Arts and Culture Discussion to be Held at Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Posted September 16, 2015 in Press Releases

Circle Neighbors Event Focuses on Impact of Public Funding

Cleveland . . . Four leaders from key organizations in University Circle will participate in a panel discussion Monday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The discussion, titled “Strong Communities and Local Public Funding for Arts & Culture: A Dialogue,” will be moderated by John Corlett, president and executive director for the Center for Community Solutions.

The panelists include August Napoli, Jr., deputy director and chief advancement officer, Cleveland Museum of Art; Dr. Evalyn Gates, executive director and CEO, Cleveland Museum of Natural History; Tom O’Brien, program director, Neighborhood Connections; and LaJean Ray, director, Fatima Family Center, Catholic Charities.

Panelists will discuss how agencies like Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) positively affect their organizations. Public funding is a vital part of how many organizations grow and operate, and changes the way they interact with and engage the public and their stakeholders. Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC), a strong steward of the public’s investment in local arts and culture organizations, has invested more than $125 million to Cuyahoga County-based organizations since the passage of the cigarette tax in 2006. A renewal of this tax, Issue 8, will be on the ballot in November. A question-and-answer session will follow the discussion.

The event is free, open to the public and presented by Circle Neighbors, a collaboration of University Circle institutions led by The Womens Council of the Cleveland Art Museum. Those interested in attending the discussion should visit The Womens Council website at WCCMA.net and click the RSVP button on the home page or call (216) 707-2527. Circle Neighbor collaborators include University Circle Inc., the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Holden Arboretum, the Cleveland Orchestra, and Western Reserve Historical Society.