Seeing the Forest for the Trees: How Big-Picture Ideas Make Successful Succession Planning
Hear from Akron Civic Theatre Executive Director Howard Parr on his lived experiences and how succession planning doesn't, nor shouldn't, need to be a zero sum game. This conversation will be facilitated by arts consultant Janus Small, who possesses years of experience helping leaders and organizations transition themselves to better, more unique, and inventive positions for the future benefit of staff, board members, audiences, and communities.
Janus Small
Janus Small is president of Janus Small Associates, a consulting firm based in Cleveland, focusing on strengthening cultural arts, community development, social service, educational, and faith-based organizations for increased service to the community. With expertise developed over her 15 years as an executive director of Shoes and Clothes for Kids, the Center for Arts and Culture at Cuyahoga Community College, and New Organization for the Visual Arts (NOVA), Janus has made Janus Small Associates a highly respected source of guidance on strategic planning, fund-raising, board and organizational development, programming, audience growth, and other capacity-building processes for many national, regional, and local nonprofit and civic organizations including the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association, Akron Civic Theatre, Inlet Dance Theatre, MOCHA (Museum of Creative Human Art), Zygote Press, U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, GAR Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Greater Cleveland Interfaith Alliance, and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, among others. In addition, Janus contributes to the success of deserving community efforts by serving on the Board of Directors of the Saint Luke’s Foundation, the City of Cleveland’s Mayor’s Public Art Commission, the NAACP-Cleveland Chapter’s Communications Committee, and the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. As an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University teaching nonprofit administration graduate students, Janus is committed to helping to train the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Small Towns, Big Ideas: Arts as Catalyst for Community Change
Dive into small-town Ohio’s unique and expansive dedication to the arts’ role in catalyzing community change. OAC staff members Brianna Dance and Jarred Small will provide an overview of the agency’s annual efforts in awarding grants in all 88 Ohio counties, while a panel of guest speakers highlight recent successes and discuss ways in which they’ve leaned into the arts as a driver toward positive economic, cultural, and educational outcomes in their communities.
Sarah Barr
Sarah Barr is the executive director for Wild Goose Creative in the heart of Franklinton Arts District (Columbus). Sarah, an artist and creative herself, has a background in sculpture and photography and has more than 15 years experience in nonprofit leadership. Most recently, Sarah has completed two successful capital campaigns transforming historic theatres into cultural arts spaces. In Sidney, she raised $3.5 million to renovate a 1921 vaudeville theatre and recently finished another $3.2 million new build of the collapsed Avalon Theatre in the heart of Marysville, creating a venue in which to enrich the community through the arts.
Small Towns, Big Ideas: Arts as Catalyst for Community Change
Dive into small-town Ohio’s unique and expansive dedication to the arts’ role in catalyzing community change. OAC staff members Brianna Dance and Jarred Small will provide an overview of the agency’s annual efforts in awarding grants in all 88 Ohio counties, while a panel of guest speakers highlight recent successes and discuss ways in which they’ve leaned into the arts as a driver toward positive economic, cultural, and educational outcomes in their communities.
Amanda Cleary
Amanda Cleary has a passion for empowering people to take control of their health and wellness. In addition to personal wellness, she is passionate about the community and economic wellness of her beautiful hometown of Ironton, Ohio and the surrounding river town region of the Southern Ohio Valley.
Amanda founded and operated The Vault Market, a retail space featuring all U.S. made gifts, artist and artisan creations, and vintage clothing and furniture. She had hopes of that collaborative space becoming a small business incubator to encourage more growth and prosperity in her city and region, and although the retail storefront closed in June of 2021 due COVID-19, it served as a catalyst for helping cultivate an ecosystem for artists to thrive in her hometown and local region. Amanda's work promoting arts, small business, and economic development continues through the nonprofit, Third and Center, which she helped found in late 2019.
In addition to her work with the nonprofit, Amanda is building her own small business that focuses on interior organization and home improvement. She has a background in marketing, life coaching, and management. Amanda thoroughly enjoys working with people, and helping others grow and reach their full potential makes my heart smile. She is a Virgo whose top strengths are positivity, organization, and futuristic vision. She always has a project going, usually involving paint, and rarely shies away from a challenge. In addition to her passion for community, art, and music, Amanda is a wife, mother, sister, friend, and caregiver and finds immense joy in all those roles.
Small Towns, Big Ideas: Arts as Catalyst for Community Change
Dive into small-town Ohio’s unique and expansive dedication to the arts’ role in catalyzing community change. OAC staff members Brianna Dance and Jarred Small will provide an overview of the agency’s annual efforts in awarding grants in all 88 Ohio counties, while a panel of guest speakers highlight recent successes and discuss ways in which they’ve leaned into the arts as a driver toward positive economic, cultural, and educational outcomes in their communities.
Brianna Dance
Brianna Dance has administered state funding of the arts since 2011. She joined the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) staff in 2013 and serves as the organizational programs coordinator for the Central and Southeast Ohio. In her role, she builds awareness of OAC funding opportunities, advises applicants on their grant proposals, recruits panelists and coordinates panel reviews, and adjudicates grant applications. Previously, she conducted policy research and guided organizations through the state's capital funding process at the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, and served in communications and exhibition roles at the Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus. Brianna is a 2012 fellow of the Jefferson Center Academy for Leadership and Governance's Next Generation of Leaders in the Arts program. She studied fine art and philosophy at The Ohio State University, where she was awarded several grants, scholarships, and a university fellowship for her artistic work and research.
Small Towns, Big Ideas: Arts as Catalyst for Community Change
Dive into small-town Ohio’s unique and expansive dedication to the arts’ role in catalyzing community change. OAC staff members Brianna Dance and Jarred Small will provide an overview of the agency’s annual efforts in awarding grants in all 88 Ohio counties, while a panel of guest speakers highlight recent successes and discuss ways in which they’ve leaned into the arts as a driver toward positive economic, cultural, and educational outcomes in their communities.
Jarred Small
Jarred Small joined the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) in 2017 as the agency’s second arts learning coordinator, together overseeing arts learning grant programs including those that support artist residencies, student visits to arts experiences, partnerships between organizations and schools conducting projects with arts learning at their core, and other special initiatives and activities for learners of all ages and abilities.
Jarred has a diverse background spanning education, program management, consultation, research, and evaluation. Prior to his role at the OAC, he served in a variety of capacities with the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Policy and Analysis, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Jarred earned a Master of Arts in arts policy and administration from The Ohio State University and his Bachelor of Music in instrumental music education from Western Michigan University.
SMU DataArts Research and Analysis
This session will provide an overview of research and reports produced by SMU DataArts, supported by data from the Ohio arts community. Research associate Rebecca Roscoe will walk through SMU DataArts' most recent research on the operations of the arts and cultural sector, culturally specific organizations, and audience prediction research. She'll also discuss important findings for grantmakers and arts and cultural organizations and how to stay up to date on SMU DataArts' latest research, tools, and reports.
Rebecca Roscoe
Rebecca Roscoe is a researcher in the arts and culture sector, with prior experience as a market researcher for consumer loyalty initiatives. She has held a research position at DataArts since 2014 and has co-authored papers on topics such as organizational financial and programmatic health, the impact of COVID-19 on the arts and culture sector, workforce and audience demographics, and arts vibrancy in the United States. Rebecca is a summa cum laude graduate of Temple University and resides in Pennsylvania. Her love for the arts is further demonstrated by her involvement as executive director of an education-based circus nonprofit, the Philadelphia Spin Coalition.
Statewide Arts Service Organizations: Overview and Resources
Ohio's Statewide Arts Service Organizations (SASOs) are here to enrich the work you do around arts education, artists with disabilities, dance, heritage, craft, downtown revitalization, and so much more. Come ready to hear the latest updates and activities from these SASOs. Meet new colleagues, hear highlights of current work, and learn about the various services offered by our SASOs in this informative and fast-paced session geared toward novice and seasoned arts colleagues alike.
Molly Cairney
Molly is an artist, creative space-maker, and arts professional. Most recently she was the manager for studio initiatives at the Columbus Museum of Art. Prior to working for the museum, she worked at the Ohio History Connection as state coordinator for Ohio History Day and project director for several National Endowment for the Humanities and Department of Education grants. She has also worked at Urban Arts Space, the Ohio Art League, and the Richard M. Ross Art Museum. Some of her favorite things include running, kayaking, camping, researching obscure historical events, and making art, usually with collage or fiber.
Statewide Arts Service Organizations: Overview and Resources
Ohio's Statewide Arts Service Organizations (SASOs) are here to enrich the work you do around arts education, artists with disabilities, dance, heritage, craft, downtown revitalization, and so much more. Come ready to hear the latest updates and activities from these SASOs. Meet new colleagues, hear highlights of current work, and learn about the various services offered by our SASOs in this informative and fast-paced session geared toward novice and seasoned arts colleagues alike.
Jane D'Angelo
Jane D’Angelo has served as the executive director of OhioDance since 2003. She is a board member of Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and a former board member of Dance/USA as a service council chair. Jane is the co-founder and project director for the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection®. She participated in the executive fellowship program in the Academy for Leadership and Governance at the Jefferson Center in Columbus, Ohio. She has been a guest speaker at The Ohio State University's Department of Dance and Otterbein University. Jane has served as a panelist for Culture Works, and has adjudicated for a variety of organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Northeastern University and a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. She has an extensive background in dance and dance education, both performing and teaching dance to children and adults.
Statewide Arts Service Organizations: Overview and Resources
Ohio's Statewide Arts Service Organizations (SASOs) are here to enrich the work you do around arts education, artists with disabilities, dance, heritage, craft, downtown revitalization, and so much more. Come ready to hear the latest updates and activities from these SASOs. Meet new colleagues, hear highlights of current work, and learn about the various services offered by our SASOs in this informative and fast-paced session geared toward novice and seasoned arts colleagues alike.
Jessica Rosenblatt
Jessica Rosenblatt became the executive director of the Ohio Arts Professionals Network (OAPN) in August 2019. Her venture into the arts started in 2008 when she partnered with singer-songwriter Diana Chittester and, in collaboration, created their independent record label Fighting Chance Records. Together they recorded, released, and internally distributed five studio albums, toured the U.S. and Canada, and signed on new talent to the agency. Jessica’s work in the performing arts established a connection with OAPN when she attended the organization's 2015 conference as an agent. Additionally, Jessica has worked in public relations, marketing, social media, and communications with Cain Park and the City of Cleveland Heights. Jessica has degrees in Marketing and Small Business Management and will complete her Nonprofit Administration degree at Cleveland State University in the fall of 2023.
Statewide Arts Service Organizations: Overview and Resources
Ohio's Statewide Arts Service Organizations (SASOs) are here to enrich the work you do around arts education, artists with disabilities, dance, heritage, craft, downtown revitalization, and so much more. Come ready to hear the latest updates and activities from these SASOs. Meet new colleagues, hear highlights of current work, and learn about the various services offered by our SASOs in this informative and fast-paced session geared toward novice and seasoned arts colleagues alike.
Matt Wiederhold
Matt Wiederhold has been involved in community development and revitalization for more than 20 years, and is a graduate of the National Main Street Institute. He is the new executive director of Heritage Ohio. Previously, he served as the executive director of Main Street Medina in Northeast Ohio. A 1992 graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in art history focused on American art and architecture from 1860-1930, his passions for history, design, and revitalization run deep. He was one of the first Ohio urban program Main Street directors (for Toledo) and the project manager/economic development director for the Gordon Square Arts District in Cleveland. His hobbies include gardening, thrifting and going to flea markets, collecting American pottery, and studying old buildings and local history. He is currently restoring his tenth historic home with his husband, Joshua.
The Akron Cultural Plan: the Impetus, the Process, and the Outcomes
The Akron Cultural Plan developed a vision and recommendations on how residents, organizations, and businesses can build upon their collective history and create the path for the future. ArtsNow, an independent nonprofit organization, received private resources from GAR Foundation and Knight Foundation to work together with the City of Akron, artists, cultural organizations, regional experts, and community residents to collect data and public input to inform the cultural plan. Hear from local funders, ArtsNow, members of the selection committee, local artists, elected officials, and the project consultant about the impetus for the plan, the process for developing the plan, and about major outcomes of the plan.
Amanda Golden
Amanda Golden has been an urban planner, arts administrator, and curator in the public art and cultural planning field since 2014. She is the managing principal and co-founder of Designing Local, where she oversees the creation of arts, cultural, and public art master plans for United States' cities, and helps private developers integrate public art within their developments. She has delivered more than 35 public art master plans in 15 states, managed complex public art commissions, and contributed to multiple National Endowment for the Arts' Our Town Grant projects. Amanda holds a Bachelor's of Science and a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.
The Art of Time Management
Making a living from one's art often involves a never-ending task list that takes away from your time spent actually creating art -- especially for artists who tend to do everything themselves. This is why it's so incredibly important to be smart about how we're using our time! Whether you're working a "normal" full-time job and dreaming of becoming an artist, working part-time and building up the platform (and courage) to finally take the leap, or even if you're already making a living from your art, this session is essential to think about your specific goals, make a plan, and put a strategy to use. Effective time-management is an invaluable skill that encourages consistent progress. This session will feature philosophies and specific methods to help you stay productive, move the needle forward every day, and become the person you want to be.
Robert Owens M.Ed.
Playwright, entrepreneur, and certified life coach, Robert Owens became a fixture of the Midwestern revival of the Black Arts Movement and Urban Creative Arts, thanks to productions like "Livingroom of the Mind" and critically acclaimed works like "The Corner." He is also an outstanding educator and speaker who recorded transformational education, as illustrated by his book Success You. Upon partner Sierra Leone's awarding of the 2018 Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts, Robert has worked diligently to eliminate the limited artistic box in which Black plays and musicals are placed. Robert is an innovative creative regarded as a highly insightful playwright with works like "Eunice: Star Shine" and "Clay." Through his company OFP Theatre and Productions, he continues to be an arts advocate in Dayton and throughout the country. Robert obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Central State University. He has taught for 15 years and worked with youth in corrections, treatment, and chemical dependency for 12 years. He also holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Wright State University, with more than 15 years of experience as a trained facilitator.
The Importance of Investing in Community Artists
The administrators of Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture (CATAC), a non-hierarchical leadership consortium, know a bit about the struggles of community artists from relationships they’ve built with creatives around the region. As artist-entrepreneurs, CATAC also navigates the challenges of writing grants and waiting on results, pitching ideas to organizations with little to no avail, relying on institutions for provision, and being offered compensation in the currency of “exposure.” Unfortunately for many community-oriented artists, CATAC staff/volunteers included, a life as a full-time artist is an aspiration, where burnout runs rampant due to the less-than-ideal societal recognition of the arts' social and economic impact.
In this session, CATAC members will share creative ways to integrate community artists into the fold of local nonprofits, organizations, and businesses, creating a sustainable gig economy for creatives. Through a facilitated discussion, participants will leave with an action plan that can be pursued in their own communities. If you are part of an institution wanting to create better services for artists, an organization seeking to integrate the arts more in your programming, or an artist needing encouragement, this workshop is for you.
Josy Jones
NimBrother (Spaceman) is an Asian actor who holds space to share life experiences in a way that reflects and heals the traumas from the past and reimagines a positive future.
Katie Beck (Oracle of Synthesis) is a creative community builder, director, and writer who works to build spaces that center and prioritize historically excluded voices through Gum-Dip Theatre.
Tessa Gaffney (Marketing Mage) is currently the Marketing Director for the Center for Applied Drama, and an administrator and actor with QuTheatr.
Josy Jones (Strategic Partnerships) is the founder of the Chameleon Village Theatre, a site-specific theatre focused on building community connection with place.
CATAC affirms the intrinsic value of all cultures and explores the transformative power of the arts for the Akron community. CATAC supports the research and performances of resident/affiliate theatre companies, and nurtures emerging local artists and those of international reputation creating and experimenting with new work.
The Power of Creative Collaboration at Work
Ohio is rife with creatives, problem-solvers, and doers! This panel session of Air Collaborative facilitators, moderated by Air’s Executive Director Beth Flowers, will showcase the work of Ohio creatives in building stronger, more resilient, and inspired communities through the lens of creative collaboration. Learn how program facilitators thoughtfully adapted to localized need (from the classroom to the community), leveraged existing talent, and provided participants with entrepreneurial tools and knowhow, to help create healthy community-building frameworks and practices rooted in the arts.
Beth Flowers
Beth has 30 years of executive level experience with non-profits, governmental agencies, broadcast media, and the arts. She is a visionary thinker and a talented communicator. Beth has created messaging and strategies for victorious political candidates and issues, inspired citizen participation in government, managed public planning efforts, repositioned struggling organizations, and developed innovative programming that connects people. Beth is a national leader in the fields of arts professional development, community development, and entrepreneurship. As the creator and executive director of the Air Collaborative, she is at the forefront of connecting artists and creatives to their communities in new ways that truly raise the value of art and creativity. Beth strives to live up to her last name and is a passionate nature enthusiast, native plant champion, and amateur landscape designer and gardener.
The Power of Creative Collaboration at Work
Ohio is rife with creatives, problem-solvers, and doers! This panel session of Air Collaborative facilitators, moderated by Air’s Executive Director Beth Flowers, will showcase the work of Ohio creatives in building stronger, more resilient, and inspired communities through the lens of creative collaboration. Learn how program facilitators thoughtfully adapted to localized need (from the classroom to the community), leveraged existing talent, and provided participants with entrepreneurial tools and knowhow, to help create healthy community-building frameworks and practices rooted in the arts.
Amanda Schaeffer
Amanda Schaeffer is a middle school art teacher at Hilliard City Schools Innovative Learning Hub, Hilliard, Ohio. She is passionate about using art to create better thinkers, knowers and doers. For 16 years, she has taught students how to use art and advocacy to feel connected and empowered in their own community. Amanda received her BFA from Kent State University, M.Ed from Ashland University and MA+15 from Ohio State University. She is a Fund For Teacher Fellow, recipient of numerous grants, the “Embrace, Inspire, Achieve” award (2022), and has been featured on PBS's “Broad and High” and in the documentary film “Every Fiber.”
The Power of Print and Community
This session will describe the birth and evolution of Collective Arts Network and its flagship project, CAN Journal. CAN Journal is a quarterly print magazine of art in Northeast Ohio, which anchors a website, a blog for critical reviews, and a weekly e-newsletter that is the most comprehensive listing of visual art events each week in Cuyahoga and surrounding counties. In 2019, CAN Journal was named the Best Magazine in Ohio by the Press Club of Cleveland at its statewide, peer-reviewed Excellence in Journalism Awards. In 2022, CAN Journal begins its second decade of publication, and counts among its membership nearly 100 visual art organizations, ranging from fledgling galleries to non-profit studios to major institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Michael Gill
Michael Gill is founding executive director of Collective Arts Network, and editor and publisher of CAN Journal. He has a background in arts administration and arts journalism, having been marketing director at Beck Center for the Arts, and having served as arts editor for the alternative weeklies, Cleveland Free Times and subsequently Cleveland Scene. His arts writing has been consistently recognized by the Press Club of Cleveland, which once named him Best Essayist in Ohio, and in 2022, recognized him as “Best in Ohio” in the Reviews/Criticism category. As an arts journalist he followed closely Cuyahoga County’s pursuit of public funding for the arts, the impact of arts businesses in neighborhoods, local graffiti, and the region’s discussions of racial equity in the arts. In his copious spare time he prints wood block/letterpress books, which are in public and private collections in the United States and abroad. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Hiram College, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University.
The Protagonist Project; "Catalyst"
Part of The Center for Applied Drama and Autism's Protagonist Project, a holistic theatre program which casts everyday people as the heroes of their own stories through interdisciplinary applied drama work, "Catalyst" is an interactive performance which offers audience members the opportunity to direct the action of a scene and to change its outcome through revisionist creativity. Part fun, part empathy-building, this session features actors from Theatre on the Spectrum and explores issues of bullying, accessibility, and inclusion. Suitable for teachers, arts leaders, professionals, and others working to make their school, theatre, place of business, or community more accessible to those with cognitive and other disabilities, leading to a more compassionate and service-focused mindset.
Anna-Jeannine Griesacker
Anna-Jeannine describes herself as an "autistic person, arts leader, and career creative." She began her theatre career early in life. Later, she used her knowledge of theatre performance and design found an award-winning boutique entertainment firm where she acted as an event planner, master of ceremonies, and audio/lighting designer. She has taught at several levels in both formal and informal settings and considers herself a life-long learner and educator. She was recognized as a Top 5 "Best Mentor" by Cleveland Business Connects Magazine (CBC) and The Northern Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) for creating an Event Design and Technology program also named "Coolest Internship" by CBC and NOCHE. Today, Anna-Jeannine is the administrative director of the Center for Applied Drama and Autism and a master's degree candidate in arts administration at The University of Akron. Her continuing thesis research “Growing a Viral Culture” explores how performing arts nonprofits in Northeast Ohio continued to serve their missions by leveraging technology and new funding sources as they adjusted to recent world events and changing health guidelines.
The Protagonist Project; "Catalyst"
Part of The Center for Applied Drama and Autism's Protagonist Project, a holistic theatre program which casts everyday people as the heroes of their own stories through interdisciplinary applied drama work, "Catalyst" is an interactive performance which offers audience members the opportunity to direct the action of a scene and to change its outcome through revisionist creativity. Part fun, part empathy-building, this session features actors from Theatre on the Spectrum and explores issues of bullying, accessibility, and inclusion. Suitable for teachers, arts leaders, professionals, and others working to make their school, theatre, place of business, or community more accessible to those with cognitive and other disabilities, leading to a more compassionate and service-focused mindset.
Ruben Ryan
Ruben earned his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University and has taught improv to children and adults of all abilities for many years. He is a longtime member of Just Go With It Premier Longform Improv Troupe and is currently the creative director for Point of No Return Improv.
Using Art to Understand Implicit Bias
Learn how art, self-reflection, and storytelling can reveal and provide understanding of implicit biases to create more inclusive practices. Come ready to actively investigate these processes that will demonstrate how we can engage, grow, and better understand ourselves and others through the lens of art.
Dr. Melissa Crum
Dr. Melissa Crum is an artist, author, researcher, and founder of the consulting company, Mosaic Education Network, LLC. Mosaic infuses the arts, research, storytelling, and critical thinking into professional development, community building, and curriculum development.
Dr. Crum has facilitated training sessions across the United States, creating a non-judgmental and refreshingly honest look at privileges and privately held beliefs. Her workshops focus on workplace culture development, equipping educators, leadership, staff, and board members with the skills to implement inclusive and equitable practices. By creating a brave space, Dr. Crum’s workshops allow organizations to critically investigate policies, workplace and learning culture, and relationship dynamics. Together, she empowers teams to positively dismantle systemic patterns, build authentic communication, and instigate radical growth company-wide.
Dr. Crum has earned degrees from The University of Florida and The Ohio State University. She is a certified diversity and inclusion practitioner through Cornell University, an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) qualified trainer and SHRM provider. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio.