Cleveland aims to add a senior-level arts leader to the Bibb administration
Bureaucracy busters rejoice: The city of Cleveland is planning to create a senior-level position for the arts, culture, and the creative economy to serve as the point person for the arts at city hall and help bridge the gap with local artists, according to a presentation to city council by planning director Joyce Huang earlier this month…
Source: The Land, Lee Chilcote
Date: March 1, 2023
Art Ball
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023AT THE MADISON
Assembly for the Arts is excited to announce our inaugural Art Ball to celebrate those who support the arts and to showcase the wealth of arts and culture that makes Cleveland a leading arts city! The Art Ball is going to be a signature arts event for our community and a key fundraiser for Assembly. Together we sparkle!
Registration is now closed.
Can’t attend? Consider a donation to help us reach the goal!
ABOUT THE ART BALL
Assembly works to expand the pie of resources and increase racial equity for greater Cleveland’s $9.1B creative sector. In the last year, Assembly has successfully secured more than $6.3M in public ARPA funds to support cultural nonprofits, individual artists, and cultural businesses in our communities. We’ve also engaged BIPOC creatives in fellowship opportunities, entrepreneurial, career-advancement, and networking opportunities. The Art Ball is a fundraiser to help us keep that momentum going!
Schedule
2023 Honoree: Tony Panzica
About the Artists
Recognition: Tony Panzica
A special award will be presented to Tony Panzica, CEO/President, Panzica Construction Company, for his longstanding and committed support and leadership to the arts community.
Access
The Madison entrances and restrooms are accessible for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility supports. Assembly for the Arts encourages people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical or communications access provided, please call (216) 575-0331, x128 or email info@assemblycle.org in advance.
MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
PLATINUM
GOLD
APRIL MILLER BOISE & DAVID WILLBRAND
CHANN FOWLER-SPELLMAN
JEREMY V. JOHNSON
RICHARD W. POGUE
SILVER
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Dealer Tire
Downtown Cleveland Alliance
RPM International Inc.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Ulmer & Berne LLP
BRONZE
Arts Impact
Beck Center for the Arts
Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Carol Bachmann
Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Drs Nancy Wolf and Aric Greenfield
Gunton Corp./Pella Windows and Doors
Adrian and Margaret Krudy
LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
McDonald Hopkins LLC
Medical Mutual
Robert P. Madison International
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Charna E. Sherman
Skylight Financial Group
The Foundry Project Arts Incubator
The NRP Group
The Sherwin-Williams Company
Western Reserve Historical Society
Vocon
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
LEVELS
DIAMOND: $25,000 Presenting Sponsor includes 2 tables to invite 16 of your VIPs to the Art Ball. The sponsor also receives a 1/2 page Ad in the print program and logo on event signage. Your logo will appear prominently in the special e-newsletter to over 6,700 people. You’ll be mentioned in social media posts a minimum of 6x times promoting the event. You have the option to select 1 activation, and will make brief welcome remarks for up to 2 minutes from the stage.
PLATINUM: $10,000 Sponsor includes 1 table to invite 8 of your VIPs to the Art Ball. The sponsor also receives a 1/4 page ad in the print program and logo on event signage. Your logo will appear in the special e-newsletter to over 6,700 people. You’ll be mentioned in social media posts a minimum of 4x times promoting the event. You have the option to select 1 activation.
GOLD: $5,000 Sponsor includes 1 table to invite 8 of your VIPs to the Art Ball. Your name will be listed in the Art Ball print program. Your logo will appear in the special e-newsletter to over 6,700 people. You’ll be mentioned in social media posts a minimum of 2x times promoting the event.
SILVER: $2,500 Sponsor includes 4 admissions to the Art Ball, your name listed in the Art Ball print program, and your name listed in special e-newsletter to over 6,700 people.
BRONZE: $1,000 Sponsor includes 2 admissions to the Art Ball and your name listed in the Art Ball print program
ACTIVATIONS
Activations are available to Diamond and Platinum sponsors on a first come, first served basis.
- valet
- cocktail hour
- bar
- signature cocktail
- merch in gift bag
- signature entertainment
- photo opportunity
- after party
Don’t see something listed? Let’s connect!
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture approves 2023 grants for six organizations
Source: Karin Connelly Rice, Freshwater Cleveland
Date: December 15, 2022
Abstract: At its regular meeting of the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture board of trustees yesterday, Wednesday, Dec. 14, the board voted to approve six Northeast Ohio arts organizations for 2023 grant funding.
The board approved resident-led arts and culture grants to Neighborhood Connections and ioby in our own back yards). Neighborhood Connections received $60,500 to co-fund resident-led projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland and host five in-person gatherings for artists, arts & culture organizations, and residents in 2023; while ioby received $100,000 for the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Match Fund to support resident-led arts and culture projects in Cuyahoga County in 2023.
Creative Income
|| Thursday, July 13 / 6:00 – 7:30 pm. @ The Brownhoist Building ||
Securing the money needed to maintain a creative practice is often a full-time job. Whether it’s gig work, grant seeking, product sales, commissions, project stipends or multiple part-time jobs, artistic income is typically patchworked together through multiple sources, feeding into the notion that to be an artist is to be a “hustler”. Some of the most common ways creatives make money are through direct grants and direct sales, but what are some alternative methods of earning income and what do we consider equitable wages and compensation for artists? How can we take an active role in redefining our approach to making money as artists and creative businesses and what supports are out there to enable creative workers to work smarter and not harder?
We welcome you to talk with us about how the creative field is earning income and to learn more about supports like fiscal sponsorship, lending and financial institutions, and other methods for accessing and generating capital.
Key Community Voices
Carrie Miller, Acting Director, HFLA of Northeast Ohio
Dale Goode, Independent Visual Artist
Andy Schumann, The Cleveland Art Workers Collective + Independent Musician
Lacy Talley, Independent Artist
Assembly Fiscal Sponsorship overview with Valerie Schumacher, Director of Strategic Initiatives
This conversation hosted as part of REvision, a series of community discussions focused on reimagining and addressing key challenges faced by Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture industry. Register to attend this free conversation.
Date: Thursday, July 13, 2023
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Brownhoist Building 4403 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44103
Creative Spaces
|| Thursday, April 13 / 6:00 – 7:30 pm. @ SPACES Gallery ||
Our creative community is facing a serious issue of access to the space they need to live, work and create. What resources are available to help artists and creative businesses access space to live, work, rehearse, present, and host events? Hear insights from a panel of city officials, artists, and developers. Network and brainstorm real solutions to space access and ownership.
This conversation hosted as part of REvision, a series of community discussions focused on reimagining and addressing key challenges faced by Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture industry. Register to attend this free conversation.
Location: SPACES 2900 Detroit Avenue Cleveland, OH 44113
Key Guest Voices at this conversation:
- Joyce Pan Huang, Director, City of Cleveland Planning Commission
- Aisia Jones, VP of Community Empowerment, MidTown
- Ajha Dean Phillips, Cleveland Black Artist Movement
- Julie Schabel, Wave Space Studio
- Ismail Samad, LOITER
- Sarah Paul, Artist, Associate Professor of Sculpture + Expanded Media, CIA
Registration isn’t required but will help us plan for the best discussion possible.
STATE LEGISLATION GRANTS NEW OPTION TO FUND ARTS NONPROFITS IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY
NEWS RELEASE
Date: January 13, 2023
Media Contact: Malissa Bodmann
216-536-7517
STATE LEGISLATION GRANTS NEW OPTION TO FUND ARTS NONPROFITS IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY
CLEVELAND – The Ohio Legislature, through Senate Bill 164, has given permissive authority to convert Cuyahoga County’s existing cigarette tax from a per-unit tax to a tax based on the percentage of sales and to expand it to include vapor products. Any changes made to the current tax that funds Cuyahoga Arts & Culture would require support of a majority of Cuyahoga County voters casting ballots on the issue. No decision has been made when or if the issue may be placed on an upcoming election ballot.
Senate Bill 164, which was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine, is not a new tax. Rather, it is permissive language that allows the county to decide whether or not to convert and expand the current tax. The bill gives Cuyahoga County and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture the option of placing an issue on the ballot. The current tax, expected to expire in January 2027, would remain in place unless the voters approved converting if. The arts and culture creative sector contributes $9.1 billion to the local economy, providing jobs and helping improve the quality of life.
“Cigarette sales have been declining at a steady pace for decades, leading to a significant declining revenue for Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC),” said Jill Paulsen, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. “CAC, which is funded solely by the excise tax on cigarettes, is the only political subdivision in Cuyahoga County that has declining revenue. CAC has a 15-year track record of supporting arts and culture experiences that have reached millions of residents. We have distributed $230 million in funding since 2007, and it is vital for our vibrant community that public funding for the arts continues.”
Jeremy Johnson, executive director and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, said: “A stable, well-funded creative sector is essential for the vibrancy of our region. We began looking at alternative funding options to help replace the approximately 40% in lost revenues since the inception of the tax. We thank Governor Mike DeWine and our State Legislators for giving Cuyahoga County voters the option to consider new revenue support for arts and culture.”
About:
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) is the region’s largest funder for arts and culture, helping hundreds of organizations in Cuyahoga County connect millions of people to cultural experiences each year. Since 2006, CAC has invested $230 million in over 470 organizations, making our community a more vibrant place to live, work and play. CAC is a separate government entity and a political subdivision of the State of Ohio. For more information, visit cacgrants.org.
Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a focus on advocacy, cultural policy, racial equity initiatives, research, marketing that elevates the region, and services for nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses. It is governed by a volunteer board with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Assembly by design operates in close partnership with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, a government agency, and Assembly for Action, a 501(c)4 political action nonprofit to serve the entire creative sector. Assembly is supported through major funding from: The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture,
Ohio Arts Council, Huntington, KeyBank,The George W. Codrington CharitableFoundation, Fred & Laura Beth Bidwell,and Barbara S. Robinson.www.assemblycle.org
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Assembly's President and CEO, Jeremy Johnson named 2022 Crain's Power 150
2022 Crain’s Power 150
From CEOs and politicians to philanthropists and entrepreneurs, Crain’s “Power 150” list is just a snapshot of those leading some of Northeast Ohio’s most influential organizations and who are in a position to move the region forward.
Jeremy Johnson
President and CEO, Assembly for the Arts
Highlighted involvement: UniversityCircle Inc., AEP6 Equity Task Force for Americans for the Arts
In the news: Following a national search, Assembly for the Arts tapped Johnson, a Cleveland native, to lead the arts and culture startup. The nonprofit, which aims to increase equity in Cleveland’s arts and culture industries, launched in summer 2021 after more than a year of planning by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Arts Cleveland, and the Arts and Culture Action Committee, with support from the Cleveland Foundation and the George Gund Foundation. In its first year, Assembly worked hand in hand with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture to secure $3.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Arts advocates are gathering input to help increase funding in Greater Cleveland
Date: December 19, 2022
By: Signal Cleveland, Olivera Perkins
Abstract:
If you’re attending an arts or cultural event in Cuyahoga County in the next several months, don’t be surprised if volunteers invite you to complete a survey that includes asking what you spent in connection with attending the event.
They’re not being nosey. The volunteers are part of a national effort to document the economic impact of the arts locally and then use these findings as leverage to increase government and other funding for arts.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture awards $560,000 for artists and resident-led programs
Date: December 14
By: Ideastream Public Media | Kabir Bhatia
Abstract:
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture approved more than $560,000 Wednesday at its board meeting for artists and resident-led projects.
“It’s about igniting the power of everyday people to make change in their communities,” said Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Executive Director Jill Paulsen.
ASSEMBLY FOR THE ARTS HIRES CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER
December 5, 2022
Media Contact:
Malissa Bodmann
216-536-7517
ASSEMBLY FOR THE ARTS HIRES CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER
Arts Champion Will Draw on Her Experience with Diverse Artists and Institutions
CLEVELAND, OHIO — Assembly for the Arts has hired arts leader Deidre McPherson as its first Chief Community Officer. McPherson will lead efforts to improve equity and connections among arts nonprofits, individual creatives and small business communities in Northeast Ohio.
Jeremy Johnson, President and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, said McPherson will help the organization achieve its mission to ensure that everyone who lives and works in Greater Cleveland benefits from a diverse and equitable art and cultural sector.
“Deidre is a widely known and respected arts champion. She understands Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture landscape. I’ve seen her work firsthand, leading various initiatives that center the voices of our region’s diverse creatives. She will be a great asset to our team, making connections and expanding efforts to understand and deliver what artists of color and other communities need to thrive,” Johnson said.
Prior to joining Assembly, McPherson held leadership roles at the Cleveland Museum of Art (2017-2021) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (2014-2017). At both institutions, she was responsible for curating and managing events and exhibition-inspired programs designed to create vibrant, socially relevant, and welcoming destinations. Most recently, McPherson was the Director of Artistic and Community Initiatives for FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (2021-2022), where she introduced community engagement practices that focused on uplifting historically marginalized populations of Greater Cleveland.
McPherson said she was drawn to Assembly because it has “has done an incredible job developing an artist and community-centered approach that has a bold and unapologetic focus on eradicating inequities in the arts. Jeremy Johnson, the Assembly board, and staff have put the organization in a strong position with great opportunities ahead. I’m extremely proud to have a chance to work alongside them to build on what’s been accomplished to date.”
“I want artists and our creative community to know that they don’t have to leave Cleveland for larger cities to have a sustainable career,” she said. “We have an arts ecosystem led by bright leaders with visionary ideas that can transform and improve the quality of life in our communities. We have the talent, grit, amenities, and passion to make our city a place where artists and creatives can build, and entrepreneurs can thrive. I’m committed to working with Assembly to support them
in bringing their creative projects to life in ways that help improve the quality of life for Clevelanders, especially in parts of our city that need it the most.”
McPherson earned an MBA in marketing from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in music performance. She serves on the boards of Bike Cleveland, Sankofa Fine Art Plus, and Cleveland VOTES.
ABOUT
Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a focus on advocacy, cultural policy, racial equity initiatives, research, marketing that elevates the region, and services for nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses. It is governed by a volunteer board with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Assembly by design operates in close partnership with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, a government agency, and Assembly for Action, a 501(c)4 political action nonprofit to serve the entire creative sector. Assembly is supported through major funding from: The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Arts Council, Huntington, KeyBank, The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation, Fred & Laura Beth Bidwell, and Barbara S. Robinson. www.assemblycle.org