And the Winner Is …
Northeast Ohio
COSE Arts Network has recognized the best in business of Northeast Ohio’s creative artists with the announcement of is 2010 Arts Business and Innovation (ABI) Award Winners. Appropriately the awards ceremony took place at Gordon Square Arts District’s own Cleveland Public Theatre. The top winners in the four categories are:
Young Arts Entrepreneur Award: Michael Kubinski, C.L.E. Clothing Co. Check out all the inside jokes that only us Clevelanders can appreciate on the t-shirts made by this young arts entrepreneur with a passion.
Individual Artist Award: Valerie Mayen, Yellowcake Watch the trajectory this fashion designer is on as she leads the way to putting Cleveland on the fashion map while using only home-town resources in the process [pictured].
Arts Business Award: The Velvet Box, Inc. Jen Pitts puts to good use her years of real-business experience working as an IT executive for a major insurance company to grow her art glass and jewelry business. This gem of a small creative business is growing fast.
Arts and Culture Community Champion Award: Hattie Larlham Community Living’s Creative Arts Program As a result of their disabilities, many of the artists who participate in the program have never so much as picked up a paint brush, but their creative works abound due to a unique process facilitated by the trackers, who champion implementing the artists’ directions.
We all benefit from living and working in a community that supports, promotes and even rewards the innovators in our midst. Their ability to create means our quality of life is improved with music, theatre, fashion, visual art, jewelry, etc.
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!
Carol Drummond has been a professional designer for 25 years. Prior to starting her award-winning graphic design studio 15 years ago, Drummond Design, she graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, worked at a graphic design studio, a video production company, and a consumer products company. She has been an art docent for Mayfield City Schools and currently serves on the COSE Arts Network Advisory Committee. http://www.DrummonDesign.com