Board and Staff
Assembly Staff
Jeremy V. Johnson, President & CEO
Jeanita Blue, Marketing and Communications Manager
Abby Del Río, Chief Finance & Operations Officer
Melissa Leuenberger, Finance & Operations Associate
Meg Matko, Director of Community Relationships
Deidre McPherson, Chief Community Officer
Kristin Puch, Senior Researcher and Development Officer
LeAundra Richardson, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, Board Liaison
Valerie Schumacher, Director of Strategic Initiatives
CONSULTANTS
VEES Consulting
Compelling Communications
Equius
Assembly 2022-2023 Board of Trustees
Fred Bidwell (Board Chair), FRONT International
Kathy Blackman, Grog Shop
April Miller Boise, Intel
Lenora Inez Brown, Independent Consultant, Dramaturg
Talise Campbell, Djapo Cultural Arts Institute
Mordecai Cargill, ThirdSpace Action Lab
Carrie Carpenter, Huntington National Bank
Paul Clark, Retired
Kelly Falcone-Hall, Western Reserve Historical Society
Chann Fowler-Spellman, The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation
Phyllis Harris, LGBT Community Center Greater Cleveland
Sandra Madison, Robert P. Madison International Inc
Clyde Miles, The Adcom Group
Christine Nelson, Team NEO
Chinenye Nkemere, Enlightened Solutions
Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia, OverDrive
Tony Panzica, Panzica Construction Company
Barbara Robinson, Retired
Vince Robinson, Larchmere Cultural Arts
Marika Shioiri-Clark, SOSHL Studio
Tony Sias, Karamu House
Paul Westlake, DLR Group
Shanelle Smith Whigham, Keybank
Leonard Young, Morgan Conservatory
Zulma Zabala, The Center for Community Solutions
Ex Officio
Nancy Mendez, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
Michele Scott Taylor, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
Charna Sherman, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (2021-2023)
Aseelah Shareef, Cleveland Arts Prize
Board Transitions. Assembly gratefully acknowledges the service of out-going board members Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia, and ex officio Charna Sherman of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Assembly was saddened by the passing of founding board member Barbara Robinson, a beloved regional and national advocate for arts and culture
Membership
Become an Assembly Member
Your Assembly membership supports our work in advocacy, activism, racial equity, and bringing more creative resources to the arts. As a member, you’ll receive benefits like our Cadence e-newsletter, free or discounted event, one-on-one meetings with our staff, and promotional support for your events. You’ll also have access to resources like artist profiles, the Rapid Action Grant, the Membership Directory, and participation in unique Affinity Groups, in addition to other benefits.
Join us today at https://assemblycle.org/become-a-member/. to become a member and contribute to Greater Cleveland’s thriving arts community.
ClevelandArtsEvents.com
ClevelandArtsEvents.com connects you to Cuyahoga County’s vibrant arts and culture scene. Cleveland Arts Events is supported by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, in collaboration with Assembly for the Arts.
With ClevelandArtsEvents.com, you can easily navigate through a wide range of events and opportunities. Whether you’re an artist looking to exhibit your work or a musician seeking grants and funding or an audience member seeking the latest events information, this website covers it.
2022-2023 Members of Assembly for the Arts
Corporate, Small Business, Nonprofit Members
- America SCORES Cleveland
- Art Therapy Studio
- Artists Archives of the Western Reserve
- Arts Impact
- ATNSC: Center for Healing and Creative Leadership
- Avidity Art Development
- Barbara's Fiber Art
- Beck Center for the Arts
- Borderlight Festival
- Broadway School of Music & the Arts
- CAP ACADEMY
- Chagrin Arts
- City of Shaker Heights
- Cleveland Arts Education Consortium
- Cleveland Clinic Arts & Medicine
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- Cleveland Institute of Music
- Cleveland Jazz Orchestra
- Cleveland Print Room
- Collective Arts Network
- Culey Design
- Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
- Dance Evert
- Dobama Theatre
- Foundry Project Arts Incubator
- Gray Panther Media
- Greater Cleveland Film Commission
- Greater Cleveland Urban Film Foundation
- GroundWorks DanceTheater
- Happy Dog
- Heights Arts
- In Harmony Therapeutic Services
- Janus Small Associates
- Julie Schenkelberg
- Kings & Queens of Art
- LAND studio
- LatinUs Theater Company
- LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
- Margaret Reardon Marketing
- moCa Cleveland
- Mojuba Dance Collective
- Palmer Event Solutions
- Pinwheel Gallery
- RBI Sound
- resolute, LLC
- Rhythmic Art Studio Inc
- T.E.T. Entertainment LLC
- The 961 Collective
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- The Cleveland Orchestra
- The Cogent Company
- The Dark Room Co.
- The Sculpture Center
- University Circle Inc.
- Vanessa Faith Art LLC
- Waterloo Arts
Individual Members
- Kamal Abdul-Alim
- Andrew Bednarski, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
- Dar'Jon Bentley
- Rachel Bernstein, Heights Arts
- Mansa Bey, Read.Write.Recite Literacy Guild
- Odin Blak, Dark Blak Studios
- Robin Blake, Creation: A Celebration of Art, Music, and Life
- Moises Borges
- Carolina Borja
- Weedie Braimah, Weedie Braimah & The Hands of Time
- Michelle Broome
- Lenora Brown, Raising Results
- Amy Budish
- Frederick Burton, Gospel Music Historical Society
- Kasey Butler
- Talise Campbell, Djapo Cultural Arts Institute
- Mordecai Cargill, ThirdSpace Action Lab
- Tricia Chaves, Xirho Group LLC
- Grace Chin, The Sculpture Center
- Paul Clark, PNC
- Paula Coggins, OSPI
- Margaret Cohen, Rahilly Solutions
- Jennifer Coleman, The George Gund Foundation
- Dronet Danielle
- Maria DeRyke, Cultivate Advancement
- Deanna Dionne, Made Cleveland
- Malik Fadzl, LFTG RECORDS
- Kelly Falcone-Hall, Western Reserve Historical Society
- Jennifer Feierabend
- Chann Fowler-Spellman The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation
- Kyra Frierson
- Ed Gallagher, Beck Center for the Arts
- Christopher Gelles
- Stacy Geohaghan, Stacy-Nicole Geohaghan
- Erma George, Amra Home Accents llc
- John Gest
- Ahlon González, LAND Studio
- Dale Goode, Domestic Violence Is Not Pretty
- Charlotte Gouveia, PwC
- Tracy Greenberg
- Sherrie Hauser-Simmons
- Sonya Hayes
- David Heller, The NRP Group
- Jada Hobson, INDI Media
- Genell Hudson
- Patricia Hughes, Art House, Inc.
- Andrea Jackson, CAP ACADEMY
- Johnathon Jamison, THA League Management’s
- Sheldron Johnson
- David Kay, University School
- Christina Keegan, Cleveland Natural Building
- Martin Kohn, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College Of Medicine
- Sandy Kreisman, University Circle Inc.
- Josh Landis, United Way
- Angelia Lee
- Shawn Lee-Jones, The Creative Healing Foundation
- Gregory Lockhart, A Source of Pride - The Story of the East Cleveland Chiefs
- Jazmin Long, Birthing Beautiful Communities
- Letitia Lopez, Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center
- Amanda Lott, Studio Lott
- Allison Lukacsy-Love, Phone Gallery
- Pat Meade, Creative Works, Inc.
- Clyde Miles, Adcom
- Jerry Miller, zone music inc. (humachine)
- April Miller-Boise, Intel
- Sharon Milligan, Case Western Reserve University
- Scott Mueller, Dealer Tire LLC
- Sylvia Munodawafa, Accessible Art for All Project
- Christine Nelson, Team NEO
- Chinenye Nkemere, Enlightened Solutions
- AkuSika Nkomomackey, Africa House Enterprise
- Tony Panzica, Panzica Construction Co.
- Clarisa Pearl, Pearlystic Productions
- Shayna Pentecost, srpglass
- Karen Prasser, Chagrin Arts
- Bellamy Printz, Deep Dive Art Projects
- Sarah Raban, Pinwheel Gallery
- Andrew Ratcliff
- Cierra Rembert, SPACES
- Vince Robinson, Larchmere Cultural Arts
- Kole Robinson-Brooks, Kole Artistry
- April Roth
- Vanessa Rubin, Vocalist/Recording Artist
- Georgio Sabino, Building Bridges
- Kayli Salzano, artist
- Julie Schabel, Wave Space Summer Camps at CPL
- Charna Sherman, Sherman Law
- Marika Shioiri-Clark
- Tony Sias, Karamu House
- Lena Simovic, Lena Atomika
- Shanelle Smith-Whigham, KeyBank
- David Snider,
- Charmaine Spencer
- Ngina Terrence, Bossantii Music Group
- Veronica Thornton, Vee's Consulting LLC
- Peter Tompkins, Yes: The Secret to Life
- Diane Troyer
- Pamelia Tyree
- Susan Underwood, Robust Energies, Inc
- Alicia Vasquez
- Emanuel Wallace
- Gina Washington, 2 Morrow's Blackhouse
- Paul Westlake, DLR Group Westlake
- Sandi White, Shaker Arts Council (SHAC)
- Rebekah Wilhelm, Rebekah Wilhelm Studio
- Sumica Williams, Inner Canvas, and Reiki Infused Journaling for Women
- Regennia Williams, RASHAD Center, Inc.
- Michael Wilson, Michael Wilson USA
- Alexandria Woyton, Weigh Street Studios
- Leonard Young
- Zulma Zabala, The Center For Community Solutions
Opinion: Investments in artists pay dividends for regional economy
Source: Crain’s Cleveland Forum
Date: August 28, 2023
Abstract: Arts and culture play an outsized role in the economic and social vibrancy of Greater Cleveland. Some $9.1 billion is generated annually by Northeast Ohio’s creative economy industry — a mix of nonprofits, cultural businesses and individual artists — according to pre-pandemic research from Ohio Citizens for the Arts.
Knowledge Building
Workshops to Elevate Your Skills
You’ve got the creativity down. We are here to help you build the skills to better monetize your creative career. Through the generous support of Huntington, Assembly is delivering workshops around proposal-writing, financial skills, and other important practices that artists need for more economic stability.
Check back for more workshops.
RECORDING: Artist Statement and Proposal Writing Workshop
August 21, 2023, 5 p.m.
In partnership with The Cleveland Foundation, learn about the various types of proposals artists and creative entrepreneurs may encounter. Build a stronger artist statement and gain some writing tools to help you write your strongest project proposals.
- Boris Oicherman, Director of Grantmaking, Arts & Culture at The Cleveland Foundation, will discuss their available grant opportunity.
- Meg Matko, Director of Community Relationships, and independent artist will present information on writing compelling artist statements.
- Veronica “Ms. Vee” Thornton, Community Relations Consultant and owner of VEES Consulting will share information on proposal writing.
Entrepreneur in Residence Powered by
Executive Ronayne names 2 new members to RTA board
Source: Cleveland.com
Date: July 25, 2023
Abstract:
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne on Tuesday recommended reappointing one member and adding two new members to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees. He nominated Deidre McPherson and Stephen Love to serve and recommended reappointing lifelong board member Karen Moss to keep her seat.
Assembly for the Arts awards grants for art in redlined communities
Source: ideastream
Date: July 17, 2023
Abstract:
Assembly For the Arts has announced 16 artists are receiving grants to create work in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Each award of $6,250 is for projects in redlined communities which traditionally lack arts investment. Artists will also receive professional development opportunities and support from Assembly for the Arts, an advocacy group for arts and culture in the region.
Some of the projects receiving support include an ice cream truck that’s been converted into a portable recording studio and an elderly visual artist whose work focuses on the impact of domestic violence. The grants are drawn from $140,000 in Cuyahoga Arts & Culture funding.
“You’re going to see neighborhoods that we don’t always associate with arts and culture,” said Assembly President Jeremy Johnson. Calling the areas “potential-bound,” he said that many of the artists have been living and working in the neighborhoods for years.
“I don’t want to say we’re bringing arts to communities,” he said. “We are ‘surfacing’ arts and culture that’s already there and helping it blossom even more.”
16 Local Artists Selected to Bring Transformational Projects to Redlined Communities in Cleveland
PRESS RELEASE: July 14, 2023
Media Contact: Malissa Bodmann; 216-536-7517
16 Local Artists Selected to Bring Transformational Projects to Redlined Communities in Cleveland
Assembly’s Creative Impact Fund Artists will work in 11 Cleveland neighborhoods and East Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OHIO — Assembly for the Arts has selected 16 local artists to create transformational arts projects in redlined communities that lack arts investment.
The Creative Impact Fund, funded by Cuyahoga County taxpayers through a $140,000 grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, will help to develop areas of significant arts activity in Cleveland and East Cleveland. This is the first grant program for artists in Cuyahoga County that is specifically focused on investing in historically redlined neighborhoods.
Jeremy V. Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, said the organization is excited to launch another artist funding opportunity. “The Creative Impact Fund is in line with Assembly’s mission of expanding resources and increasing the equity in Cleveland’s arts and culture scene, translating into 16 meaningful programs and experiences for both artists and residents. We are excited to welcome the first cohort of artists and get dollars into their hands so they, in turn, can hone their practice and help the redlined communities in which they create,” he said. “Arts are a powerful tool in creating community.”
The 16 artists, their projects and neighborhood location are listed below. The artists were selected through an application and panel review process.
- Shadi Ayoub
Let’s Print Together! (Visual Arts, Graphic Design, and Craft; St. Clair Superior, Clark Fulton, or Asiatown) - Alexander Corona
Raíces: Danzas de México (Dance; St. Clair Superior) - Moises De Freitas
Afro Brazilian Cultural Appreciation Initiative (Dance, Music, Writing/Literature; East Cleveland) - Dale Goode
Domestic Violence is Not Pretty (Visual Arts, East Cleveland) - Natasha Herbert
The Avenue Cleveland Youth Photography Program (Film/Media; Midtown, St. Clair Superior; Central-Kinsman; or East Cleveland) - Baba Jubal Harris
Heart Beat Drum Circle (Music; East Cleveland) - Stephanie Lassiter
The Girl (Film/Media; Mt. Pleasant) - Josh Maxwell
ROOTED (Visual Arts; Broadway-Slavic Village) - Adenike Harper
A Peace of Cake (Visual Arts; Central-Kinsman; North & South Collinwood) - Robin Robinson
Recapture the Spirit of Our Community Park (Visual Arts; Glenville) - Georgio Sabino
Artistic Jungle Series (Visual Arts, Fashion; Fairfax) - Julie Schabel
Wave Space Summer Camps (Visual Arts; North & South Collinwood; Hough; Central-Kinsman; Union Miles; or St. Clair Superior) - Ben Smith
The Splice Cream Spliced Team Dream Concert Series (Music & Visual Arts; Buckeye-Woodhill) - Julia Sosa
El Romantico (Theater, Writing/Literature; Clark Fulton) - Mary Thomas
U & I of Euclid Avenue (Visual Art; East Cleveland) - Linda Zolten Wood
Sustainable Arts with Zolten Wood Design & Collinwood Painted Rain Barrel Project (Visual Arts, Craft; East Cleveland and North Collinwood)
The Creative Impact Fund artists receive:
- $6,250, of which up to $2,500 is unrestricted support and $3,750 in project support
- Professional development opportunities, valued at $2,075, supported by the Entrepreneur in Residence powered by Huntington
- Support from Assembly’s staff who will advise project leads in attaining their project goals via marketing and professional development support and connections to institutional partners, potential collaborators or thought partners
- Assembly for the Arts membership
Learn more at www.assemblycle.org/creativeimpactfund. Assembly for the Arts’ Creative Impact Fund is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
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
Cleveland Institute of Art student’s mural selected for Cleveland Foundation’s MidTown Collaboration Center
CLEVELAND—Cleveland Institute of Art student Aniyah King’s “Growth From Within,” a mural that symbolizes growth and progress in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood and represents Hough residents’ pride and passion, will be installed at the Cleveland Foundation’s MidTown Collaboration Center when it opens in 2025.
In fall 2022, Cleveland Foundation asked CIA and Assembly for the Arts to lead a collaborative design project for a mural that would benefit the Hough community, CIA students and MidTown Collaboration Center stakeholders.
CIA devised a faculty-led project within an existing class taken by students representing multiple majors, and Assembly for the Arts organized a committee that would choose the final mural design through a transparent selection process.
Cleveland names Rhonda K. Brown its first arts czar
Source: ideastream
Date: June 15, 2023
Abstract:
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced Thursday the city’s first senior strategist for arts, culture and the creative economy.
Shaker Heights native Rhonda K. Brown most recently served as president at the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation. The Ohio State University graduate previously held development roles at Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and Museum of Science and Industry. An artist herself, her parents founded the first for-profit, Black-owned fine art gallery in the country in 1980 in Shaker Heights.
