Google Arts & Culture partners with 18 local institutions to bring a digital celebration of Cleveland music, arts, history, food and more to the world

Today Google and the Mayor of Cleveland announced the company is partnering with 18 world-class Cleveland institutions to bring the city’s culture –past and present –online on its Google Arts & Culture platform and app at goo.gle/explorecleveland. Cleveland is the sixth US city to launch on Google Arts & Culture. With 18+ partners, 80+ stories, 37,000+ artifacts, 90+ videos, and 54+ sites captured in 360° Museum Street View, the project celebrates the city’s cultural DNA as an industrial giant with cultural refinement.

Through Google Arts & Culture, online visitors from around the world will be able to access specially curated selections from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibitions like It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment. It’s Been Said All Along invites you to listen and amplify the stories of generations of musicians who have responded in song and action to promote social justice and equality; where words and music and passion converge to create something bigger that cuts into the rage, gives hope and radiates empowerment. Through Google Arts & Culture, visitors can get up close and personal to not only the handwritten lyrics for “Fight the Power” but also the beaded gown worn by Aretha Franklin during her first appearance at Radio City Music Hall. From the artifact images, video and exhibits shared in Google Arts & Culture, visitors can dig even deeper into these musicians, their music and stories through recommended related resources available from other museums, collections and stories from around the world.

Examples: 

• With the help of indoor Street View online visitors will be able to take themselves on a virtual tour of gallery spaces devoted to not only rock’s earliest artists but emerging musicians of today.   
• For the first time, online visitors can discover past and present exhibits, including The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be, the groundbreaking exhibition curated as a complement to Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back docuseries, side-by-side with selections from Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll, a 2019-2021 exhibition curated with The Metropolitan Museum of Art that explored the deep connections between rock instruments, musicians and their audiences. 
•  Online visitors can also experience interactive stories about the history of NEO Sound through features on Northeast Ohio bands, Cleveland R&B, and local rock photographer Anastasia Pantsios..  

“Google Arts & Culture is thrilled to present Cleveland to the world on our platform,” said Surya Tubach, US Lead, Google Arts & Culture. “Thanks to our 18 local partners, now everyone can experience the art, culture, food, and music that makes Cleveland an American gem at one online destination.”

On Google Arts & Culture, people will be able to explore artworks, archives, and videos from 18 institutions around Cleveland.

• Zoom into high resolution artworks from local artists like Ora Coltman, and even project some paintings in augmented reality wherever you are.
• Take virtual tours around different Cleveland institutions – like the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
• Discover stories about how Cleveland shaped American manufacturing
• Get to know the city’s beloved sports teams, and even get some tips on where to find the best hidden gem restaurants in the city from local food writer, Lisa Sands.

Cleveland is the sixth city in the U.S. to be featured in Google Arts & Culture’s global initiative to capture and share the unique culture of cities. Along with Kansas City, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, joins European cultural hubs on the platform including Milan and Naples, Italy, Lyon, France, and Hamburg, Germany. Now, anyone, anywhere can experience Cleveland by downloading Google Arts & Culture’s Android or iOS app or by visiting Google Arts & Culture.

About Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2,500 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. If Google’s mission is to make the world’s information more accessible, then Arts & Culture’s mission is to make the world’s culture accessible to anyone, anywhere. It’s your doorway to explore art, history, and wonders of the world. Discover stories about cultural heritage ranging from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings, Puerto Rico’s heritage, Sports in Australia or the women’s right movement to ancient Maya temples, Japanese Food and Indian Railways.

About the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

Rock Connects Us. Our mission is clear: To engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock & roll. We share stories of the people, events, and songs that shape our world through digital content, innovative exhibits, live music, and engaging programs. At the Rock Hall, we are dedicated to making a difference. We intentionally foster a diverse and equitable Museum that encourages and embraces creativity and innovation. As a community leader, we value, empower, and respect all people. Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion is more than just a policy. It supports our mission and defines our future. Join the millions who love it as much as you do. Experience us live or online – Visit rockhall.com or follow the Rock Hall on Facebook (@rockandrollhalloffame), Twitter (@rockhall), Instagram (@rockhall), TikTok (@RockHallFame), and YouTube (youtube.com/rockhall). Long Live Rock!