Often one must mingle in the nightmares of the past and traipse through the horrors of memory to place themselves within the context of history, to learn, to see, and to share in experience. Thus, the Holocaust, although an echo of terror, is often visualized and commemorated in art. "Prejudice and Memory" is an exhibit of personal objects, photographs, and articles direct from the hands of Holocaust survivors and their liberators, whose own faces appear in photograph along the walls, powerfully enforcing realism and the importance of remembrance. Modern photographs of concentration camps are intertwined with the treasures, juxtaposing past and present, and the faculty of prejudice and memory. The exhibit runs through Nov. 29 at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. Call 1-800-653-64446 for further information.

Suppose Marilyn Monroe was to linger across the very same stage as Lady Day, while Cole Porter and Mendelssohn simultaneously funnel through together, and ballerinas spin in fantastical trances, concocting an entire new vision of dance? The result would culminate in this season's grand opening of the Cleveland San José Ballet, which takes place Oct. 30 - Nov. 1. The performance will include "Moments," a new ballet by artistic director Dennis Nahat, "Strange Fruits," Oscar Hawkin's ballet inspired by Billie Holiday, and "Marilyn" and "Grand Pas de Dix," also works by Nahat. The four works captivate The State Theatre in Cleveland, with shows at 2 and 8 pm. Call 1-800-766-6048 for tickets.

Cleveland's Phantasmagoria Gallery invites the spooks and spirits that wander freely in the autumn air inside for the celebration of El Dia de Los Muertos Oct. 30-31. The festival, a Mexican version of All Hallows Eve, will feature an art sale of pottery, wood and paper mach� sculptures, and miniature figurines and scenes, along with refreshments, door prizes, and numerous discounts. The highlight of the event will be the elaborate central altar of marigolds, a traditional piece, where visitors may both view relics and place items of their own for devotion. Gallery hours are from 12 to 5:30 pm. Telephone 216-791-7141, for elaboration on the event.

The politics and traditional tonalities of China come to Cleveland in "East Meets West," Nov. 1, at 8 pm. The vivid concert will feature Cheng-Zong Yin, hailed as China's best pianist in the New York Times, against the backdrop of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, under the direction of Louis Lane. The famous "Yellow River Concerto", co-written by Yin, will be the focal point of the performance. Conceived during the Cultural Revolution, when the Western piano was viewed as criminal in the eyes of the repressive Chinese government, the piece is a bold statement of rebellion and the spirit of artistry. Yet, when it premiered, its sultry echoes of traditional Chinese melodies soon soothed the restraints imposed by the authorities, and within a few years its voice resonated from virtually every piano in the country. Sunday's concert at Severance Hall will also include Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5," and "Coriolanus Overture," and "Landscapes," by the contemporary Chinese composer Wen-Chung Chou. For tickets, call 1-800-686-1141.

A sinister array of monstrosity explodes upon the screen in the 1932 classic The Old Dark Horse, directed by the Bride of Frankenstein's James Whale. This maniacal tale of murder and mayhem within the walls of a ghoulish mansion combines both comedy and suspense in one of the greatest horror films of all time. The picture stars Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, and Gloria Stuart of Titanic fame. Just in time for Halloween, the show begins at 7 pm Oct. 30, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and will be preceded by The Haunted House, a 1921 silent film by Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline.

The voice of the people rains forth in the visual icons of international artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid at the Akron Museum of Art. In the spirit of democracy, Komar and Melamid's works are actually fabricated based upon public opinion polls, often creating surreal landscapes of such diverse locales as Russia, Germany, Turkey, and even Akron. The paintings serve as a form a social commentary, in the spirit of this week's Election Day. Komar and Melamid: The Peoples Choice appears through Nov. 15. Museum hours are daily from 11 am to 5 pm. Phone 330-376-9185 for further details.

More than one hundred intense artifacts and objects unite in a complex embodiment of West and Central African culture in the Soul of Africa: African Art from the Han Coray Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, on view through Jan. 3. As a testament to the diverse history of the African people, the exhibit explores the traditional elements of everyday life with masks, figures, household relics, personal items, and musical instruments. Focusing on objects of both function and beauty, the exhibit exposes the heart of Africa, capturing its essence for those in Northern Ohio.