CLEVELAND — Cleveland is home to a thriving arts industry. But until recently, there wasn’t a unified advocacy group to help raise funds or represent the community in front of lawmakers.
A new nonprofit organization aims to provide a voice for the creative industries throughout Greater Cleveland.
“I grew up around the arts and I grew up in Cleveland and arts were a big part of my life here,” said Jeremy Johnshon, CEO and president of the newly established Assembly for the Arts.
Johnson spent his early years playing piano but in college, Johnson decided he wanted to be a part of the business side of the arts.
“You know, a lot of industries they have natural unions or natural associations where they can fight for their collective work, but oftentimes of the arts, we have great institutions and great individual artists, but we’re all separate. Cleveland has tons of that. With Assembly by our name, we’re going to assemble all of those pieces together,” Johnson said.
The organization will represent Cleveland’s arts community and ensure inclusion and diversity.
Johnson said the nonprofit will also advocate for grants and funding so that the arts are accessible to everyone.
“It’s not just a way to bring people together to assemble, but to show that we are a force, we are a huge economy for the arts in greater Cleveland, and that gives us leverage to advocate for more support, public support and private support for all the great, great arts that happen in our communities across the land.”
