News & Updates

Studio West 117 unveils new mural by Cleveland artists Stina Aleah and Aja Joi Grant

Stina Aleah wasn’t always an artist. Five years ago, she suffered a sports-related injury and turned to painting as a creative outlet. At Studio West 117, splashes of her work color the walls above a mezzanine-level walking track. The mural, which Aleah created in collaboration with Cleveland portrait photographer Aja Joi Grant, was unveiled as […]

West 117 Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League will make sure no kid is left on the sidelines: Leslie Kouba

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The NBA All Star Weekend is nearly upon Cleveland. And hopefully, our city will show up dressed to the nines and ready to impress our guests. But when all the glitz, glam, and clamor is done, we, the city’s people, will still be right here – going to work, avoiding potholes, picking […]

Yards Projects Reveal Showcase to Benefit West 117 Foundation

The West 117 Foundation, Inc. was established in 2020 with a mission to provide leadership to Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ community to raise private sector funds, steward the assets received, and make grants in support of entrepreneurship, arts, culture, health and human services, and other relevant programs. From rental subsidies to arts and cultural programming to entrepreneurship […]

Thrift shop provides trans, nonbinary people with clothing, community

Margie’s Closet opened on June 5 to help transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive people buy clothing at an affordable cost. Located in Ohio, Margie’s Closet is the first thrift shop in the state designed to help the transgender community by offering clothing and emotional support. The store, founded by the organization Margie’s Hope, sells an extensive […]