Introducing an All-New Fest: Weapons of Mass Creation (May 22 + 23)

Cleveland Plus is home to some pretty artsy community festivals. SparxCity Hop, Cleveland International Film Festival, Cain Park Arts Festival, Ingenuity and Parade the Circle are among them. But an edgy new addition is entering the scene this year . . . the Weapons of Mass Creation arts, film and music fest is slated to debut May 22 + 23 at Parish Hall in the Gordon Square Arts District. The brainchild of Jeff Finley, co-owner of Go Media, the two-day event features a pretty impressive array of designers, illustrators, entrepreneurs, musicians and filmmakers showcasing their talents and participating in roundtable discussions and workshops. Excited to see a new event on the artistic horizon, we gave Finley a call to explore his vision for Weapons of Mass Creation. Here’s a little of what he had to say: 

SF: What got you started on this idea? 

JF: I’d been going to events like Gainesville’s The Fest and Berea Fest and thinking they were inspiring. I even did a poster for the DIT Fest in Kent. I liked the bands at these festivals, but even more I liked initiative people were taking to organize these events. It was really positive.  I decided I wanted to have a little artistic control and curate my own event. I just felt compelled . . . like someone needs to do this so it’s gonna be me. And I was pretty passionate about having arts and film incorporated in to whatever I was creating. 

SF: How would you sum up this festival? 

JF:  It’s being proud individuals who do things that are out of the ordinary. It’s a celebration of creative visionaries who defy the hand they’re dealt. Weapons of Mass Creation is targeted to innovators on the DIY music scene (including illustrators and artists who do work for bands) and to people interested in the cult film scene. There’s going to be workshops, film screenings, an art gallery and live music. 

SF: A festival is a huge undertaking, though. Who’s helping you? 

JF: There’s a group of really amazing people who have offered to help and over time it’s become less of “my” event and more of a community effort. They’ve challenged me to grow the thing and make it much bigger than I originally intended. I really feel it’s starting to become a Cleveland thing. 

SF: You’re hoping for several hundred people your inaugural year. How can we get tix? 

JF: You can buy tickets online now at wmcfest or buy them at door. It’s just $15 for a day, $25 for the whole weekend and $40 for deluxe pass with a poster and t-shirt. 

Weapons of Mass Creation is just around the corner and some artistic friends (like designer ”Pants” Sechrist or illustrator and cartoonist George Coghill who did all of Positively Cleveland’s staff avatars) are scheduled to be a part of it all. Hope to see you there! –Submitted by SF

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