Local & State Advocacy 

Championing Public Investment in the Creative Sector 

Assembly redoubled its efforts to advocate for financial support to help accelerate the recovery of Greater Cleveland’s creative economy – which contributes more than $9.1 billion to the local economy.  

City of Cleveland

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb appointed Shaker Heights native Rhonda K. Brown to be the city’s first-ever Senior Strategist for Arts Culture & the Creative Economy. This vital position in city government will lead strategic policy initiatives to position the City as a national leader in the arts. This vital position in city government will lead, direct, manage, and plan strategic policy initiatives for the City of Cleveland to be a national leader in the arts with enhanced neighborhood vitality. Assembly for the Arts is proud to have advocated for this permanent arts and culture liaison. 

Additionally, utilizing American Rescue Plan dollars, the city allocated $3 million to a Transformative Public Arts Program. 

Cuyahoga County

Thanks to the advocacy of the Assembly board and the partnership of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), outgoing Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Cuyahoga County Council President Pernel Jones jointly committed to $3.3M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds for arts and culture. Assembly and CAC split the funds equally, and in November 2022, Assembly distributed the rescue funds to 400 individual artists and 65 creative small businesses in Cuyahoga County. 

The ARPA for Arts funds couldn’t have come at a better time. More than 1 in 4 of the artists who applied for funding said they were concerned they wouldn’t be able to make rent, pay bills or buy food in the next two months. More than 3 in 4 artists said they often worry about having enough money to pay their bills. Assembly worked to ensure ARPA funds reached broadly into the community. 

• 70% of artists who received funding identified as Black/African American, Native, Hispanic, Asian or Middle Eastern 

• More than 60% of businesses that received funding were minority owned; 45% were women-owned 

• 26% of artists self-identified as having invisible or observable disabilities

State of Ohio

In June 2023, Ohio’s state budget bill authorized Cuyahoga County arts supporters to seek an increase on the flat 30 cents-per pack cigarette tax that funds nonprofits through Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Cigarette tax revenues have declined steadily each year since 2007 when the tax was enacted – from a high of $19.5 million in 2008 to $11.7 million in 2022. In total, the tax has generated more than $250 million for arts and culture nonprofits of all sizes across the County. Assembly for Action, a political action committee, is leading the work to place a tax issue before voters. 

by Assembly for the Arts

Activism 

Convening Community Leaders in Critical Conversations 

Assembly’s brings community voices together to discuss solutions to critical issues affecting the local creative economy. In these sessions, we collectively imagine possibilities and set a path forward to make change. 

National Surveys

For the first time, Cleveland participated in the national Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study administered by Americans for the Arts. Assembly staff and volunteers collected more than 1,100 surveys at 172 arts venues around Cuyahoga County. AEP 6 is the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry. 

Community Discussions

Assembly’s REvision series is focused on re-envisioning Greater Cleveland’s creative industries as a way to build collective action towards a better world for artists, creative businesses and arts nonprofits. We led discussions on Creative Spaces for artists to live, work and create; tips for securing Creative Income to maintain artistic practice. Conversations on Guaranteed Basic Income in other cities; and how local government should support Arts in Our City are on deck. 

Quarterly Assemblies keep community members up-to-date on our efforts to help ensure everyone benefits from a diverse and equitable arts and culture sector. It is an opportunity for the public to hear updates on Assembly’s work, share ideas, and ask questions.  

These events are free for Assembly members. 

Honoring Public Officials

The 2022 Public Officials Recognition Breakfast, sponsored by KeyBank, recognized former Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Cuyahoga County Council President, Pernel Jones for providing important ARPA rescue funds to artists, creative businesses and cultural nonprofits. Arts leaders, corporate representatives, artists, and community members of all kinds attended to connect and build relationships with government officials. 

Artist Support

Assembly received a $20,000 grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture to engage the community and develop a 2024 Support-for-Artists Plan that will identify  future structures for individual artist grant funding, , center equity, and recognize the diverse needs of Cuyahoga County-based artists (financial and non-financial). This work will also result in an Artist Advisory group at Assembly that informs and assesses artist programs and services. Assembly’s recommendations will help inform CAC’s future support for individual artists. 

by Assembly for the Arts

Racial Equity

In the last year, Assembly armed creative businesses, artists and non-profits with tools to help them forge cross-sector connections, expand their knowledge and find opportunities to share their artistic point of view – all the while enriching neighborhoods across the region. 

Powered by Huntington’s Entrepreneur in Residence program, Assembly welcomed its first cohort of Arts Leadership Residents with the Cleveland Leadership Center (CLC). The program was also supported by funding from the Ohio Arts Council, The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation, and The George Gund Foundation. In keeping with Assembly’s mission, the program was delivered through a racial equity lens and provided management support, coaching, tools and $1,000 each to 25 artists.

Meet the 2023 Arts Leaders

With a $140,000 grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Assembly for the Arts launched the Creative Impact Fund (CIF) to support the investment and growth of transformative arts projects in redlined communities in Cleveland and East Cleveland that lack arts investment. More than 140 creatives applied for 16 spots. In addition to a $6,250 stipend, each CIF awardee receives access to professional development and marketing support, industry connections, and an Assembly membership. 

CIF provides professional development, marketing support, and the opportunity make network connections. 

Meet the Artists

The Cleveland Foundation asked Cleveland Institute of Art and Assembly to lead a collaborative design project for a mural that would benefit the Hough community, CIA students and MidTown Collaboration Center stakeholders. CIA 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.

Assembly supported 10 fiscal sponsorships totaling $170,000 in FY2023. Our fiscal sponsorship program opens access to foundation and donor funds that solely fund tax-exempt organizations. We aim to support BIPOC-owned or led nonprofits and businesses and those managed by and serving individuals with disabilities. 

View Projects and Donate

by Assembly for the Arts

Assembly by the Numbers  

Financials 

Did you know….Cleveland is one of the Top 20 most vibrant large arts communities in the country and in the top 1% of communities on measurement of arts dollars, per SMU Data Arts. Cleveland ranked best in the Midwest for the amount of total compensation paid to arts and culture employees per capita and in earned revenue from artistic programs.   

Engagement

by Assembly for the Arts

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 

by Assembly for the Arts

Membership

by Assembly for the Arts