Nikki Delamotte, the Voice of Creative Cleveland: 1988-2018

 

There are Mondays, and there are Mondays. This Monday was one of the worst, when the community got word that Cleveland.com arts & culture writer Nikki Delamotte was murdered in Toledo the previous night. As one of the longest tenured writers about the Cleveland creative scene, it was stunning for me to learn that the brightest voice for its future had been so cruelly snuffed out.

I remember being Nikki Delamotte’s age — a long time ago — and trying to break into journalism in Cleveland. I was passionate about music and the things that creative people were doing, against all odds in that bleak era, and I wanted to write about it. That was the ’70s and it was a tough town in a tough time. And I never had a fraction of Nikki’s gifts.

Now I’m on the other end of my career and I watched with excitement as Nikki, first for small publications and then as a member and shining star of Cleveland.com’s staff, delved into a much livelier and more thriving local arts/culture/entrepreneurial scene with zest, intelligence, insight, diligence and an ability to spin words to make it all come alive, to keep people reading even a long, complex article because of her knack for telling a story.

I saw Nikki as a rare journalist who was also a catalyst, a crucial link in making things happen, because of her special ability to ferret out, understand and share them, to instinctively know what mattered and what was hype, what was essential and what was extraneous. She had qualities that are innate, that can’t be taught, and probably can’t be developed. And she loved cats!

My own life’s work was/is to write about (and photograph) the creative people and projects that once seemed so throttled in Cleveland and now seem so ready to blossom. To me, Nikki was the voice for this promising but delicate time, the one who would carry my work into the future, only she would take it to a much higher level. Her talent and her work ethic were well beyond anything I ever possessed, and she was blessed with a warm, extroverted personality that drew people toward her.

It was heartbreaking to learn of her murder first thing on a Monday, snuffed out at the age of 30. There’s no doubt she would have gone on to many greater things. She would have made such a difference to region packed with talent that often struggles to be recognized while big downtown projects and professional sports teams consume all the media oxygen. She would have written many books, been nationally recognized as a driving force in Cleveland’s transformation if it is fortunate enough to have one, and acknowledged as a key player in advancing the lives, art and talent of so many people — a real difference-maker. Her future seemed limitless.

I’ve already seen people say they covet her “job,” but to Nikki this wasn’t a “job,” it was a passion. There’s no one on the horizon like her. She’s not replaceable. — Anastasia Pantsios

There will be a candlelight vigil/memorial for Nikki Thu 11/15 @ 6:30pm at upper Edgewater Park by the Cleveland sign. On Fri 11/16 @ 7pm-midnight, Side Quest will host a benefit to raise money for Nikki’s funeral. Both events are open to all who wish to pay their respects. There is also a GoFundMe page.

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2 Responses to “Nikki Delamotte, the Voice of Creative Cleveland: 1988-2018”

  1. Linda Eisenstein

    I never met Nikki in person, yet I felt like I knew her because her writing was so specific, so detailed, so full of joy for what she was discovering in the adopted town she loved. It is an immeasurable loss to Cleveland and the artists and creatives of all stripes who live here. Thank you for this tribute – it is so accurate.

  2. Elisa Vietri

    Beautifully said, Anastasia. May she rest in peace.

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