Cleveland, OH – July 26– The Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Cleveland Arts Prize, celebrating outstanding artistic talent and significant contributions to the arts community in Northeast Ohio. This year’s winners highlight the diversity and richness of the region’s cultural landscape, with achievements spanning various artistic disciplines.
Discipline Prizes (Finalists are selected by Discipline Juries and winners are ultimately chosen by the Academy Jury)
- Emerging Arts Prize: Amber Ford (Visual Arts)
- Mid-Career Prize: Clint Needham (Music)
- Lifetime Achievement Prize: Barbara Bosworth (Visual Arts)
Special Prizes selected by Special Prize Jury
- Robert Bergman Prize: Shannon Morris (Founding Executive Director, Artful Cleveland)
- Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts: Ronald and Eugenia Strauss (Founders, CityMusic)
The Barbara Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts, awarded by the Cleveland Arts Prize Board of Trustees, will be bestowed upon Ellen Stirn Mavec for her inspiring contributions as an art entrepreneur, philanthropist, cultural leader, and arts advocate.
- Barbara Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts: Ellen Stirn Mavec (President and Chairman of The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation)
Aseelah Shareef, Board Co-Chair of the Cleveland Arts Prize, commented on the significance of this year’s awards: “We are thrilled to honor these incredible individuals who have made profound contributions to the arts in Northeast Ohio. This year, we received a total of 178 applications from a diverse and talented pool of artists, a testament to the vibrant artistic community we have. Despite the lack of funding forcing us to reduce the number of Prizes this year from five to three $10,000 prizes, the dedication and passion of our artists continue to inspire us all.”
Annual Awards Event
Join us in celebrating this year’s winners at the Annual Awards Event on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Cuyahoga Community College East Campus beginning at 6:30 PM. The event will feature performances by past winners including “Next to Normal” Tony Award-winning actress, performer and composer Alice Ripley (CAP 2019), the Ohio Contemporary Ballet performing 1995 CAP winner Heinz Poll’s choreography, and 2024 Verge Fellowship winner TJ Maclin (aka Peachcurls) performing his original music. Tickets are available at www.clevelandartsprize.org.
Since its inception in 1960, the Cleveland Arts Prize has been dedicated to recognizing and fostering artistic excellence in Northeast Ohio. Each year, the organization awards $10,000 prizes to artists in the Emerging, Mid-Career, and Lifetime Achievement categories, selected by juries of their contemporaries. Additionally, honorary Special Prizes are awarded to individuals or institutions demonstrating remarkable advocacy and philanthropy in the arts.
For more information about the Cleveland Arts Prize and to purchase tickets for the Annual Awards Event, please visit www.clevelandartsprize.org.
About Cleveland Arts Prize: Founded in 1960, the Cleveland Arts Prize is the nation’s oldest municipal arts award, celebrating artistic excellence and supporting the creative community in Northeast Ohio. Through its awards and programs, the Cleveland Arts Prize honors artists and arts advocates who have made significant contributions to the region’s cultural landscape.
Media Contact:
Effie Nunes Executive Director Cleveland Arts Prize
330.283.2713 | etnunes@clevelandartsprize.org
Biographies
Amber N. Ford is an artist and freelance photographer based in Cleveland, Ohio, holding a BFA in Photography from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her critically acclaimed work has been exhibited with FRONT Triennial, moCa Cleveland, and Kent State University Museum, and featured in prestigious publications such as Frieze, Hyperallergic, and The New York Times.
Amber received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in 2017, was selected as a Gordon Square Arts District Artist-in-Residence in 2019, and named an Artist-in-Residence for moCa Cleveland in 2022. Her photojournalistic credits include The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NPR.
Amber’s practice explores the word BLACK, specifically the intersection where color meets identity. Although black is often perceived as a single color, it comes in many hues, tones, tints,
shades, and textures. It represents the complete absence of light and a way to describe her people, their history, and unique challenges. Her photographic projects press viewers to reexamine stereotypical notions of Blackness, explore a deeper understanding of the limitless variations of Black life, and provide soft access points to the sometimes difficult lived realities many face daily. While primarily working in digital photography, Amber also engages in alternative photographic processes, printmaking, collage art, and audio archiving. She often pairs photography with collaborative storytelling to highlight the nuanced depictions of Black and brown lives and builds community connections, rendering pathways for discursive safe spaces between viewers and art to provoke further discussions and compassion for Black people while emphasizing humanity in the conversation.
Clint Needham, an acclaimed composer based in Northeast Ohio, draws inspiration from a vibrant tapestry of lived experiences, blending the musical energy of grunge, ska, and hip-hop from his rural Texas upbringing with the rich traditions of concert music. His work emphasizes clarity of expression and direct communication with the listener, guided by a continual cycle of exposure, exploration, and refinement.
Needham’s music, described as “wildly entertaining” and “stunning, brilliantly orchestrated” by the New York Times, and “well-crafted and arresting” by the Herald Times, has been performed by leading orchestras across the country, including the Minnesota Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Symphony. His chamber music has been showcased by ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, American Brass Quintet, and the President’s Own Marine Band Brass Quintet, with performances spanning Europe, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Australia.
As an educator, Clint serves as Composer in Residence and Professor of Composition at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, where he composes for and collaborates with faculty and student ensembles. His local collaborations include the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Akron Symphony, and Cleveland Museum of Art, among others.
Needham’s numerous accolades include the Barlow Prize, Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Aspen Music Festival Jacob Druckman Prize, two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, and the William Schuman Prize/BMI Composer Award. His music is published by the Theodore Presser Company, Manhattan Beach Music, and Triplo Press.
Having lived and worked in Northeast Ohio for over a decade, Clint continues to foster artistic collaborations that enrich the local arts community, embodying a communal approach to his art that celebrates and shares creativity.
Barbara Bosworth, born in Cleveland and raised in Novelty, Ohio, is an acclaimed American photographer whose work explores the intricate relationships between humans and nature. Her fascination with the night sky and natural world began in her childhood, walking with her father
and observing the stars. Bosworth’s extensive career has produced large-format photographs that capture both the overt and subtle interactions between people and the environment.
Bosworth’s connection to Northeast Ohio is profound, with her work often reflecting the landscapes and memories of her childhood. Her recent solo exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, “Barbara Bosworth: Sun Light Moon Shadow,” curated by Barbara Tannenbaum, coincided with the 2024 solar eclipse, bringing her back to the landscape that has shaped her vision. This exhibition featured images of light from eclipses, sunrises, and sunsets to the glow of fireflies and a flashlight. Her work highlights how these phenomena hold personal meaning and illuminate our bonds with nature.
Bosworth’s approach to photography emphasizes the essential role of light and time, using cameras and telescopes to collect and record light over specific periods. Her celestial photographs evoke the mystery of ancient light landing on film.
Over her career, Bosworth has worked in both black and white and color, with her photographs inspiring viewers to closely observe their surroundings. She has held solo exhibitions at prominent institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Bosworth is Professor Emeritus of Photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and has published several notable books. Bosworth served as the Scholar in Residence at Laurel School in Shaker Heights.
Robert P. Bergman Prize Shannon Morris
Originally focusing on photography, earning a BFA in Fine Art Photography from The Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Shannon has since liberated herself from the restraints of a single medium or career path. She experiences the world through a creative lens, approaching every aspect of her daily, professional and artistic life from angles outside the norm, constantly innovating and learning. For the last 10 years, the majority of her creative energy has been spent founding and nurturing the non-profit ARTFUL OHIO INC. In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, located in The Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Building.
Shannon’s core beliefs and vision have remained steadfast and unchanged, the ARTS and those that wield them are vital to humanity and must be protected, recognized and encouraged to share their collective voices. Shannon is a resident of University Heights.
Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts
Dr. Ronald and Eugenia* Strauss are the founders of CityMusic Cleveland, a professional chamber orchestra dedicated to making classical music accessible through free concerts and innovative programming. In 1956, they moved to Cleveland for Dr. Strauss’ residency at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospitals and have since become prominent figures in the local arts community. Eugenia has a rich history of involvement with the Women’s Committee of the
Cleveland Ballet Company, Dance Cleveland, the National Theater for the Deaf, and the Cleveland School of the Arts, where she served as development director for nine years. She also chaired the board of the renowned Pilobolus Dance Company, located in Connecticut, for nine years.
Inspired by Cleveland Arts Prize winner Jeannette Sorrell, founder and musical director of Cleveland’s Apollo’s Fire, Eugenia and Ronald founded CityMusic Cleveland in 2004. The organization is dedicated to eliminating barriers to classical music by offering free concerts and engaging with diverse communities across Northeast Ohio. CityMusic Cleveland not only presents top-tier performances but also focuses on arts education through initiatives like the Clurie Bennis Children’s Outreach Series, which provides interactive arts programs in underserved Cleveland neighborhoods. Dr. Strauss, a devoted amateur violinist, serves as President of the Board, and together with Eugenia, who served as Executive Director until her retirement, they have enriched the cultural landscape of Northeast Ohio.
The Strausses reside in Cleveland Heights and are proud parents of three daughters and doting grandparents of six.
(*pronounced Er-gen-ie with the accent on the third syllable)
Barbara Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts
Ellen Stirn Mavec is a guiding force in the Cleveland arts and cultural community. As President and Chairman of The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation since 1997, she has and continues to ensure that the Foundation supports non-profit organizations in Cleveland that demonstrate excellence, creativity, fiscal responsibility, and dynamic leadership, ultimately making a positive impact on the community.
Ellen has served as the Board Chair of the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) since 2022 and as a Trustee since 1991 and has held critical leadership roles as Vice President of the Board, member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Collections Committee and Co-Chair of The Campaign for the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Beyond her work with CMA, Ellen is deeply involved in the Greater Cleveland community. She served on the board of The Cleveland State University Foundation, is a Life Trustee of Great Lakes Theater and a Trustee Emerita of Case Western Reserve University. Ellen has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Joseph D. Pigott University Circle Award, Lake Erie College’s Distinguished Citizens of the Western Reserve Award, Cleveland Institute of Art’s Medal of Excellence, YWCA’s Women of Achievement Award, and Northern Ohio Live magazine’s Rainmaker Award.
Early in her career, Ellen contributed significantly to the arts through her work with NOVA and by opening the Ellen Stirn Galleries. In 1989, she purchased Potter + Mellen, a Cleveland-based retail company specializing in fine metalware and jewelry, maintaining its reputation for excellence in design and craftsmanship.
Ellen holds a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Northwestern University, graduating magna cum laude, and studied antiques and decorative arts at Sotheby’s in England. She resides in Hunting Valley, Ohio, with her husband, Bruce.