Written by Bruce Checefsky
Sean Watterson stood near the entrance to the hall at the downtown Marriott Key Tower where the Cleveland Council on World Affairs Centennial Civic Forum was about to take place. Mayor Bibb walked by and went inside.
The crowd started to gather with cultural dignitaries from a thick swath of nonprofit organizations arriving, including the CEO and executive directors, and key personnel from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland International Film Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, Karamu House, FRONT International Triennial, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, Assembly for the Arts, Playhouse Square, and others.
Watterson, named Community Leader of the Year in 2022 by Cleveland Magazine and responsible for lobbying the U.S. Congress for a $16 billion Shuttered Venues Operators Grant in 2020, noticed something unusual. There were few artists and practically no cultural business owners in the audience or listed as guest panelists. He left the breakout forum on arts and culture and never returned.
A short while later, he posted a message on his FaceBook page, used here with his permission.
“I just left the Arts & Culture breakout session. All the panelists are great and represent great institutions — but EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is a nonprofit director. No artists. No creative businesses. And this is the norm. I do not blame the organizers for defaulting to this definition of arts and culture. But I wish that when these panels are put together, panelists ask the organizers if they included any artists and businesses.”
He added that artists and businesses have much to contribute and should be in the conversation.
“We are ready for our shot,” he continued. “I am calling on all the arts & culture nonprofit leaders to ask the question when asked to present: Who is the artist on the panel? Which arts-based business person will be on stage for the discussion?”
During the breakout session on arts and culture, the six panelists responded to questions posed by the moderator, Jill Paulsen, Executive Director of Cuyahoga Art and Culture. The panelists included Marcie Goodman, Executive Director of the Cleveland International Film Festival; William Griswold, Director and President of the Cleveland Museum of Art; Jeremy Johnson, President and CEO of Assembly for the Arts; Tony F. Sias, President and CEO of the Karamu House; and Sarah Spinner Liska, Managing Director of FRONT International Triennial.
A list of accomplishments by each of the institutions was markedly long, with successful international projects highlighted, and after thirty minutes, the audience of about 50 attendees was encouraged to participate.
“What are any existing assets and efforts already underway, and what does global connectivity mean to you?” asked Renata Kosc-Harmatiy, political science adjunct faculty at Cuyahoga Community College and moderator for the session on behalf of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs.
Jae Williams, General Manager, WOVU 95.9FM, a community radio station broadcast by Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc serving Central and Kinsman neighborhoods, responded first.
“I keep hearing you talk about bringing people here from all over the world, but you have not connected to the ’hood,” he said. “When you connect to the ’hood and give us an opportunity, you can hear music and poets, see art. We wish for more connectivity.”
Applause followed his response.
Kosc-Harmatiy asked about metrics and indicators. Measuring success in the arts and culture sector has been an issue of considerable debate in recent years, she acknowledged, with data unavailable or hard to access.
Sias stressed that investment, especially on the east side of Cleveland, and anchor institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art as a destination, provide access to the communities and broaden the interest of international visitors. He said churches play an important role in understanding our history, a story that needs telling in a narrative of Cleveland and its values.
“Anchor institutions and their relationship to communities, and those who come to the community as part of international travel, is a metric,” said Sais.
Goodman said that she had to ask former directors John Foreman and David Wittkowsky why the film festival was called the Cleveland International Film Festival and then extolled the dozens of international films presented yearly. She acknowledged the festival does not have the money to bring foreign filmmakers to Cleveland.
“We brought in more than 400 guest filmmakers this year. The reality is that most are from this country, and we cannot afford to bring in too many international filmmakers,” she said. “We would like to change that.”
Griswold explained that global connectivity is the exchange of ideas and capital goods to foster the well-being of Cleveland and is critical to the economic prosperity of the museum. It encourages diversity of thought, he said.
According to Spinner Liska, FRONT International generates significant economic growth in the tourism and hospitality industry, and the metrics show the economic impact in terms of realized dollars.
“Our last edition of FRONT brought in over $31 million through cultural tourism,” she said.
Johnson noted that data exists for the industry to measure impact and success. Global connectivity is not a typical question measured by national survey services, with race, ethnicity, demographics and geography the norm.
“Research shows that Cleveland has one of the highest art and culture salaries among cities, certainly in the Midwest,” said Johnson. “We have an arts industry that is second to none.”
Dr. Deborah Watson, pastor at Hope Trinity Church Arts Center and a clinical psychologist and artist, wanted to know how local artists access money for their work. Funds and opportunity might exist elsewhere, she said, like Hollywood for filmmakers, but Cleveland needs to step up.
“You have to talk about accessibility for those disenfranchised,” said Watson. “You cannot talk about international connectivity at the sacrifice of people who live in Cleveland.”
At the close of the forum, which lasted close to two hours, Williams, standing in the back of the room while the crowd filed out, shook his head.
“There was very little response to what I said, and there was no room for response,” he said, citing the recent robbery of three Browns players in downtown Cleveland at gunpoint on two separate incidents one night apart. “We know violence is a whole other area neglected.”
CoolCleveland caught up with Watterson at the Happy Dog the following day to find out why he walked out of the conference. Co-owner of the nationally ranked corner bar, restaurant, music venue and civic-minded public establishment in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, he said the conversation could be more interesting with the multiple perspectives, not only with nonprofits but with artists and cultural businesses.
Watterson felt no opportunity to participate or ask questions at an independent commercial music venue, so he left the breakout room and conference.
“Global connectivity is not the right question,” he said about the civic forum topic. “Empathy comes to mind when I think about connectivity, and the public conversations we have about arts and culture should include artists and art-based business, not just the nonprofits.”
2 Responses to “Cleveland Council on World Affairs Hosts Centennial Civic Forum by Bruce Checefsky”
Liz Maugans
The same voices of those top salaried people (who sat on this panel) may be true, but voices are not being heard, discussions are not being had, ideas from the grassroots are not being shared/captured/understood. If the locals aren’t happy about conditions here in Cleveland, how would others be interested in connecting here too?
Mark Yasenchack
Agreed Liz! There is a caste system in the arts community in Cleveland and the elitists, the board members and donors, are unwilling to share decision making and leadership with the communities they serve or artists they present. With few exceptions (Spaces is a leader!) the boards of arts organizations in Cleveland need more representation, young leaders under 30, more people of color, more queer people and more women, but more representation from the creatives. I used to think that when I saw diversity and equity it meant that someone put a lot of work into making it possible, but now I understand the flipside better; when I don’t see diversity and inclusion it is because someone put a lot of work into not making that possible. Oh boy, this sounds like I am ranting… may as well have put the whole thing in caps…. Thank you Sean Watterson for disrupting!