Additionally, the city of Dublin will be hosting their annual St. Patty’s Day parade on Saturday at 11am. The city of Columbus will hold their Downtown parade on Wednesday at 10:30am.

No matter how you choose to celebrate, be safe and have fun!

We recently caught up with Cassandra over the phone to find out more about her performance art, her video work, and what motivates her.

Q: Some artists tend to limit themselves to one particular medium, but you seem to have multiple foci. Is there any certainly way you typically describe what you do?

A: If anything, I consider myself to be a multi-disciplinary artist. What I sometimes like to say is ‘cultural producer’, which means that you think of yourself in terms of the type of ideas and culture that that one can instigate or create rather than the physical production of objects. So, I do video and I do performance work, but I also do things like lectures or panel discussions or hold food fights or parades or other sorts of happenings. I think there are certain ideas that are better explored through certain mediums, so it’s all about finding the particular outlet for each position.

Q: In a culture largely dominated by traditional visual art, can that sometimes be hard to explain, or difficult for people to understand?

A: It’s easy for some people to understand, but for others it can be interesting on multiple levels. Or at least that’s what I hope it to be. I think my work is something that I can talk to my grandmother about. She can understand the appeal in holding a food fight… but at the same time, for people who are more invested in what art means, it’s also provoking the questions of “Is this art and what’s the purpose of doing it in this space?” So yeah, I think it maybe can be confusing, but I’d rather think of it as something that can challenging people’s expectations.

Q: You publish a lot of your video work online, which presents your work in a very global space. What sort of feedback or reactions do you get online, and how does it differ from a more localized exhibition?

A: For me, some of my videos have gone a bit viral and I’ve connected with other video artists and people who are working with experimental video throughout the world. Finding people and building a community that way has been interesting for me. I think it’s also really important that my work remains visible and it’s displayed in an egalitarian manner and that it’s not something that is limited and restricted to people of a certain class or certain geographic location. Online video is also beneficial due to the different ways you can collaborate or create your own venues for exposure. Some artists can get caught up in the idea of needing a show to be able to have people see their paintings, but there’s other ways that you can create discourse and share your ideas beyond the context of a gallery.

Q: What sort of education, training or experiences have shaped you as an artist?

A: I received my BA from OSU and I actually studied the history of art and film studies… but at the same time I was also studying French and German and film and philosophy and taking art seminars. I had a very personally crafted education. For me, things get interesting when you combine different assets. All of it has shaped and broadened my perspective. I originally got interested in video because I was studying and writing about it, and I’m still interested in the act of writing itself. Through the process of writing, you can better understand the crux of your work. I feel that artists are able to develop much more vibrantly if you’re able to articulate what you want to say beyond what the painting or project says for you.

Q: According to your website, you live and work between Berlin and Columbus. What’s the connection with Berlin?

A: My partner lives in Berlin… he’s German and an architect and so he’s moved back and forth. I was living there for awhile and I’m about to go back next month. There’s an artist I’ve met there who looks at art collectives and is working on a project where she’s talking to American artists who live in Berlin. There’s a lot of interesting things going on in Berlin for American artists, and she’s looking at what is so significant about Berlin. Right now I think there’s a really burgeoning art community there that’s based in the collective actions of people who come together to form these new spaces that provide more opportunity and a good sense of community. It’s difficult to find these sort of space or venues in places like New York. So I think that’s one of the allures of Berlin for many people, and certainly is for me.

Q: How do you think that compares with Columbus? Do you see similar instances of openness or community within the arts scene here?

A: I think the art scene in Columbus is definitely changing, and in a good way. If Wonderland goes through in the way that they want it to, that will really be a great thing. If anything though, I’m guilty of falling into the whole “hating Columbus mindset” just because I was born and raised here. It’s nothing against Columbus… but there is the necessity of moving to different places and expanding. I do think there are definitely many people who are dedicated to Columbus though, and I think that’s really fantastic. This city does have possibilities.

Q: Well… the reason I got in touch with you for this feature, is due to a recommendation from a friend who knew that you were recently mentioned on CU as the “Crazy girl on the roof on Gay Street“…

A: (laughs) That’s so funny! I saw that on the messageboard right after it happened. I was with Justin Luna the Gallery Director of ROYGBIV… he was on the roof with me, and then afterward he was posting something on CU about the panel discussion event and so he saw that and showed it to me. It was literally right after it happened, and I was like “Oh my god… I’m the crazy girl on the roof!” (laughs)

Q: So that was a performance piece up there I take it?

A: Yeah. I found the thread really interesting… especially that some people were making claims that I was either drunk or high… or making assumptions about what I was saying. But yeah, it was really interesting to see people asking what was going on, because it wasn’t presented like that… it was just sort of a happening. Some people happened to see or hear it and didn’t know what it was, so people were trying to interpret what it could possibly be.

Q: Do you have any other events or exhibitions coming up soon?

A: I’m actually in Chicago right now. There’s a video trilogy that I’ve been working on with one of my video collaborators, Stacy Sells, and the premiere screening is here in Chicago. So, that’s happening on March 16th, but that’s not really for people in Columbus. But yeah… I have some other unannounced actions planned, but at the moment nothing that’s going to be announced in advance. The things that I have happening will just happen, and people will discover it for themselves.

More information about Cassandra can be found at CassandraTroyan.com.

“One of the great things about this event, is that we get to see a visual representation of the great wealth and diversity of foods that Ohio has to offer,” said Jill Moorhead, Marketing Director at The Hills Market. “Ohio is blessed with an ever-improving infrastructure for creating new products.”

Two new purveyors are joining the ranks of the featured products: Zapico Foods and Lucky Penny Farm. All together, over two dozen Ohio-based companies will be demonstrating their products from 10am to 2pm at the event on Saturday.

“People who attend Ohio Market Day will be speaking to the creators and owners of the Ohio products,” added Jill. “We like to make sure that this is an educational event and that our customers can get face time with these incredible people.”

Additionally, beer samples from Midwestern breweries can be found indoors in the store’s wine department and Columbus-based CrimsonCup will be serving coffee on the veranda.

“All in all, this day is an exciting and inspiring day,” said JIll. “The central Ohio food community will be vibrantly represented this Saturday.”

Additional information can be found online at www.thehillsmarket.com.

If you get an “official” check in the mail, is it a windfall, or an invitation to identify theft? Will the promise of a financial lifeline you hear on the radio or television help you avoid foreclosure, or will it cost you your home and future financial security?

In reality, it is nearly impossible these days for a consumer to distinguish honest options from fraudulent marketing. Because the Ohio Attorney General’s office is often the destination point for consumers who have been cheated, we decided to create a real-time way to share that information with as many people as possible before they are harmed.

An online tool called a widget is our way to share scam alerts quickly. The Attorney General’s “scam widget” looks like a Web banner advertisement, but the little orange box is actually a link to my office, and offers these features:

• A news feed which displays a very short message about the latest scam making the rounds. Click on the words to see more information and what to do next. My office will continually update the alerts as we find out about new scams
• A button to report a scam. Consumers can alert my office to questionable practices in an online form. Fill out the form to tell us about the scam, or make a formal complaint if you need assistance from my office.
• Help us thwart scammers by beating them at their own game by sharing information. Copy the scam widget to your social networking pages, or make it available through the Web site of organizations you are involved with.

Flash Player is required.

I would like to thank the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio for being the first of our partners to use the Scam Alert widget, and we hope others will as well. More information is available at OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ScamAlertWidget.

Also, consumers who feel that they have been cheated in the marketplace can conveniently file a complaint with my office over the telephone by calling (800) 282-0515 or online at www.SpeakOutOhio.gov.

With these tools, consumers can get the information they need to protect themselves against the scam artists who try to exploit them.

Richard Cordray is Ohio Attorney General. For updates on consumer protection issues, visit OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/SignUp.

The wall gallery will feature a different Columbus artist each month. “We’re really excited to bring a gallery into the shop; it’ll add great energy to the space,” said Olivera Bratich, owner of Wholly Craft. “I’m not experienced in running a gallery or working with artists, so it seemed just out of reach. Then along comes Stephanie, who’s an amazing curator and all around great person. I know that our customers will really appreciate this element of the shop.”

Stephanie is a true pioneer when it comes to sharing and showcasing art. “I believe in creating art spaces where they didn’t previously exist,” she said. “Our goal with the wall gallery is for art and craft to complement and elevate each other. We want to give artists another venue to gain exposure for their work and offer Wholly Craft customers a taste of what community artists are creating.”

Accessibility will be a key feature of the wall gallery. “The art in the gallery will complement the aesthetic of the shop, which is pretty laid-back with a healthy dose of fun, humor, and charming beauty,” Olivera said. In addition to the large wall at the back of the shop, artists will build full window installations in one of Wholly Craft’s two bay windows. They’ll be given complete freedom with designing the installations.

The first wall gallery exhibit will be Carolyn Slebodnik’s I’m still bitter I didn’t get ‘most artistic’ in high school. The opening reception will take place this Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00. Carolyn is a freshman at CCAD who describes her artwork as “incredibly emo, incredibly inappropriate, incredibly funny, and sometimes just incredibly confusing.” This will be her first solo exhibit. “The paintings in this show are all about me longing for the future,” she said. Her paintings will be on display through April 5.

Wine, beer, and snacks will be served at the opening reception. Artists who are interested in exhibiting at the gallery should email a resume and 10 images to whollycraftart@yahoo.com. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page, whollycraft.net, and whollycraft.blogspot.com.

Alexandra Kelley is a featured writer for Columbus Underground and can be reached at alexandra477.com.

In 1810, Ohio had 230,760 people, with 55% under age 16 and over 99% who were white. “Spirits distilled” was the top manufacturing category in product value. The last 200 years have seen Ohio transition from rural to urban to suburban development patterns and from agriculture to manufacturing to services economies. Ohio has grown more populous and older, with 11.5 million residents in 2008 who had a median age of 38.2 years. The state is more diverse than ever, with African Americans at 12% of the population and fast-growing Hispanic and Asian populations that each nearly doubled from 1990 to 2008.

This Data Byte is a part of CRP’s activities to help promote the 2010 Census. In March 2010, the Census Bureau will mail census forms to households to count every U.S. resident. Most households will receive forms in the middle of the month. Census data will help determine the allocation of $400 billion annually in federal funding for infrastructure, schools, public services, and other community investments. The results will also affect the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The full report can be read here: Celebrating 200 Years of the Census in Ohio (PDF).

The Crew, however, will be without the service of Captain Frankie Hejduk and 2008 MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who are both suspended for the match due to exceeding the limit of Yellow cards in the Group Stage of the tournament. Columbus will also be without 2009 MLS Defender of the Year, Chad Marshall, who suffered a hamstring injury while training for the upcoming MLS season in Arizona. Columbus, which lost forward Alejandro Moreno to Philadelphia in the expansion draft, will look to fill the void left by Schelotto with newly acquired Colombian striker Sergio Herrera. Coach Robert Warzycha will also count on performances from US National Team members Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven, who look to impress National team manager Bob Bradley in hopes of getting the call to represent the US in the World Cup this summer.

Toluca will look to reverse the curse of Crew Stadium that has plagued those that represent Mexico. El Tri (The Mexican National Team) has lost their last two visits to Columbus Crew Stadium, both to the final score of 2-0. Los Choriceros will also be without center back, Edgar Duenas, who was also suspended due to the accrual of yellow cards in the group stages.

The second game of this home and home total goals series will take place on March 17th at La Bombonera, the oldest soccer stadium in Mexico, and home of Toluca. The winner of this series will advance to face the winner of Pachuca (Mexico) vs. Comunicaciones (Guatemala). Those games will take place on March 30th and April 7th.

The Crew/ Deportivo Toluca F.C . match will take place at 8:00, March 9th. Television broadcast will be on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. Tickets are available starting at $25 for adults, $20 for youth at the ticket office, Ticketmaster or by calling 614-447-CREW.

“I’m certainly not going to change the core concept,” said Kathleen. “Pete and Jon knew what they were doing. Our customers are passionate about certain menu items, so instead we’re going to add on to what they’ve already done.”

Over the course of the next year, Café Corner will undergo some deliberately slow and gradual changes. “We want to make it a little more full service,” added Kathleen. “We’re eventually going to redo the entire interior, add another bathroom, get a beer & wine license, and add some new permanent menu items for the evenings.”

Such a major project might sound overwhelming to most first-time restaurant owners, but Kathleen’s up to the task with a diverse background that encompasses marketing, decorating and design in addition to cooking.

“I’m sometimes skeptical when I read articles about someone who’s been in marketing for 15 years thinking they can run a restaurant,” joked Kathleen. “But it’s important for people to know that I have been catering for 20-plus years. I learned to cook in France, and that’s where my love of food really came about.”

The menu at Café Corner currently remains mostly unchanged outside of a few daily specials, and the upcoming menu additions are still being worked out. “Nothing on the menu is set in stone, but I like the idea of adding little Latin twists to everything,” said Kathleen. “My idea of good food comes from using really fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. We want to create food that feels special, but also feels comforting. The type of food that you’d find in the Spanish country-side… nothing pretentious, just really tasty and made with high-quality ingredients.”

The patio at Café Corner is well known as a neighborhood summertime staple, and there are updates also planned for it. “I don’t have a green thumb at all,” said Kathleen, “so I’m going to get a landscaper friend to make the patio more green and inviting. We’d eventually like to make it a three-season patio and use some of the newer tent-like structures and heat lamps that look a bit more elegant.”

Additionally, Kathleen’s husband Neil is lending a hand in the transformation process. “He has years and years of front-of-the-house experience,” said Kathleen. “He and I have probably washed more dishes than we ever wanted to… but we don’t mind getting our hands dirty. I think that at the end of the day we’ll be making sure that people are aware that Café Corner is still the same great place.”

More information can be found online at www.CafeCornerColumbus.com.

To enter to win, simply log in and post a reply to this topic! The deadline to enter for today’s giveaway is midnight tonight. Five names will be drawn at random, and the winners will each receive two free will call admissions. Additional tickets can be purchased online here.

Update: This contest has ended. Congrats to our winners!

“What we’re trying to do is offer a few traditional Latin sandwiches as well as some familiar items with a Latin twist,” said Guillermo. “We want our menu to showcase items that people feel comfortable with.”

The menu primarily consists of sandwiches, entrees, sides, desserts and beverages.

“One of the cool things we’re doing is marinading and slow-roasting our own turkey, roast beef and pork,” added Guillermo. “One of our most popular items at the Pearl Market was our braised pork that we then fry and serve with picked red onions and sweet potato mayo.”

The small cafe will primarily service as a take-out establishment, as their indoor seating only accommodates around 10 people at a time. “We will also be doing some catering, and eventually want to offer delivery as well,” said Guillermo.

The cafe will be open from 10am to 4pm on Monday through Friday to start. “If there’s demand, we’ll look into expanding our hours and adding Saturdays,” said Guillermo.