The latest class of the Cleveland Arts Prize honors seven people who have enriched Northeast Ohio with their commitment to photography, music and philanthropy.
Unlike recent years, only three people were chosen for the discipline prizes, which come with a $10,000 award. Arts Prize Executive Director Effie Nunes said having five winners was no longer possible.
“We are a self-sustaining organization," she said. "We have a meager endowment that helps to support some of the prize money, but not all of it. I think that there is a switch for many of the foundations that are starting to concentrate more on education, social justice, health and moving a little further away from the arts.”
Nunes said she hopes they can return to awarding five prizes in the future.
The first awards were given in 1961, established by the Women’s City Club. This year, 178 artists applied for the juried prizes. The winners are Amber N. Ford, Clint Needham and Barbara Bosworth. Three non-monetary prizes recognize arts advocacy and philanthropy. Those go to Shannon Morris, Dr. Ronald and Eugenia Strauss and Ellen Stirn Mavec.
All of the recipients will be celebrated in a ceremony Oct. 24 at Cuyahoga Community College's East Campus.
Lifetime Achievement
Barbara Bosworth documents the relationship between humans and the natural world through her camera lens. Her recent exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art, "Barbara Bosworth: Sun Light Moon Shadow," coincided with the solar eclipse and featured images of the night sky – a favorite subject for the Geauga County native.
“She is a photographer of the sky and celestial visions,” Nunes said. “She does some really remarkable things with her camera. I can't explain it!”
Mid-Career Artist
Composer Clint Needham blends grunge, ska and hip-hop in works which have been performed by the Minnesota, Akron and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. The Texas native is a professor at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts.
“His work really wowed our jurors this year,” Nunes said. “Hopefully somewhere down the line, we'll get to hear some of his music at one of our annual awards events.”
Emerging Artist
Photographer Amber N. Ford attended the Cleveland Institute of Art and has had her work exhibited at the FRONT Triennial and moCa. Her credits as a photojournalist include the Washington Post and New York Times. In 2022, she told Ideastream that she wanted to experiment in other media.
“I'm interested as I continue to develop with my artistic practice to be more considered as a contemporary artist or conceptual artist than just a photographer, because I want to be able to choose whatever medium makes the most sense for the concept and idea that I have versus trying to make photography always fit,” Ford said.
Robert P. Bergman Prize: Shannon Morris
A photographer who studied at New York University, Morris spent the past decade as executive director of ARTFUL Cleveland, which provides artist spaces in the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. building.
“Our special prize jury really was very moved by her passion and the work that she has done on behalf of the artists,” Nunes said, adding that the prize is not meant as a commentary on the building’s future, which is in flux.
“I wouldn't say that we’re trying to make a statement in that regard, but the fact that she has done so much for the arts community on the East side is well worth us recognizing her,” Nunes said. “And hey, if this helps her argument a little more, that's a plus in my eyes.”
Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts: Dr. Ronald and Eugenia Strauss
The Strauss’ founded CityMusic Cleveland in 2004, making free classical music accessible throughout the city. The couple moved to Cleveland Heights in 1976 for Ronald’s residency and have been pillars of the arts community ever since.
“They have also gone into schools and helped with programming,” Nunes said. “As arts education declines in public schools, they have certainly helped.”
Eugenia has been involved with the Women's Committee of the Cleveland Ballet, Dance Cleveland, the National Theater for the Deaf and the Cleveland School of the Arts, where she served as development director for nine years.
Barbara Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts: Ellen Stirn Mavec
The current chair of the Cleveland Museum of Art Board of Trustees, Mavec has also provided arts support as president of the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation since 1997.
“Ellen has served many of our city's boards, including Great Lakes Theater and Case Western Reserve University,” said Nunes. “She plays a huge part in guiding the funding to areas of great need that also have to do with community development, arts education and arts advocacy. So, it was not a difficult choice.”
