ohio Knitting Mills pop-up shop, carrying the Ohio Art Print.

But now hear this, Ohio! The NCZ is in Columbus! More specifically, you can find the Ohio Art Print at the über-awesome Wholly Craft on N. High St. in Clintonville. Check out their inspiring story:

Wholly Craft opened in 2005 to provide an outlet for handmade goods in Columbus, Ohio. Since the beginning, we've carried a wide array of handmade goods including clothes, accessories, jewelry, paper goods, plush creatures, home decor and much more. In addition, we have a small but tasty selection of zines, books, DIY kits and recycled craft supplies.

We started out in a 300 square foot space with 40 vendors and we've grown to a 1000 square foot space and over 200 crafty vendors. Over time our selection of goods has expanded to include bath treats, fine art prints, baby gifts, Ohio themed items, and greeting cards for every occasion. We’re proud to work with over 50 Ohio-based crafters to offer high-quality, unique items for the local community.

There's a gallery space there, too, and the shop offers numerous courses in crafty things. And Wholly Craft is a great neighbor in their unique Clintonville community, to boot. So you can see why I'm so excited that they're carrying NCZ goods!

If you're a store that sees a place on your shelves for some NCZ merch, drop us a line!

Northcoast Zeitgeist + the Ohio Knitting Mills.

Awesome news! On the heels of the NCZ presence at Native - Cleveland, Steven Tatar from the amazing Ohio Knitting Mills asked us to take part in the OKM's Gordon Square pop-up shop on Detroit Rd. There, alongside OKM's wonderful collection of original, often one-of-a-kind Cleveland-made apparel - which dates back to the '40s through the '70s - you'll find items like Homage's t-shirts and our very own Ohio Art Print. It's a real honor to be a part of the shop, whose space is beautiful beyond words. Naturally, we love the Midwestern ethic Tatar is using to breathe new life into the mill's wares and how he's helping remind everyone of Cleveland's unique place in American history. And it goes without saying that we appreciate the rise in locally-owned area shops that are revitalizing and re-inventing the corner of Ohio we love so much.

I resolve to stay curious. What do you resolve?

Designer Chris Streger is really onto something. Now being the time of year when all of us plot out our New Year's resolutions, he thought to put his in a place they couldn't be easily ignored - his iPhone. From that inspiration came his To Resolve Project. In his own words:

TO RESOLVE PROJECT is something that came about when I started talking New Year's resolutions with my girlfriend. You create a list, stuff it away in a drawer and it never sees the light of day 'till the year has passed. I decided to ask as many talented designers I know (or don't know) to create a resolution for the new year as an iPhone wallpaper. It's the one thing I do look at every day. This way you not only get a daily reminder, but you get a very stylish daily reminder at that.

What a great idea. When I saw the first few submissions, I got really motivated to join the fray. Plus, having just scooped up an iPod Touch, I really wanted to see one of these in action. So, in a fit of inspiration, I got to it, and you can see the results right there in the middle, center square. Look at all of those amazing wallpapers. All great advice, too. (And free to download.) So go check out the project - and try your hand at one while you're at it!

Northcoast Zeitgeist + Native - Cleveland.

I've been meaning to post about this for some time, and shame on me for not doing so! But if you're in the greater Northeast Ohio area, you really owe it to yourself - especially with a few shopping days left before Christmas - to visit Native - Cleveland. Native, located in Collinwood on Waterloo Rd. right near neighborhood stalwarts like the Beachland Ballroom and Music Saves, is an amazing shop dedicated to showing off the area's talented creative souls. Everything sold there - including shirts, buttons, prints, jewelry and much, much more - comes from the area (or elsewhere in this awesome state of ours).

For instance, the C.L.E. Clothing Co. is headquartered there. Also at Native are products by Grey Cardigan, These Are Things and Kendal Croix Jewelry. And yours truly! Yep, you can get several Northcoast Zeitgeist products there, ranging from the Ohio Art Print to four button styles to our motto and - I'm very excited about this - a t-shirt featuring the same profanely pro-Ohio graphic featured on the print.

And while it's fully awesome to realize that people are spending their hard-earned money on something you did, what's most important to me about Native (and stores like it) is that it's run by area folks and promotes area folks. It's everything faceless big-box stores are not. It's got soul, and the stuff you'll find there comes from your friends and neighbors. There's a lot to be said for that. So go visit Native, and cross some people off of your holiday shopping list while you're there. Buy local!

Beautiful: Pompadour Numeral Set from Andy Mangold.

I've fallen in love with Andy Mangold's Pompadour numeral set, which is now available for free download and use. So that's what I did, putting four of them through their paces in putting this latest Northeast Ohio storm in perspective:

Numbers by Andy Mangold

Just in time for the holidays.

So, if you'll look over there to the left - you may have to scroll down a bit - you'll see that the NCZ Shop has, just in time for Santa, reopened for business! Go check it out, because it's something new! Alright then, carry on.

Through the Eyes of a Defensive Lineman.

There's a really cool event taking place tomorrow in Berea. Jerry Sherk, standout defensive player for the Cleveland Browns in the '70s and early '80s, will be sharing some of the amazing photos he took during his career at Baldwin Wallace College's Kleist Center for Art & Drama. The show, titled "Through the Eyes of a Defensive Lineman: The Cleveland Browns as Photographed by Jerry Sherk," begins at 7 p.m. Sherk originally became interested in photography when he was sidelined and recovering from a staph infection. It as then he talked photography with the UPI's Ron Kuntz, who shared his craft and helped Sherk set up a darkroom in his house. The pair went on to shoot many events together, including the Kentucky Derby. Tuesday's program, which features the photos, an autograph session and a panel discussion featuring Sherk and fellow former Browns Doug Dieken, Greg Pruitt, Robert E. Jackson, Dick Ambrose and coach Sam Rutigliano is a fundraiser for the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities. Here are a few of Sherk's great behind-the-scenes pictures:

All photos copyright Jerry Sherk 2010

Because you can never have enough de-icer.

Where the hell have I been?

Well, it's been an exciting time here at Northcoast Zeitgeist HQ. I'm on deadline for maybe one of the awesomest projects I've ever worked on. I cannot wait to share more on it, trust me, but here are some hints: It's been something I've always wanted to do. It relates to what I actually went to school for. It's design-related but not actual design. And if I want to be successful at it, I probably shouldn't use words like "awesomest". And, best yet, so many friends and heroes are involved, including Casey! While I've been grinding out that project, my MacBook Pro decided to sever its relationship with its logic board, so I'm just tonight getting her back after being at the Apple store for a solid week. But she's back in fighting shape and is doing well - so far - which is comforting. More soon, I promise. But exciting times overall!

Cold has arrived.