This Wednesday, the Cleveland Arts Prize, the oldest municipal, juried arts award in the U.S., will recognize its 65th cohort of winners at the Simon and Rose Mandel Theater at Tri-C East at 6:30 p.m. In 1960, the Women’s City Club created the prize to celebrate artistic excellence and community leaders in Northeast Ohio.
“The Cleveland Arts Prize remains one of only a few arts awards that recognizes the arts across the board,” said Effie Tsengas Nunes, executive director, of the small, select group of about 400 people who’ve claimed the prize.
“In a recent survey of those people, many have acknowledged that they wouldn’t have had the funding to purchase the equipment that then led to their career moving in an even bigger, better direction,” Nunes continued. “So the recognition they received makes a big difference in their career.”
Cleveland artist Frank Oriti said receiving the Cleveland Arts Prize Emerging Artist Award in 2013 was monumental because he was only two years out of graduate school and working towards his first solo show in New York.
“The prize couldn’t have come at a better time because it allowed me the opportunity to step away from my full-time job and concentrate entirely on painting,” said Oriti, acclaimed for rendering detailed portraits or people or objects that resemble photographs. “I will never forget the impact the award had on my early career and the support I received from the Cleveland art community, the Cleveland Arts Prize board and so many of the winners from the past.”
Because of that significant impact the prize can have on an artist, one of Nunes’ primary missions since serving as interim executive director in 2023 and then being named full-time ED last year has been to increase visibility for the award.
“People who don’t support the arts might not be aware of us,” she said “But I will say that most people within the arts are aware of what we do and our mission of recognizing artists of all kinds, and that $10,000 prize we give to three people makes a huge difference.”
Every year, the CAP discipline awards honor an emerging artist, a mid-career artist and an artist’s lifetime achievement; each of whom receive the $10,000 prize. They also present three special accolades: The Barbara S. Robinson Prize is awarded to an individual or organization for their extraordinary commitment to advancement of the arts; The Robert P. Bergman Prize is awarded to an individual whose life and work are illuminated by an energetic and inspiring dedication to a democratic vision of art; and the Martha Joseph Prize is presented for distinguished service to the arts.
“When people find out about us, it’s always a pleasant surprise for them that we serve as a creative archive for the community,” said Erin Jesson, CAP’s director of operations. “It’s nice to have that recorded and kept somewhere and know that the winners have been selected by their own peers.”
Nunes’ arts expertise and leadership
Nunes, who is married to 2017 CAP winner Grafton Nunes, film producer and retired president of the Cleveland Institute of Art, first became involved in CAP when her predecessor Alenka Banco Glazen asked her to join the board n 2019.
Previously, her entire career had revolved around promoting the arts, including serving as marketing and public relations coordinator for Kent State University’s Porthouse Theater for a summer before working for the KSU’s School of Theatre and Dance for eight years. Then the university promoted her to communications and marketing manager for the College for the Arts, which included all of the programs for theatre, dance, the visual arts, music and fashion and for the KSU museum. She held that position for 12 years.
During that time she oversaw the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series, which presented a myriad of award-winning artists such as Ben Vereen, The Martha Graham Dance Company, artist Nick Cave, architect Jeanne Gang and clarinetist David Shifrin. In 2021 and 2022, Nunes served as director of board administration for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
“That experience prepared me the best for this role as executive director because I speak the language of all of those different disciplines and a general understanding of what their needs are publicity-wise and what each of those kinds of artists look for and need,” Nunes said. “It was a perfect training ground for me to become the Executive Director.”
While working at KSU, she earned her MBA from the university, which she believes helped prepare her for the financial management responsibilities of her role for CAP.
“Effie has brought a new level of professionalism to the role of executive director of the Cleveland Arts Prize,” said Mary Louse Hahn, retired board chair, CAP. “She brought a keen awareness of the significant impact that the arts make throughout Northeast Ohio.”
Hahn added that Nunes understands the importance of expanding CAP’s outreach. Consequently, she and CAP’s Board accepted the invitation to move their offices into the Assembly for the Arts offices in the Midtown Collaboration Center across the street from the Cleveland Foundation’s new headquarters at East 65th St. and Euclid Avenue. Soon after the move, she and Jesson created a successful series of moderated “conversations” with individual prize-winners and curator/scholars knowledgeable about their work.
“I mention the Conversation Series because it ties directly to the original and continuing core mission of the Cleveland Arts Prize, which is to honor and celebrate the excellence, vibrancy, vitality and diversity of our region’s artistic community — a rich cultural history that has added so much to Northeast Ohio’s quality of life,” Hahn said.
The Class of 2025
The three discipline awards for 2025 went to Ali Black, a published and dynamic performance poet, writer and educator, who received the Emerging Artist award; internationally acclaimed classical guitarist and head of the guitar department at the Cleveland Institute of Music Jason Vieaux, who won the Mid-Career award; and visual artist Mark Howard, whose colorful public art works can be seen around Northeast Ohio, won the Lifetime Achievement award.
This year’s special prizes went to Greg Peckham (Bergman Prize), former executive director of LAND Studio, Inc. who became president & CEO of Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park in June; Robin Pease (Joseph Prize), founding artistic director of Kulture Kids and playwright, educator and performer; the Jack, Joseph, Morton Mandel Foundation received the Barbara Robinson Prize; and venerable architectural and commercial photographer Jennie Jones, 93, received a Special Citation.
Performances during the awards event will include Black reading an excerpt from her poem “We Look Better Alive” from her book of the same name published this year. Musicians from CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra will perform the world premiere of 2024 CAP Mid-Career winner and Baldwin Wallace University professor Clint Needham‘s composition “In the Calder Room.” Additionally, Grammy-winning musician Vieaux recorded a video performance, since he will be touring and unable to attend the event.
Keeping the CAP strong
Both Nunes and Jesson emphasize their desire to see more Northeast Ohio artists apply for the awards. Artists from all disciplines interested in applying should visit the submissions page for detailed information.
“We have seen a huge increase in applicants, and it’s important that we get the message across that you need to apply,” Jesson said. “We get about 150 and 200 applicants, which also makes the jurying process that much more difficult. We have only 15 finalists each year, so it’s important for people to apply year after year to win. Don’t give up. Keep applying.”
The CAP also offers Verge Fellowships annually with an unrestricted stipend of $2,000 for developing artists starting at age 15.
Every year we try to keep improving our application process to make it more seamless, clear and understandable, so applicants have a good understanding of what they need to submit, according to Deborah Glosserman, CAP board member for 13 years. She added that the board is working closely with Nunes and Jesson to help raise visibility of Cleveland’s historic arts honor and strengthen the CAP.
“The money for the prizes comes from our endowment, and we’re trying to raise our endowment so that it can fund these prizes forever,” she said. “We haven’t strategically worked on increasing the endowment, but with Effie’s leadership, we’re working to do that.”
Tickets will be available at the door.
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