City Hall seeks its first high-ranking advocate to boost arts and culture as a major economic driver
Source: Steven Litt, cleveland.com
Date: April 13, 2023
Abstract:
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland is widely known as a haven of the arts with strong local philanthropy and public funding through Cuyahoga County’s cigarette tax for arts and culture. The city’s government, however, has not been known for playing a consistent and highly visible role in supporting the city’s cultural riches. That could soon change. The city is now seeking applicants for a new high-level position in the office of Mayor Justin Bibb called Senior Strategist, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
Where Cleveland artists can affordably live and create is up for discussion Thursday
Source: ideastream
Date: April 10, 2023
Abstract:
Greater Cleveland’s creative sector, still recovering from the pandemic, is considering where it will live and work in the future. A recent survey of Cuyahoga County artists receiving ARPA funding found that 79% were concerned about having enough money to pay bills. A panel discussion Thursday brings together artists, community leaders and real estate professionals focused on ways to make housing and creative space more accessible and affordable.
Assembly Hosts Cleveland Planning Director and Community Leaders to Discuss Artist Space
Conversation to center on finding solutions for artists’ spaces to live/work/create
CLEVELAND, OHIO — As development projects expand throughout Greater Cleveland, often pioneered by artists and creatives, there is a long-standing challenge in Cleveland’s creative community: where can artists affordably live, work and create? Assembly for the Arts will bring together the community to discuss this important economic issue on April 13 as part of Assembly’s REvision: Creative Spaces community conversation series.
Jeremy V. Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, said the scarcity of affordable space for artists is a genuine concern in the region. “We face a serious issue of artists not having the space they need to support their creative businesses, which are an important economic engine in the community,” he said. “This community conversation is designed to bridge communication among experts, including artists, to brainstorm real solutions to space access and ownership.
The ”Creative Spaces” discussion is the second of Assembly’s series REvision — pressing issues. real discussion. new possibilities. REvision is a series of thought-provoking presentations and community dialogues focused on re-envisioning the state of Greater Cleveland’s creative industries. Topics will address pressing issues in our arts and culture community, create points of discussion and offer possibilities for positive change and equity. REvision is free to attend.
The Thursday, April 13 session will feature:
- Joyce Pan Huang, Director, Cleveland City Planning Commission
- Aisia Jones, Vice President of Community Empowerment, MidTown Cleveland
- Ajha Dean Phillips, Cleveland Black Arts Movement
- Julie Schabel, Wave Space Studio
- Ismail Samad, Loiter East Cleveland
- Sarah Paul, Associate Professor of Sculpture + Expanded Media, Cleveland Institute of Art
The “Creative Spaces” discussion will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, at SPACES Gallery, 2900 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113. To register for this free event, visit Assembly’s website at https://assemblycle.org/creative-spaces/.
ABOUT ASSEMBLY
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
Senior Strategist for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy
The City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office is hiring a Senior Strategist to lead planning efforts to determine a sustainable infrastructure for the arts at City Hall. This vital position in city government will lead, direct, manage, and plan strategic policy initiatives for the City of Cleveland to position the City as a leading world cultural center with enhanced neighborhood vitality. Assembly for the Arts is proud to have played a role in advocating for this permanent arts and culture liaison at the city government level.
Assembly for the Arts opens applications for Creative Impact Fund
Source: Freshwater
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Abstract:
Officials with Assembly for the Arts, the advocacy and equity group for creatives, want to expand the arts to Cleveland and East Cleveland neighborhoods that often lack arts investment or arts activity.
So, through its Creative Impact Fund, 16 artists will be chosen from a pool of applicants to create transformational arts project in redlined Cleveland and East Cleveland communities. Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is May 7…
Assembly for the Arts launches new fund for Cleveland artists
Source: ideastream
Date: March 17, 2023
Abstract:
Applications are now open for a new funding opportunity through Cleveland-based nonprofit Assembly for the Arts. The Creative Impact Fund will award money to 16 artists.
The new funding opportunity comes from a $140,000 Support for Artists grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Ideastream Public Media also receives support from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture…
Artist Funding Opportunity Now Available Through Assembly for the Arts
ARTIST FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH ASSEMBLY FOR THE ARTS
Creative Impact Fund applications due May 7
PRESS RELEASE March 16, 2023
Media Contact: Malissa Bodmann, 216-536-7517
CLEVELAND, OHIO — Assembly for the Arts has launched an artist funding opportunity for 16 artists to create transformational arts projects in redlined communities that lack arts investment developing areas of significant arts activity in Cleveland and East Cleveland.
Called the Creative Impact Fund, it is open to artists or collectives of all expressions, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, film/motion pictures, dance, ballet, theatre, music, comedy/improv, writing/literature, architecture, graphic design, craft, and fashion. Priority will be given to artists of color and art collectives with diverse representation. Creative Impact Fund is made possible by a $140,000 Support for Artists grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Individual artists, artist collectives, and informal groups are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be residents of Cuyahoga County and age 18 and older.
Jeremy V. Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, said the organization is excited to launch another artist funding opportunity. “As Assembly works to ‘expand the pie’ and increase equity in Cleveland’s arts and culture scene, we look forward to investing these public funds in underrepresented areas of Cleveland and East Cleveland,” he said. “Artists are an important part of the creative economy, and getting dollars into their hands helps them and the communities in which they create.”
The Creative Impact Fund includes:
- •$6,250 includes up to $2,500 in unrestricted support and $3,750 in projectsupport
- •Support from Assembly’s staff who will advise project leads in attaining theirproject goals via marketing and professional development support and connections to institutional partners, potential collaborators or thought partners
- •Assembly for the Arts Membership
Applications are due May 7, 2023. Information sessions will be held in person and virtually. 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 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
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.
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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