Since 2018, Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, a venue and studio space located in the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District, has been a hub for local artists. 

The studio is also home to Shortform, a series of live performances from local artists sharing their new music, dance, performance art and storytelling. Shortform began in 2018 to create an accessible space for new Cleveland artists to flourish, said Jasmine Golphin, associate artistic director of Maelstrom Collaborative Arts. 

“[The show] is  an on-ramp to who we are and what we do at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts,” Golphin said. 

Each artist performing in the show has 10 minutes to display their new piece in front of the audience. This is performance art you will not see anywhere else in Cleveland, she said. 

“[The show] also gives people a sample who aren’t familiar with all the cool, underground art happening in the city,” Golphin said. 

Shortform (June 28th – June 29) 

Join Maelstrom Collaborative Arts and poets and musicians including Susie Underwood, Lauren Lash and Michelle R. Smith this Friday and Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show start at $12. For more information, visit the studio’s website. 

Larchmere PorchFest (June 29)

The historic neighborhood’s annual event will feature more than 30 local bands and musicians playing live music on front porches. This Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. you can listen to music, shop at more than 40 boutiques and dine at restaurants. There will be a rest area with the Cleveland water buggy, DJ and food selections, a beer garden and poetry readings. For more information, visit the event’s website. 

Ohio Contemporary Ballet at Cain Park (June 29)

The company’s annual performance at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights will feature a series of dances featuring Heinz Poll’s “Schubert Waltzes.” Gates will open at 7 p.m.; seating is general admission. For more information, visit the ballet company’s website. 

Fam Jam (June 29) 

Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame museum’s annual event is Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is part of the museum’s Free Rock the Block Community Days, a family event that features a variety of performances and kids’ activities in partnership with Hungry for Music, a national nonprofit that collects musical instruments and donates them to youth education programs across the country. For more information on the lineup for the event, visit the museum’s website.