Nicknamed “Hendrix of the kora,” Seckou Keita is today’s most influential and inspiring performer on the instrument, widely celebrated for his virtuosity and inventiveness, and is considered a leader of the newest generation of African traditional musicians, fusing traditional forms and instruments with those of other cultures.

Baldwin Wallace University’s acting president and interim provost, Dr. Tom Sutton also ran BW’s Community Research Institute and has done polling and political research for Democrats and Republicans, local governments and nonprofits.

He brings reams of data and a well-reasoned analysis of the 2024 elections, including the margin-of-error presidential election, Ohio and Cuyahoga County turnout, and voter sentiment. View the video interview here. 

With the arts and culture levy that provides funding, mostly for local arts-related nonprofits, set to expire in 2027 and the amount coming from that cigarette tax steadily decreasing, voters approved a renewal and increase in November by a large margin. Over 71% of voters approved the arts tax renewal. Jill Paulson, the executive director of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, which administers the income, said in a press release that it would continue to be “reliable resource and provide core support for the nonprofits that make our community such a special place.”

Still, the issue of what funding reaches the people who actually make the art continues to be a matter of debate in the creative community. Last year, controversy over grants to artists forced the agency to review the granting process and increase money available to artists seeking financial support. Jeremy Johnson, who heads the nonprofit artist advocacy group Assembly for the Arts, has said it will continue to look for ways to direct more money to artists and find new sources of funding for that mission. Read more.

Larry Bruner took over management of Cleveland’s legendary 1960s music venue La Cave in its later years, and remained a music enthusiastic and tireless promoter of the local music scene for most of his life. He put out his own calendar of local music performances and later joined forced with acoustic music nonprofit FolkNet whose board he served on. He passed away November 19 at the age of 81. Friends have organized a celebration of his life. Read more.

Next year’s BorderLight Theatre Festival, taking place July 16-19, will be an all-fringe affair, featuring a potpourri of acts of all types — and they’re currently on the hunt for acts who want to perform. “We encourage submissions for performances and installations that push boundaries, inspire audiences, and celebrate the dynamic power of live performance!” they say. Deadline for submissions is January 31. Read more.