Research Highlights Strength of Cuyahoga County's Arts Ecosystem
New Research Highlights Strength of Cuyahoga County's Arts Ecosystem and Explores Long-Term Public Funding Models
CLEVELAND | July 21, 2026 — Assembly for the Arts recently announced the release of Research on Public Funding of the Arts to Inform Cuyahoga County, a new study examining how arts and culture are funded in peer communities across the country and what those approaches may reveal about sustainable long-term cultural investment.
Conducted by SMU DataArts and Lord Cultural Resources, the research compares Cuyahoga County with peer communities across the region and nation to surface patterns, challenges, and considerations for future discussion.
The report comes on the heels of the recently released City Arts Sector Trends: Divergence and Resilience Across Ten U.S. Cities (2019–2024) from SMU DataArts, which identified Cleveland as one of the more resilient arts ecosystems among the ten cities studied. Together, the reports suggest that Cleveland’s strong foundation of local arts investment has helped support a vibrant cultural sector, while underscoring the importance of long-term planning to sustain that success.
The study of funding models finds that Cuyahoga County enters this moment with significant strengths, including a vibrant arts ecosystem, strong individual giving, and a nationally recognized public funding model through the county’s dedicated cigarette tax. The research identifies projected declines in revenue from the tax as well as rising costs for local arts organizations that are outpacing contributed revenue as potential risks for the sector.
“Cuyahoga County’s arts and culture community is one of Greater Cleveland’s greatest strengths,” said Jeremy Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts. “This research confirms what many in our community already know: Cuyahoga County has built a remarkable arts ecosystem supported by strong public and private investment. At the same time, it gives us valuable information to help inform future conversations about how we can continue to sustain and strengthen that success for generations to come.”
Among the report’s findings is that the most resilient funding systems often layer multiple sources of support rather than relying on a single mechanism. Looking across peer communities, the research surfaces two ideas worth further exploration in future conversations about arts funding:
- Revenue diversification. Dedicated funding mechanisms tied to economic activity may provide more durable revenue capacity over time than fixed-rate approaches alone.
- Regional collaboration. Multi-jurisdiction approaches can help build broader coalitions of support and create greater resilience against shifts in funding priorities or economic conditions.
Researchers reviewed funding approaches in 15 communities nationwide and conducted deeper examinations of funding systems in Columbus, Denver, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and Portland. The review identified five primary funding approaches currently in use across the country:
- Hotel-motel or transient occupancy taxes
- General fund appropriations
- Privately led funding models
- Dedicated arts taxes
- Collaborative or hybrid public-private models
The research found that no single funding mechanism dominates nationally. Instead, many communities combine multiple approaches to balance stability, flexibility, and scale.
The study was commissioned by Assembly for the Arts with support from The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, and Cuyahoga County. Research was conducted by SMU DataArts and Lord Cultural Resources.
The full report is available at https://assemblycle.org/arts-funding-future/.
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About Assembly for the Arts
Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to strengthening and advancing Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture sector. The organization champions advocacy, cultural policy, racial equity, research, and regional promotion, while providing essential services and resources to nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses. Assembly serves the entire creative sector, working in tandem with Assembly for Action, a 501(c)(4) political action nonprofit, to champion public and private investments that unify Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture industry. Learn more at https://assemblycle.org.
Ohio General Assembly Invests More Than $9 Million in Arts and Culture Organizations in Cuyahoga County
Ohio General Assembly Invests More Than $9 Million in Arts and Culture Organizations in Cuyahoga County
CLEVELAND, OH | July 14, 2026 — More than $9 million has been allocated to 24 arts, culture, and heritage projects across Cuyahoga County through Ohio’s recently enacted biennial capital budget (SB 450), marking a major investment in the region’s creative economy and community infrastructure.
According to Assembly for the Arts, cultural, arts, and heritage projects received more than $9 million of the approximately $37 million in total state capital funding awarded in Cuyahoga County—nearly 25% of all county allocations. The funding will support critical facility improvements, renovations, and public space enhancements that strengthen communities and expand access to arts and cultural experiences throughout Northeast Ohio.
“This is a transformational moment for our region,” said Jeremy Johnson, President and CEO of Assembly for the Arts. “The state legislature and Governor DeWine have sent a clear message that investing in the arts is investing in community resilience and economic vitality. From our legacy institutions to our neighborhood anchors, this funding ensures that our creative spaces can safely and effectively serve future generations.”
Funded projects span the county, supporting both nationally recognized cultural institutions and neighborhood-based community organizations. Investments include infrastructure improvements at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Playhouse Square, as well as enhancements for community-centered organizations such as Near West Theatre, Dobama Theatre, and Beck Center for the Arts.
The capital budget also supports key place-making and public space initiatives, including improvements to University Circle’s Wade Oval and the Irishtown Bend Park Heritage Site, helping strengthen the cultural and civic assets that contribute to the region’s quality of life and economic growth.
A full list of funded capital projects in Cuyahoga County is available through the Ohio Legislative Service Commission: Capital Projects by County (SB 450).
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About Assembly for the Arts
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 serves the entire creative sector, working in tandem with Assembly for Action, a 501(c)(4) political action nonprofit, to champion public and private investments that unify Greater Cleveland’s arts and culture industry.
Center for Arts-Inspired Learning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Partner for 2026 Play It Forward!® Cleveland Instrument Drive at Fam Jam
Center for Arts-Inspired Learning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Partner for 2026 Play It Forward!® Cleveland Instrument Drive at Fam Jam
CLEVELAND, OH (June 2026) — The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are once again joining forces to expand access to music education for Cleveland youth through the 2026 Play It Forward!® Cleveland Instrument Drive.
Community members are invited to support the effort by donating new or gently used musical instruments at Fam Jam on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 E. 9th Street, Cleveland. Fam Jam, part of the Rock Hall’s annual free Rock the Block Community Events presented by the John P. Murphy Foundation, features family-friendly activities, live performances, and community organizations from across Northeast Ohio.
CAL is seeking donations of acoustic guitars, violins, keyboards (excluding large pianos), and drums or percussion instruments, including specific drums such as djembe and timbau. Instruments can be dropped off at the event, and donors are encouraged to complete a short form and share the story behind their instrument. The pre-event donation form and more details are available at arts-inspiredlearning.org/play-it-forward-instrument-drive.
As part of Fam Jam, youth participating in CAL’s Summer 2026 Inspiration Through Music camp will perform around 1:15 p.m., showcasing the progress they’ve made and demonstrating the direct impact of instrument donations in providing meaningful music education opportunities.
Now entering another year of impact, Play It Forward!® Cleveland supports CAL’s Inspiration Through Music program, which offers free, year-round music instruction to Cleveland residents and Cleveland Metropolitan School District students in grades 3–12. Through lessons in guitar, violin, percussion, keyboard, and ensemble, the program helps young people develop musical skills, confidence, discipline, and self-expression while removing financial barriers to participation.
Thanks to the generosity of community supporters, the 2025 instrument drive collected more than 40 instruments, now actively used by young musicians in the program. The 2026 drive aims to build on that momentum, ensuring even more youth have access to the instruments they need to learn and grow.
Play It Forward!® Cleveland 2026 Instrument Drive is made possible through the support of: 10,000 Watts of Holy Light, Assembly for the Arts, City of Cleveland, including the Mayor’s Office of Prevention, Intervention, and Opportunity for Youth and Young Adults, Cleveland City Council, including Councilman Kevin Conwell, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, IKE Smart City, John J. Adams Scholarship Fund, Ohio Arts Council, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Together, these partnerships help ensure that every young person has the opportunity to discover their voice, build confidence, and experience the transformative power of music.
About Assembly for the Arts
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. 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. Learn more here: https://assemblycle.org
About the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning
The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) was founded in 1953 as Young Audiences of Greater Cleveland by George Szell of The Cleveland Orchestra, launching as a concert series to bring live music directly into schools. Since then, CAL has grown beyond concerts to provide hands-on creative learning experiences across dance, theater, music, visual arts, digital arts, and more. In 2013, the organization changed its name to Center for Arts-Inspired Learning to reflect this expanded focus on engaging youth through the arts to support learning, growth, and opportunity across Northeast Ohio. Today, CAL partners with 70+ professional teaching artists to bring arts-based learning that is academically enriching and personally empowering to youth in PreK–12th grade. Our programs take place in schools, recreation centers, houses of worship, and other youth-centered spaces, reaching thousands of young people each year. We are committed to creating accessible and inclusive opportunities for all youth, helping them realize their full potential, and making a lasting impact on their lives and the communities we serve. Through these experiences, youth build critical thinking, creativity, and social emotional skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Learn more here: https://arts-inspiredlearning.org
About the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
In 1985, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was deciding where to open its physical museum, Cleveland threw its hat into the ring for consideration. Thanks to a groundswell of public support and a $65 million commitment from city officials, the Foundation chose Cleveland as the winning site, over locales such as New York, San Francisco, Memphis and Chicago. Needless to say, the Rock Hall’s construction was cooler than most. On June 7, 1993, the Who’s Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Billy Joel, Sam Phillips, and Ruth Brown (to name a few) attended the Cleveland groundbreaking ceremony, while Jerry Lee Lewis performed a year later when the building was finished off with the placement of one last steel beam.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame threw open its doors on September 2, 1995, and celebrated with a blockbuster benefit concert at nearby Cleveland Municipal Stadium. This marathon show featured once-in-a-lifetime pairings and performances by greats such as James Brown, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash and Booker T. and the M.G.s. Besides the Municipal Stadium concert, the Rock Hall’s festive opening weekend featured a downtown Cleveland parade and a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Little Richard and Yoko Ono. Learn more here: https://rockhall.com/
Assembly for the Arts Opens Applications for Creative Impact Fund Artist Grants
Assembly for the Arts Opens Applications for Creative Impact Fund Artist Grants
CLEVELAND, May 14, 2026 — Assembly for the Arts has opened the application for its 2026 Creative Impact Fund (CIF) grant program for Cuyahoga County artists. This year, the CIF will award twenty-two (22) forward-thinking artists and creatives with $10,000 each in unrestricted funds.
In its fourth year, the Creative Impact Fund is currently one of the largest unrestricted grant opportunities available to Cuyahoga County artists. By providing flexible funds and professional development support, the program is designed to promote the growth of artists’ creative practices and advance their impact on our region. The application period is open until July 17, 2026, with the selected artists to be announced in November 2026.
The CIF is open to artists age 18 and older living in Cuyahoga County who have been creating impactful and inventive work in craft, dance, design, film, interdisciplinary work, media, music, theatre & performance, traditional arts, visual art, and writing/literary art.
“Artists and creatives enrich our region and drive it forward. As is evidenced by previous Creative Impact Fund awardees, their work sparks joy, makes space for healing and builds connection across differences. They also tell the truths that demand attention, pushing us toward a more just society,” said Deidre McPherson, Assembly’s Chief Community Officer. “We are proud to continue this investment in local artists so they can grow their practices and continue to create works that move us toward a greater Cleveland.”
Artists will be selected for funding by a review panel comprised of artists and arts professionals representing a wide range of creative disciplines. Panelists from outside the region will evaluate applications based on criteria that center artistic innovation and community impact.
Awarded artists will receive:
- $10,000 in unrestricted funds each
- Promotion as a CIF grantee on Assembly’s website, social media and other platforms
- A one-year Assembly for the Arts Membership
- Business and professional development opportunities, including marketing, networking, connections to partners or potential collaborators
- Special access to opportunities as they arise throughout the year
Important Dates:
- Applications now open
- Applications close: Friday, July 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Panel review and scoring: August – October 2026
- Applicants notified of panel decisions: November 2026
Assembly will offer two online information sessions: May 20th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., and June 4th from 12 to 1:30 p.m. More information is available on Assembly’s website.
Assembly for the Arts, is supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. For full details about the Creative Impact Fund, please visit https://assemblycle.org/CIF/.
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Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unifies Greater Cleveland’s creative sector by coordinating information, partnerships, and opportunities and advocating for strong public and private investment in arts and culture. It supports nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses through research, policy, and sector-wide services, working closely with Assembly for Action, a 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate. Learn more at assemblycle.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Malissa Bodmann
Assembly for the Arts Opens Applications for Boost Fund Artist Grants
Assembly for the Arts Opens Applications for Boost Fund Artist Grants
CLEVELAND, March 26, 2026 — Assembly for the Arts has opened applications for The Boost Fund, a grant opportunity for Cuyahoga County artists working in all creative disciplines. The Boost Fund provides a $1,500 “boost” of flexible funding to offset the costs of creative projects, materials, equipment, events, and artist-specific needs.
The Boost Fund will award 144 artists across three cycles, with 48 artists selected per cycle. To level the playing field and ensure equitable access to public funding, awards are determined using a nationally modeled random selection process. Artists may submit one application per cycle until selected. The first application cycle is open now through April 13, 2026.
“The Boost Fund provides artists with a modest amount of flexible funds to support their creative practice and share their work with a broader public, bring their ideas to fruition, especially early-career artists who may be new to grant funding. Last year, artists used the grants for supplies and equipment, studio rent and utilities, public events and performances and more,” said Deidre McPherson, Chief Community Officer at Assembly for the Arts. “We are excited to offer this meaningful grant opportunity again this year.”
Applications will be open for approximately 4 weeks per cycle, according to the following timeline:
- Cycle 1 – Applications will be open March 20 – April 13, 2026
- Cycle 2 – Applications will be open July 24 – August 24, 2026
- Cycle 3 – Applications will be open October 21 – November 19, 2026
Last year, 41% of applicants were seeking grant funding for the first time, and 65% had never been awarded a grant before. The program is open to Cuyahoga County-based artists aged 18 and older. Artists who have received a grant from Assembly or other artist grant programs publicly funded by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity so that we can extend the opportunity to other artists. For full details about the Boost Fund, please visit www.assemblycle.org/boost.
The Boost Fund is supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
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About Assembly: Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unifies Greater Cleveland’s creative sector by coordinating information, partnerships, and opportunities and advocating for strong public and private investment in arts and culture. It supports nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses through research, policy, and sector-wide services, working closely with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and Assembly for Action (a 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate). Learn more at www.assemblycle.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Malissa Bodmann
malissa@compellingcommunicationsllc.com
Announcing Winners of the 2025 CREATIVE IMPACT FUND
Announcing Winners of the 2025 Creative Impact Fund
Flexible funding and business development support will elevate artists’ creative practice and regional impact, with support from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
CLEVELAND, December 12, 2025 — Assembly for the Arts is excited to announce 29 artists have been awarded 2025 Creative Impact Fund grants.
In its third year, the Creative Impact Fund (CIF) is one of the largest unrestricted grant funds available to Cuyahoga County artists. CIF supports the growth of an artist’s creative practice and advances their impact on the region. The award provides flexible, unrestricted funding; professional and business development opportunities; mentorship and networking; and membership in Assembly for the Arts.
This year’s Creative Impact Fund honors 15 Early Career artists at $5,000 each (professionally practicing 5 years or less) and 14 Mid-Late Career artists at $10,000 each (professionally practicing for 6 years or more). Twenty-nine awards are being made in 2025, up from 17 in 2024.
The selected artists represent dance, theatre, design, film, craft, music, visual arts, writing/literature, and interdisciplinary fields and are based across Cuyahoga County.
Early Career ($5,000) awardees:
- Joy David – Writing / Literary Art
- Julia Fisher – Theatre
- Anthony Ford – Visual Art
- Wil Frierson – Film
- Felicia Harris – Dance
- Dontae Hill – Film
- Elliot Jarrous – Theatre
- Tanya Kaiser – Visual Art
- Christina Lindhout – Dance
- Alyssa Lizzini – Visual Art
- Tanya Long – Craft
- Elizabeth Pollert – Dance/Theatre
- Susan Snipes – Media Interdisciplinary
- Eric Tuck-Macalla – Visual Art
- Antoinette Wiley – Writing / Literary Art
Mid to Late Career ($10,000) awardees:
- Ali Black – Writing / Literary Art
- Amy Casey – Visual Art
- Christa Ebert – Interdisciplinary and Music
- Elijah Gilmore – Music and Writing / Literary Art
- olula negre – Music and Interdisciplinary Art
- Quartez Harris – Writing /Literary Art
- Thomas Hudson – Visual Art
- Lori Kella – Visual Art
- Jacob Koestler – Film and Visual Art
- Adam Lucas – Design Interdisciplinary
- Laura Camila Medina – Visual Art
- Philip Metres – Writing / Literary Art
- Daniel Roth – Visual Art and Design
- Deontae Trundle – Film and Design
“Cuyahoga County is home to exceptionally talented artists working across many disciplines. The work of these incredible individuals enriches our communities and keeps this region a powerhouse of creativity. Congratulations to this year’s grantees,” said Jeremy V. Johnson, Assembly for the Arts’ President and CEO.
Awardees were selected through a semi-anonymous review process by a panel of 12 accomplished artistic practitioners from across the country, representing 12 states, 10 cities and 11 creative disciplines. Read about the selection panel.
Learn about the 2025 Creative Impact Fund grantees.
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Assembly for the Arts Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unifies Greater Cleveland’s creative sector by coordinating information, partnerships, and opportunities and advocating for strong public and private investment in arts and culture. It supports nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses through research, policy, and sector-wide services, working closely with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and Assembly for Action (a 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate). Learn more at www.assemblycle.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Malissa Bodmann
malissa@compellingcommunicationsllc.com
