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/. 

 ### 

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.