LAKEWOOD, Ohio – The West End of Lakewood is bustling these days with renovations and improvements continuing at Beck Center for the Arts.
And those who walk or drive along Detroit Avenue near West Clifton Boulevard may have noticed the sign in the storefront at 18103 Detroit announcing a new location for Gray House Pies.
Both projects are good news for the city.
Beck Center, a longtime cultural arts center dates back to 1931. Since 1938, it has occupied the corner of Wayne and Detroit avenues. Over the years, its footprint expanded to include the entire block and even the old Lakewood Armory building across the parking lot.
It began as “The Guild of the Masques,” a project of Lakewood’s Junior Chamber of Commerce during the Depression. Within two years, the group had incorporated as Lakewood Little Theatre. As the group continued to grow, it needed more space and a permanent home, which it found at the former Lucier Movie Theater, 17823 Detroit Ave.
During the Depression, the theater group raised $10,000 to remodel the theater for live performances. It could seat 466 people and became the first permanent home for LLT.
The property was purchased in 1947 and has been a part of the Beck Center complex ever since.
At first, classes were offered in voice, diction, pantomime, play production and scenic design. In 1948, Lakewood Little Theater School was founded and over the years, adjacent properties were purchased to accommodate the growing arts education programs.
The next big development was a major gift received from Kenneth Beck in 1972 that helped build a multipurpose facility for performing and visual arts. A fundraising campaign that year raised $600,000, which was matched by Beck, a businessman.
Ground was broken for Lakewood Little Theater/Kenneth C. Beck Center for the Cultural Arts in December 1975. The new, 42,000-square-foot facility opened in 1976 with a 500-seat auditorium, a museum, exhibition space, a general office and dressing rooms.
Programs offered included adult dramatic arts, dance, arts and crafts and the Children’s/Teen Theater, Galleria (museum) shows and a special events/performing arts series that included touring dance companies and special concerts.
In 1979, the National Guard armory was purchased and renovation of the original theater into a studio theater took place in 1984.
Additional improvements included elevating the theater to professional status which meant paying the actors and having access to more current theatrical material. As of 2018, Beck is recognized by Actors’ Equity Association as a small professional theater.
Although Beck flirted with the idea of moving to another city, studies determined its Lakewood location was ideal, so the board recommitted to the original site that now encompasses 31/2 acres.
Once again, Beck is involved in a capital campaign that is drawing to a close.
In the $5.7 million Raise the Roof campaign, Beck is updating, remodeling and improving its facilities. The first phase, which began during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, involved improving the ceramics lab and dance studio, upgrading restrooms and making the building handicap accessible.
More recently, the annex at Rockway and Detroit avenues was torn down in order to create green space. The front of the building will get a face-lift that will make it more accessible and visible. Plans also call for raising the roof – literally – five feet and adding larger windows on the second floor.
For more information on the ongoing project or to make a donation, visit beckcenter.org.
Pie-lovers who enjoy the fresh-baked Gray House Pies soon will have a closer location to visit. Gray House, located in Westlake, plans to move into a Detroit Avenue storefront just west of West Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood. (Carol Kovach/special to cleveland.com)
Pie, please: Soon pie-lovers will have a new specialty shop to visit. Gray House Pies, currently operating at 26075 Detroit Road, Westlake, plans to open a storefront at 18103 Detroit Ave., Lakewood.
The shop offers a large variety of fruit, cream and specialty pies ranging in price from $13 to $22. Customers also can purchase biscuits, pub pies, hand quiches or a slice of pizza with a hand pie.
No word yet on when the new location will open.
Visit grayhousepies.com for the menu, information on ordering and more.
Craft fair: The United Methodist Women of the North Olmsted United Methodist Church will have a Church Mouse Craft Fair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 15 at the church, 4600 Dover Center Road, North Olmsted.
There will be a variety of crafts by local crafts Lunch and bake sale items will be available, Proceeds from the craft show will benefit local charities.
Hazardous waste, shredding: Fairview Park conducted a household hazard waste collection and shredding day on Sept. 17, when 3,877 pounds of hazard waste was collected, according to the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. The Young Marines helped with the collection.
For those curious about what the solid waste district collected last year, its Annual Report and Residential Recycling Report were released recently. Visit cuyahogarecycles.org to view the report.
Got propane you need to dispose of? The solid waste district will have an amnesty recycling event for small propane tanks 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24-28 at their facility, 4750 E 131st St., Garfield Heights.
Small propane tanks, including camp stove, lantern or torch tanks (usually 2 pounds or less), will be accepted. County residents can bring those small tanks during that time and ring the doorbell for assistance.
Tanks from businesses, grill tanks, helium tanks, oxygen cylinders, welding tanks, refrigerant and other cylinders will not be accepted. Visit cuyahogarecycles.org and clock on “propane tanks” for information about disposing these tanks.
Halloween cookies: Angels on the Avenue is having its annual Halloween cookie sale fundraiser to benefit the St. Augustine Health Ministries resident outing fund.
Cookie orders are accepted until Oct. 19. Orders can be picked up/delivered Oct. 27=-28. Orders can be placed for pumpkins, skulls, autumn leaves, smiley aces, ghosts, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, maple oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies created by Avenue Fine Pastries.
Contact Joe Daily, [email protected] or call 216-701-3143 for information or to order.
Trash, treasures and produce: There will be a summer farmers market and trash and treasures sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in October at the Frostville museum complex, 24101 Cedar Point Road, North Olmsted.
Local farmers, seasonal produce, free range meats, pastries, eggs, honey, maple syrup, tea and coffee, artisan breads, garden plants and more.
Those who want to donate items for the trash and treasures sale should call Bob Lamb, 440-292-7822.
Access to Frostville is by Columbia Road to Cedar Point Road or Lewis Road.
For more information on the market, contact Angie Obbish, market manager, at 330-592-6518. olmstedhistoricalsociety.org.
Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. in Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted and West Park for the A Place in the Sun column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to [email protected].
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