© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News
To contact us with news tips, story ideas or other related information, e-mail newsstaff@ideastream.org.

An Arty Shelter From the Cold

As Ross Nelson basks in the 70 degree Atrium, he's prepared to meet the cold
As Ross Nelson basks in the 70 degree Atrium, he's prepared to meet the cold

A sunny, blue sky illuminates the Art Museum's new 39,000 square foot Atrium. Although the temperature is 19 degrees outside, it's a balmy 70 degrees under the arching glass ceiling. Parents bring kids here to run around when school's closed on snow days, and the museum's Aaron Petersal says the Atrium is also a popular spot for seniors looking to avoid the ice and get in a little physical therapy

AARON PETERSAL: You can see that they have their little pedometers on and they're making sure that they're getting their steps in.

Petersal says he's seen an uptick in foot traffic as the temperature has dropped. Sitting nearby in a sidewalk cafe next to a grove of bamboo trees, out-of-state visitor Ross Nelson says it's good to catch a break from the cold --- though he's seen worse:

ROSS NELSON: To tell you the truth, I'm from Minnesota, and I'm more used to it than a lot of people.

Sarah Johnson works at nearby Case Western Reserve University and says it's quite a contrast to come here for lunch, after suffering through a frozen car door, earlier in the morning.

SARAH JOHNSON: So, it's a little bit more extreme than the usual Cleveland winter, but it's almost over. Right?

If only. The forecast is for temperatures to drop back into the single digits, Thursday.

David C. Barnett was a senior arts & culture reporter for Ideastream Public Media. He retired in October 2022.