FORGING THE FUTURE TOGETHER:
Thank You for Celebrating 20 Years of Ingenuity!
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What an unforgettable Milestone! This September, we gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of IngenuityFest with Forging the Future — and we’re proud to say we closed our 20th season stronger than ever!
The festival honored Cleveland’s industrial roots while casting our vision boldly toward tomorrow. From blacksmithing and glassblowing to cutting-edge immersive technology, IngenuityFest 2025 was truly a living laboratory of
creativity, collaboration, and community.
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We're still GLOWING from the response: | |
- Nearly 20,000 attendees spent nearly 100,000 person-hours engaged in creative exploration and hands-on experiences!
- More than 100 performances more than 300 unique performers!
- 60+ Artisan Vendors selling wares from jewelry to bespoke fashion, generating 100,000+ in economic impact.
- More than 100 additional exhibits, ranging from hands-on learning experiences to large-scale immersive landscapes.
- 9/10 Audience members agree they:
- HAD FUN!
- Would Return!
- Would Recommend IngenuityFest to a Friend!
- Learned something new . . .
- Were inspired to be more creative in their own life!
Want to add your voice?
We're still collecting responses: Complete our survey for a chance to win FREE tickets to Flannel & Finery, our annual year-end celebration and holiday bash, held December 6th, 2025!
Your voices matter! We look forward to hearing from you, but already it’s clear that Ingenuity continues to spark joy, ignite new ideas, and strengthen our community.
| Celebrate with us! Flannel & Finery is our year-end thank you to our entire community - a cozy evening of treats and talents from our IngenuityLabs members, plus craft cocktails, music, dancing & more. |
Festival Highlights
Through 7 performance areas and 10 themed villages, thousands of you immersed yourselves in exhibits, performances, and workshops:
- The debut of our ingenuity STEAMshop, featuring large-scale light and sound sculptures by Xacto Mundo and Ed Morra.
- Gazelle Dasti’s NewClear Neural, inviting audiences inside an 18-foot stainless steel bust powered by a merry-go-round.
- Bbob Drake’s Organism, a vast pipe organ installation surrounding visitors in sound.
- Interactive storytelling with Story Portal, intimate performances like Artists in the Altogether and Confessional Womb, and visual spectacles such as Fiona Harper-Latkovich’s Murmuration.
- The Dock Stage, styled as a massive boiler room, pulsed with punk, rock, and hip-hop, while the Tesseract Stage delivered danceable beats and techno visions. Music Meadow and Crystal Palace showcased everything from roots music to experimental video and sound, while the Ingenuity Cabaret and DREAMshop brought poetry, butoh, drag, clowns, and robots.
- Families connected through hands-on maker activities by Cleveland Public Library, Central State University Extension, Forging Industry Association, Lincoln Electric, and MORE!
And everywhere, you could find local artisans, entrepreneurs, food trucks, brewers, distillers, and sustainability partners — all contributing to the unforgettable atmosphere.
| | Salane & Friends performs on the Story Portal, a Colorado-based flaming, story-driven steampunk contraption that invites audience members to share spontaneously and deeply. Created by Robert Rhu. Photo by Gregory Wilson. | | More than 30 students from the Kent State University School of Fashion bring the runway to life with nightly shows featuring bold new looks. Photo by Gregory Wilson. | | Ingenuity Education Coordinator Susie Underwood leads design thinking challenges in partnership with Central State University Extension. Photo by Gregory Wilson. | | The Ingenuity DREAMshop, curated by Rebecca Groth, presented experimental new performance works on a rotating basis all weekend long. Photo by Mark Horning. | | The Crystal Palace Stage, curated by Uno Lady, hosted Stephan Haluska Harp, along with dozens of acts that blended electronics and light with soundscapes and live instruments. | |
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!
We're so grateful to these partners, and we're gearing up for an even more outstanding 2026! Want to join us to make a difference in Cleveland?
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Ingenuity Cleveland ignites the creative spark of creativity among artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators of all types through joy and collaboration, in service to social progress. With our year-round programming, including the annual IngenuityFest, we inspire audiences, push boundaries, and generate economic impact, all while changing attitudes about our region!
Ingenuity is also a founding member of the Hamilton Collaborative. We are redefining growth and innovation as an open, intentional community, managed cooperatively. We provide tools, space, and knowledge to a broad community.
Ingenuity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with federal tax ID 20-2031718.
Any donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
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