Circle of culture

It doesn’t take long for first-year students to notice the cultural riches all around them. Case students are shaped not only by their academic programs but by University Circle, which some call the busiest square mile of arts and culture in the nation. 

That title just became a little more official. In May, readers of USA Today voted University Circle the No. 1 arts district in the country. The campus neighborhood — which includes the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Maltz Performing Arts Center and Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra — beat out arts districts in Minneapolis, Dallas, Baltimore and Miami to win the 2021 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest. 

“We’ve known for years – and now the rest of the nation will know as well – that some of the best art in the country can be found right here in our own backyard,” Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Inc., said in a press release. 

Added William Griswold, director and president of the Cleveland Museum of Art, “We very much look forward to welcoming visitors from our region and around the globe to enjoy our exhibitions and renowned collection.” 

More than 40 nonprofit and cultural organizations are located in University Circle, and many of them are cheap or free to students.