Great Energy and Momentum Built at Neighbor Up’s Arts & Culture Network Night in March!

Cleveland, OH (March 27, 2024):  On a cold, windy night in March, sixty artists, arts administrators, creatives, and people just interested in the arts gathered at the Art Palace in the St. Clair Superior Neighborhood to listen to great music, break bread together, hear from a local city leader on arts & culture landscape, offer support to one another, and identify issues to work on together. The energy in the room was vibrant, and the information and resources shared, and the relationships built will surely lead to some changes in the arts & culture community.

Rhonda K. Brown, Senior Strategist for Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy with the City of Cleveland, opened the evening with a discussion on the vibrant local arts & culture ecosystem, resources available to artists such as the Transformative Arts Fund, and the need for artists, arts institutions, and the community to come together to support the arts.

Numerous issues were discussed at Arts & Culture Network Night among participants, including:

  • How do we, as artists, help to get out the vote for elections?
  • What can we do to better communicate what’s happening in the local arts scene? There’s so much information and so much happening, but you have to look in a bunch of places to find the information.
  • There is a lack of affordable housing for artists. What can we do to support artists in need of stable, affordable, safe housing?
  • With the advent of AI (artificial intelligence), how are artists preparing for this change in their businesses? How can it help them? What do they have to be concerned about?
  • What can we do to create a circular economy around manufacturing of clothing and other products using reused materials? There is so much waste in the clothing industry that is negatively affecting our planet. Can we create a local hub to take in old clothing and other textiles and reuse them to make something else on a large scale?

Some of the sparks generated from these conversations are moving toward further discussion and action on these issues. And some of the “sparks” applied for a SPARK GRANT to get pilot their idea.

An abundance of resources and offers of mutual support were shared, including local places to host events and meetings, free art supplies, opportunities to showcase your art, funding opportunities, and ways to publicize your work. Check out the offers, requests, and declarations here. 

Foxx & Co, a local band, created a great vibe throughout the night, including R & B, Motown, and Classic Rock pieces.

The next Arts & Culture Network Night is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26th from 6pm to 8:30pm. Stay tuned for the location. We hope to see you there! 

Thanks to Cuyahoga Arts & Culture for their financial support on the Arts & Culture Network Nights and also for partnering with us. Also, thanks to our partners Assembly for the Arts and Creative Meetups! Check out their websites for upcoming gatherings and conversations for artists, creatives, and those interested in the arts!

Thanks to photographer Ernest Hatten. He can be reached at tkphoto216@gmail.com.