CreativeOhio

We enrich our communities, citizens, and culture through constant advocacy and relentless support.

08/25/2026

Cleveland brought the energy this week for CreativeOhio’s Advocacy Leadership Institute! 🎭💪

Our cohort spent the fourth session of this year's Institute exploring the many strategies arts leaders can use to advocate for change—from grassroots to grasstops, and from civic engagement to creative activism.

We visited ARTFUL in Cleveland Heights, Cleveland Public Theatre in the Gordon Square Arts District, and University Circle Inc. for the 20th anniversary of Wade Oval Wednesday. Along the way, we heard from inspiring civic and arts leaders from clevelandvotes Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Julie Gilliland, Healing in Color Institute The Happy Dog 🌭🤘 and National Independent Venue Association

Our conversations tackled some big questions: What does creative activism look like? How can we expand access to the healing power of the arts in disinvested neighborhoods? And what responsibility do nonprofit arts organizations have to the larger arts ecosystem?

We had the opportunity to learn, connect, ask hard questions—and have a lot of fun exploring one of the most arts-vibrant cities in the country. ❤️

A huge thank you to our many partners, members, and friends across Cleveland for welcoming us, sharing your wisdom, and making this such a meaningful experience for our cohort!

07/16/2026

Yesterday, CreativeOhio's Advocacy Leadership Institute traveled to Athens for a day dedicated to effective storytelling and narrative change. There may be no better place than Appalachian Ohio to explore these themes, where artists and community leaders have spent decades challenging outdated narratives while building new ones rooted in creativity and resilience.

We explored how advocacy requires authentic stories, and how Appalachian communities are leading in creative problem solving and community-centered development in a region that has been pushing back against generations of extractive and exploitative practices.

Thank you to and for sharing your wisdom, your work, and your stories with our cohort.

07/01/2026

What happens when arts leaders come together to learn from one another? Great conversations—and even stronger advocacy.

Last week, CreativeOhio welcomed arts leaders from the University of Michigan to Toledo to see what organized arts advocacy looks like in action at the state and regional level. As we celebrate 50 years of building Ohio's statewide arts advocacy coalition, we were proud to share what we've learned, and we're even more excited to continue the conversation with our friends up north.

A huge thank you to our members at the Toledo Museum of Art and The Arts Commission for your incredible hospitality and for being such great ambassadors for the arts and the Glass City. Your leadership reminds us that strong local partnerships are the foundation of strong statewide advocacy.

Here's to learning from one another and building an even stronger future for the arts!

06/25/2026

CreativeOhio's Sarah Sisser spoke to the leadership and Board of the George Gund Foundation in Cleveland this week as part of a panel discussion about civic practice in the arts. The Board met at in the Waterloo neighborhood. The arts center has recently expanded and is currently hosting its second-ever Digital Weaving Conference with fiber artists from around the globe covening in Cleveland over three days.

06/15/2026

CreativeOhio was honored to attend the Signature Concert in Washington, D.C. over the weekend, celebrating the power of music to explore America's promise, democracy, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

Two original compositions for the concert were especially inspiring. "Redeem the Dream," based on Langston Hughes' 1935 poem "Let America Be America Again", and "US," based on Richard Haass' book "The Bill of Obligations:The Ten Habits of Good Citizens." Together, they offered a moving artistic reflection on our nation's ideals and the role each of us must play in sustaining democracy.

Thank you to the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for its generous support of this inspiring project and its commitment to strengthening democracy through the arts.

05/13/2026

Last week marked the kick-off of this year's Advocacy Leadership Institute! We spent the day in Capitol Square learning about the legislative process, state support of tourism and development, and local arts funding. Thanks to the team at VanMeter Ashbrook, , , , and for their hospitality and for sharing their insights.

This group of 25 Ohio leaders will continue to meet for the next six months in communities around the state to explore arts advocacy in theory and practice. Together, we're reimagining civic engagement and policy leadership for the creative sector!

05/12/2026

CreativeOhio and several of our members in northeast Ohio received a spotlight in the this morning. Amidst rapidly changing arts funding landscapes across the country, the article discusses the benefits and challenges to a unique local cigarette tax that has generated more than $270M for the arts in Cleveland since its inception in 2007. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/arts/cigarette-tax-cleveland-cuyahoga-county.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h1A.VMm_.ZejFs1e5TnkD&smid=url-share

04/22/2026

Yesterday, CreativeOhio's Sarah Sisser spoke at the 2026 Great Lakes Arts Leaders Forum, hosted by the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.

It was a engaging conversation alongside arts leaders from across the Midwest, exploring evolving arts funding models, identifying the most urgent needs in arts advocacy, and highlighting the opportunities we can build on to strengthen our collective impact.

As neighboring states, there's always much we can learn from one another. The forum was a powerful reminder of the value of regional collaboration in moving advocacy efforts forward.

Thank you to the Arts Initiative for hosting and facilitating this discussion!

04/10/2026

This week, CreativeOhio joined a panel alongside leaders from and to speak about the economic impact of the arts with this year's class. We had a great discussion about what success looks like when the business community, elected leadership, tourism, and the arts are aligned in prioritizing the creative sector as essential economic and civic infrastructure. It's a pleasure to see that alignment happening in real time with several of our CreativeOhio member organizations in Stark County!

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