CMA’s “ArtLens Reimagined” Makes Art More Accessible: CLE Daily

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🏆 Two Ohio Natives Up for Emmys Tonight: The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air tonight, and two Northeast Ohio natives are in the running — Cleveland-born Meg Stalter is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "Hacks," and Copley native Carrie Coon picks up her fourth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for HBO's "The Gilded Age." The ceremony, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, airs live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m.

🚢 Titanic Exhibition Extends Its Run at Great Lakes Science Center: The museum is extending Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, presented by Bank of America, through April 25, 2027, after a strong public response since it opened this summer. The show features more than 200 authentic artifacts recovered from the wreck site, life-size reconstructions of the ship's most famous rooms, and the most historically accurate Titanic VR experience yet made. "The artifacts create a powerful connection to the passengers and crew of RMS Titanic," says Kirsten Ellenbogen, president and CEO of the Great Lakes Science Center. 

🏈 Browns Drop Game One:  That was... rough. The Browns lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-10, in a game that, believe it or not, looked even worse in real time than it does on the stat line. Watch our recap here.

ICYMI: Remember when Cleveland Clinic announced it was nearly doubling its Avon campus back in June 2025, including a larger emergency department? That $340 million project is still on track for 2028.

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Today's Trivia

What Amherst native started as a motorcycle racer before becoming a manufacturer of racing motorcycles?

Arts & Culture: Cleveland Museum of Art's reimagined ArtLens gallery uses AI to pull visitors deeper into its collection.

By Chloe Banno

"For the benefit of all the people forever." That's been Cleveland Museum of Art's mission since 1892, written into the deed that gifted Jeptha Wade's land to the institution before it was even built. This summer, that mission got a tech upgrade: ArtLens, the interactive gallery that opened as Gallery One in 2012, has been completely reimagined with AI-powered features aimed at pulling visitors deeper into the collection.

What's New: ArtLens Reimagined keeps the gallery's hands-on roots while adding new technology, including a digital wall that tracks passersby and mirrors them alongside hundreds of collection pieces — some of which "speak" to guests through speakers and text projections. "The purpose is not to distract; it's to engage," says Jane Alexander, ArtLens leader and CMA's chief digital information officer. "It gives people a way into the collection."

AI, on the Museum's Terms: The gallery's AI runs on a "closed model" that stays within CMA's own scholarly research rather than pulling from the open internet, with tech support and scholars on hand for manual fixes. "We've been using AI for over 15 years, but we use it responsibly," Alexander says. "We believe in the rights of the artists, ethical practices and low energy."

Still About the Art: Alexander points to a boy stretching his arms wide during the gallery's "Art in Arms Reach" activity, an image of a portrait filling the space between his hands. "I guarantee that boy will remember that piece," she says. "He will look at it longer when he sees it in the actual exhibit."

An Accessibility Mission at Its Core: ArtLens began as a way for visually impaired guests to touch and hear descriptions of artwork, and that's still central to the redesign, but Alexander frames it as part of a broader philosophy. "Inclusive design means it's better for all, not just someone who's disabled," she says. "It's all about making it better for everyone and meeting people where they're at."

Worth Noting: "It's all about the art," Alexander says. "Never about the tech."

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

The Cleveland Orchestra's musicians are three weeks from a possible strike. Members voted unanimously Sept. 3 to authorize a walkout if a new contract isn't reached by Sept. 23, the deadline both sides agreed to when the previous contract expired Aug. 30. Musicians are pushing for inflation-matched pay, safer work rules to cut down on repetitive-motion injuries and a bigger role in auditions and hiring; management says it's "negotiating in good faith."

RTA is backing off another round of service cuts, for now. Staff is recommending the agency hold off on cuts planned for December until August 2027, after Cuyahoga County voters weigh in on a possible sales tax hike for the agency next May. A 3% reduction already took effect in August, cutting the free B-Line Trolley and slowing frequency on five bus routes.

A crumbling century-old bridge in Parma got a $2.6 million fix. The new West Ridgewood Drive Bridge officially reopened after a full replacement that began in May, swapping out a 1925 span over West Creek near Saint Sava Picnic Grove for a 61-foot structure built to last more than 75 years. Cuyahoga County officials say it means a smoother, safer route for ambulances and school buses. 

Cleveland is rolling out the red carpet for its immigrant community this week. Global Cleveland's Welcoming Week runs through Sept. 19, opening with a panel pairing longtime immigrant communities like the Irish and Italians with newer arrivals, including Congolese Clevelanders, to talk about shaping the region. A job and resource fair with free resume help and professional headshots follows today. 

A construction crane knocked out power across a swath of Cleveland's East Side Thursday morning. The crane struck a line around 7:45 a.m., cutting electricity from East 9th to East 91st streets between Kinsman and Chambers avenues and forcing Broadway Academy at Willow and Regent High School to close for the day. Cleveland Public Power restored service within about an hour.

Things To Do This Week 

Beer & Ballet at Immigrant Son (Monday): You may not expect plies and pints in the same sentence, but here we are. This introduction-intermediate contemporary ballet class is best paired with a drink. Bring your friends and head to the bar(re) for this unique night out brought to you by Beck Center of the Arts. 7-8 p.m., 18120 Sloane Ave., Lakewood, balletbeer.union.site 

Cleveland Guardians @ Home (All week, except Thursday): The Guards are back in town taking on the Chicago White Sox, and ending the week with a series against the Athletics. As the season comes to a close, be sure to catch the Guards in action while you can! Various start times, $15-$150, 2401 Ontario St., Cleveland, mlb.com

Rush at Rocket Arena (Thursday): Canadian rock band Rush is making their way out to Cleveland for two nights this Thursday and Saturday. Join them for the Fifty Something Tour, their first in 11 years. Old fans and new fans are welcome for a night of hard rock throwbacks. 7:30 p.m., $217-$1,375, 1 Center Court, Cleveland, rocketarena.com 

Meet at the Museum (Friday): Whether you’re new to Cleveland and looking to meet people or just on the hunt for something to do on Friday night, look no further. The Cleveland Museum of Art invites you to enjoy some art, activities and cocktails with some fellow Clevelanders. There will be guided experiences and plenty of opportunities to mingle. 6-8 p.m., $35, 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, clevelandart.org

Friday's Trivia Answer 

This luxury automaker was the last car company headquartered in Cleveland to build cars in Cleveland. Peerless

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Watching a kid stretch his arms wide, chasing a painting across ArtLens' new digital wall, in Chloe's story above, is the kind of moment that sold me on all the AI talk at CMA.

It's easy to take for granted that we have a museum ranked among the world's great encyclopedic collections, in the company of the Louvre and the Met, and it's free to walk into any day of the week.

Jane Alexander's line has stuck with me since: inclusive design makes things better for everyone, not just the person it's built for. Go see it yourself this weekend.

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

Let us know what is on your mind at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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