No, there definitely weren’t any ninjas in ancient Pompeii. But starting in March, there will be Theater Ninjas in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 destroyed, yet paradoxically preserved the ancient city of Pompeii, providing a vivid glimpse into the daily lives of ancient Romans. Since the rediscovery of the site in the 1700s, centuries of leading artists—from Piranesi, Ingres, and Alma-Tadema to Duchamp, Rothko, Warhol, and Gormley — have been inspired to re-imagine it in paintings, sculpture, photographs, performance and film.

We all see, interpret, and maybe even produce hundreds or even thousands of photographs every day. Photos are the dominant communications medium of our time. If the Cleveland Image Festival wins one of the grants offered by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, you will have opportunities to up your visual literacy skills; to view and make; to express yourself visually; and to celebrate imaging from daguerreotypes to digital and beyond.