Presenter Bios
View a PDF of the conference program
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Breakfast and Registration Check in, fuel up for the day, and enjoy a special performance by Akron-based jazz pianist Theron Brown.
9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Plenary
Welcome Donna Collins
Land Recognition
The Akron Cultural Plan: The Impetus, the Process, and the Outcomes Goodyear Ballroom B Moderator: Amanda Golden, Designing Local, LTD; Panelists: Daniel Horrigan, Mayor of Akron; Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation; Christine Mayer, GAR Foundation; Cristina González Alcalá, Ph.D., Akron Community Foundation; Bronlynn Thurman, GAR Foundation; Doug Piekarz, Akron Zoo; and Nicole Mullet, ArtsNow 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.
11 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. Traveling Stanzas Makerspace Open Goodyear Ballroom A and Maidenburg Concourse Share your voice and contribute to the Arts Impact Ohio community poem by engaging with the Kent State University Wick Poetry Center’s new Traveling Stanzas Poetry Makerspace. Attendees will have several opportunities throughout the two-day event to create, play, reflect, and lend their voice to a community poem, which will be revealed at the conclusion of the conference.
Experience the Kent State University Wick Poetry Center’s new Traveling Stanzas Poetry Makerspace. Throughout the Arts Impact Ohio Conference, attendees will have several opportunities to engage with the makerspace’s state-of-the-art, expressive writing tools. They’ll be able to create, play, reflect, and lend their voice to a community poem created during the conference.
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session A
1. Reasons to Return: Building Donor Retention Karl S. Hay Carey Schmitt, Plentiful, LLC Nonprofit organizations work hard and invest significantly to acquire donors. However, national studies demonstrate that the majority of first-time donors do not give again the next year. This places significant pressure on finding new donors to replace those who lapsed all while trying to also to grow contributed income. And that, of course, is in addition to the many other roles nonprofit staff members must play. This session focuses on why retaining donors must be a priority and provides ideas on how to manage relationships to create loyal donors. We'll explore ways to make development programs sustainable and productive.
2. Getting to Know the Ohio Arts Education Data Dashboard Bridgestone/Firestone Jarrod Hartzler, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education; and Bob Morrison, Quadrant Research Because we know the arts are vital to the development and future success of our children, the Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and Ohio Department of Education have developed an Arts Education Data Dashboard that enables parents, educators, school administrators, and policymakers to see what arts education opportunities are being offered in schools and districts in Ohio. Join us to explore the Ohio Arts Education Data Dashboard with the most recent data available, and learn how to decipher and use the data to the benefit of students in your community and across the state.
3. Fail Fast, Fail Forward OMNOVA Solutions Emily Holtrop, Cincinnati Art Museum; and Spring Starr Pillow, Wordplay Cincy Opportunity for growth is often revealed through friction. Cincinnati Museum of Art and co-collaborator Wordplay Cincinnati share learnings and new pathways to deep, meaningful connection and partnership with the community. Come to this session to hear collaborators share how the community engagement arm of their programming has learned and grown from early missteps to find their stride together.
4. Rising Together: The University of Akron's AkronArts Initiative B.F. Goodrich Dr. Gary L. Miller, president, The University of Akron Get to know the University of Akron’s bold new AkronArts plan, which embraces and advances the arts on the UA campus in truly transformative ways. The groundbreaking initiative announced in 2021 reimagines the university’s arts programming, better leverages facilities, expands curricula, deepens community engagement and relationships, addresses capital needs, and so much more, all to lead students, faculty, alumni, community partners, and the entire region into a new era of art and culture for Akron and beyond.
5. Financial Wellness for Creative Individuals Harvey S. Firestone Elaine Grogan Luttrull, Minerva Financial Arts Building healthy financial habits can be a challenge for anyone… And for artists, designers, writers, dancers, and musicians, there is the added complication of managing cash flow, measuring success in creative and financial terms, and relying on sometimes uncertain sources of income. Especially now. As part of this workshop, we will:
One-on-Ones with OAC Staff Members Have a new project coming up, curious about grant program eligibility, or got another question for the OAC team? Book a short appointment to chat one-on-one with an OAC staff member from our Arts Education and Organizational Programs offices, Artist Programs office, or Riffe Gallery. Appointments are 15 minutes in length and are available on a first-come first-served basis. Arts organizations: view the Organizational Programs Map to determine the coordinator for your county. Schedule an appointment:
12:15 – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon Performance and Plenary Goodyear Ballroom By
PERFORMANCE: Three Countries, One Mother Neema Ball and Katie Beck, Gum-Dip Theatre Using storytelling, poetry, movement, and song, Three Countries, One Mother examines the history and culture of the Bhutanese-Nepali-American people who were displaced from their homeland as part of the Bhutanese Refugee Crisis in the 1990s and early 2000s. This play is inspired by the true story of Neema Bal’s family—members of the Tamang tribe, an ethnic group in the Bhutanese-Nepali community. Spanning generations and countries, this deeply personal narrative weaves together family stories and shamanic ritual to explore the impact of cultural legacy on an individual. The audience is invited to journey with Neema through his cultural inheritance as part of a quest to better understand himself.
PLENARY: Getting Past the Brochure: Developing More Meaningful Culture-Facing Arts Organizations Scott Woods, Author and Poet In the face of a rapidly changing and highly charged world, communities are looking for more from the artistic and cultural institutions they enjoy and support. This session will focus on what many of these expectations are and their persuasiveness, freeing the vision and talents embedded in organizations and their communities to become better, and what kinds of things artistic institutions must unpack to meet the challenges of systemic issues. This session offers resources aimed at the development of genuine value-based change.
2:15 – 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session B
1. Cultural Equity Planning Workshop Karl S. Hay Emily Moses, Kentucky Arts Council Whether you've just begun your journey toward greater equity in your organization or community, or are deep into implementation, there are a million ways to think, plan, and execute more equitable programming for the benefit of all Ohioans. Remove fear, break down barriers, and supplement your work by learning an intentionally basic tool — the Cultural Equity Planning Rubric. Join the Kentucky Arts Council's Emily Moses to learn how this rubric and its related exercises work as you consider best practices to bring back to your board and staff. Come ready to work! If multiple people from your organization are attending the conference, we recommend attending this session together.
2. Artist Collectives and You: A How-To Guide for Living Your Passion OMNOVA Solutions Janelle Hallett, Daylight Artist Collective; and Amanda Lewis, Trillium Project Artists and creatives are everywhere! Learn how two trailblazing artists/administrators are leveraging core values and local talent to create citizen-led projects that empower communities and transform existing spaces! You'll leave this session with the tools, passion, and drive to succeed in living your best life through your artistic endeavors.
3. The Protagonist Project, “Catalyst” B.F. Goodrich Anna-Jeannine Griesacker and Ruben Ryan, Center for Applied Drama and Autism 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.
4. Healing Through the Liminal Space OMNOVA Solutions Barbara Fant, Poet/ Artist This session will address learning how to find healing through the liminal spaces in our lives. Participants will hear from poet Barbara Fant to understand how she moved through her own personal, emotional, and spiritual liminal spaces in her life over the last several years. We will also discuss the collective liminal space that everyone has experienced during the season of COVID-19. Participants will engage in ways and develop tools to help navigate through their own liminal spaces, to help heal, and to also find joy in the midst of the journey. Participants will also engage in a writing exercise around joy.
5. The Power of Creative Collaboration at Work Harvey S. Firestone Beth Flowers (moderator), Air Collaborative; Cameron Dedrick, Ashland High School; Marty Kral, High School; Madelyn Brewer, Buckeye Hills Regional Council; Jennifer L’Heureux, New Leaf Marketplace; and Amanda Schaeffer 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.
ArtAround: Engage with Akron Artists at Summit Artspace Tour departs from the Corbin Rotunda Heather Meeker, Executive Director; Natalie Grieshammer Patrick, Director of Artist Resources; and Grace Carter, Community Engagement Coordinator Be among the first to view Summit Artspace’s fall exhibitions featuring work by local artists in a variety of media. Participants will view artist studio spaces and meet resident artists April Couch and Jaron M. LeGrair – April incorporates her “zentangle” designs on items from gourds to apparel to coloring books and Jaron is a performer and vocal coach who has amassed an impressive following on TikTok. This ArtAround experience is housed in Summit Artspace’s historic, art-deco style building that was originally commissioned by the Knight Brothers in the 1920s to be the first headquarters of the Akron Beacon Journal. Capacity: 20 participants. Sign-up sheets will be available at the AIO registration table.
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Performance Break Corbin Rotunda
Stand up, stretch, grab a snack, and enjoy music from a brass quintet performance featuring the musicians of the Canton Symphony
4:00 – 5:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session C
Choose Your Own Adventure Conference attendees will work together as a community to co-create five concurrent sessions around the topics, themes, or questions most important to them. See a critical issue not being covered in any other sessions? Want to lead a discussion on something you’re an expert in? We’ll solicit session ideas in the morning, you’ll vote for your favorites after lunch, and then we’ll gather in the afternoon around the most popular ideas. Each session will be facilitated by OAC staff, with all in attendance invited to participate together to share best practices, unpack complex issues, and engage with colleagues. Bring your questions, bring your expertise, and let’s learn together.
Akron Art Museum: Making Museums Memorable Tour departs from the Corbin Rotunda Gina Thomas McGee, Director of Learning and Engagement, Akron Art Museum Join Akron Art Museum staff for a sensory journey through the museum’s collection and exhibition galleries using texture, sound, smell, and movement as your guides. Learn how using all your senses – including your sense of humor – can make for a memorable, meaningful museum visit. The sensory experience will extend into the museum’s participatory spaces, where attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an artmaking activity. Capacity: 20 participants. Sign-up sheets will be available at the AIO registration table.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Opening Reception at the Akron Civic Theatre
Relax, unwind, and connect with peers in the historic Akron Civic Theatre’s Grand Lobby. Enjoy an evening inspired by the 1920s, the era when the theatre was conceived and built, including a performance by internationally acclaimed vocalist, entertainer, producer, and band leader Helen Welch. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served, cash bar available. Attendees will also be able to peek inside the Moorish-inspired theatre, which features a twinkling starlit ceiling, Mediterranean decor, medieval carvings, European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures. Come as you are in your conference attire, or feel free to add a bit of 1920s razzle dazzle to your ensemble in the spirit of the reception locale.
Special “Pop-Performance” by GroundWorks DanceTheater 8:30 p.m. (immediately following reception) Knight Stage, Akron Civic Theatre Stick around after the reception to witness a special preview performance of a visually stunning premiere work by Pittsburgh-based choreographer Pearlann Porter to live music. The Visual Sound of Color utilizes Porter’s signature “postmodern-jazz improvography” movement style. It also features Porter’s innovative lighting concepts which illuminate the dancers in designed fields, bands, and gradients of 3-dimensional color. Transportation to the reception will be provided. Shuttles will circulate from the John S. Knight Center to the Courtyard by Marriott Akron Downtown to the Akron Civic Theatre until 9:30 p.m.
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Registration Goodyear Ballroom B
Begin the day with breakfast and the musical stylings of Found Sounds, an ensemble featuring alumni of the University of Akron’s Steel Drum Band.
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Traveling Stanzas Makerspace open Goodyear Ballroom A and Maidenburg Concourse
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Keynote Presentation Goodyear Ballroom B
The GAME of Innovation David Cutler, Founder and CEO, The Puzzler Company; and Lance LaDuke, Teacher, Creator, Performer What does it take to win the game of creativity, organizational prosperity, or artistic success? Discover actionable strategies for conquering complex challenges and guiding teams toward big ideas and remarkable solutions. In this truly unique presentation, join thought leaders David Cutler and Lance LaDuke, co-authors of the visual book The GAME of Innovation, for an artistic journey encompassing music, humor, and a few surprises along the way.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session D
1. Using Art to Understand Implicit Bias Karl S. Hay Dr. Melissa Crum, Mosaic Education Network 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.
2. Budgeting for Bronze: Understanding Design and Maintenance Needs in Public Art Bridgestone/Firestone Lindsay Jones, Blind Eye Restoration, LLC Public art must withstand a variety of elements – weather, pollution, and people, just to name a few. Regular maintenance is crucial for healthy, long-lasting collections, but so is making informed decisions on materials, location, installation, and maintenance planning while still in the design phase. Whether you’re an artist or collections manager, a public art advocate or city official, join us to discuss material design, failure issues to look out for and avoid, artwork assessment and maintenance, and the importance of documentation and recordkeeping.
3. Karamu House: Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Present, Creating a Sustainable Future B.F. Goodrich Tony Sias and Aseelah Shareef, Karamu House Karamu House, located in the Fairfax neighborhood on Cleveland's East Side, is recognized as the oldest producing Black theatre in the United States, where many of Langston Hughes' plays were developed and premiered. Throughout its 107-year history, Karamu House has carved out a legacy of inclusion and advocacy through meaningful arts experiences. It has also overcome great adversity to reach new heights in its ever-evolving narrative. Central to the theatre's success story has been the intentional, paced, methodical building and re-building of community trust, buy-in, and engagement. Hear from Karamu House President + CEO Tony F. Sias and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Aseelah Shareef, as they share their story of this historic arts institution, its challenges, and its commitment to arts as a means to educate, celebrate, and activate community while keeping joy at the center of it all.
4. Embracing Change OMNOVA Solutions Jon Fiume, Akron Art Museum; and Jessimi Jones, Springfield Museum of Art The only thing constant is change – so why is it scary? Join this session to learn from two arts leaders working with their respective teams to establish cultures that embrace change as an opportunity for improvement -- and ultimately the ability to thrive -- in this ever-changing world. Building space for brave conversations, addressing real and perceived constraints, and embracing deep listening and adaptability are a few topics that will be explored to help us embrace and leverage change.
5. SMU/DataArts Research and Analysis Harvey Firestone Rebecca Roscoe, SMU DataArts 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.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Luncheon Performance and Plenary Goodyear Ballroom B
PERFORMANCE: Firestone Strings (Akron Public Schools) PLENARY: Seeing the Forest for the Trees: How Big-Picture Ideas Make Successful Succession Planning Howard Parr, Akron Civic Theatre; and Janus Small, Janus Small Associates 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.
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session E
1. Participation and Organization: Contemporary Art with Communities Karl S. Hay Calcagno Cullen, Wave Pool Social practice and other community-based art forms are challenging the ways that arts institutions traditionally curate and program art exhibitions and experiences. These new art forms, along with a broader change in how we live and operate in a participatory-based culture, have affected what we expect from an arts organization and its role in engaging with community. Wave Pool, an eight-year-old contemporary art "fulfillment" center in a post-industrial neighborhood of Cincinnati, aims to create a cultural shift in which art becomes so ingrained in daily life that we’re not sure if we’re experiencing an art event, a social service, or a utopian vision. Either way, Wave Pool acts toward a vision of artists and communities remaking the world together. The organization strives to make conceptual and contemporary art works accessible by having them serve our community in ways that our neighbors requested. This session will explore ways to reach members of your community that are not otherwise engaged with the arts and to empower them in artistic collaborative processes that serve real community needs.
2. Small Towns, Big Ideas: Arts as a Catalyst for Community Change Bridgestone/Firestone Jarred Small and Brianna Dance, Ohio Arts Council; Amanda Cleary, Third and Center; and Sarah Barr, Wild Goose Creative 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.
3. Brand Strategy for Consistency B.F. Goodrich Bill Sattler, Madhouse Brand strategy is integral to a successful marketing approach. More than a creative logo or tagline, a well-positioned brand can evoke emotion and generate recognition when built and used effectively. In this session we'll explore the importance of branding discipline and the fundamentals of consistent design and messaging, along with the challenges organizations face from internal audiences.
4. The Importance of Investing in Community Artists OMNOVA Solutions Katie Beck, NimBrother, Tessa Gaffney, and Josy Jones, Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture 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.
5. LEAD: Impacting the Way Harvey S. Firestone Betty Siegel, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and Stuart James, Ability Center Dive into the historic, legal, and social trends that established the foundations for the mission-critical work of organizations engaging with people with disabilities. This session demonstrates effective ways to interact and engage, impact, support, and advance the full inclusion of people with disabilities of all ages in and through arts and culture.
ArtAround – Art & Soul: Experience Art in the Heart of the City Tour departs from the Corbin Rotunda Join us for a stroll down Main Street to experience the transformative power of art. Explore new spaces that animate downtown with art including the Akron Soul Train Art Museum, Wild Oscar’s micro-theatre, and the Knight Stage. Hear about the vision and process behind downtown Akron’s signature murals, which rise to the public eye from the historic canal on either side of the Akron Civic Theatre – one of the few remaining atmospheric theatres in the nation. Learn Akron’s approach to balancing local and national artistic voices and how collaborative planning with a principled approach is shaping our public spaces. Capacity: 20 participants. Sign-up sheets will be available at the AIO registration table.
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops - Session F
1. Engaging Volunteers in Transformative Public Art Karl S. Hay Katie Davis and Claire Bryson, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Join the Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) team as they discuss strategies to engage volunteers in artmaking, to re-think public art to play to volunteers’ strengths, and to examine examples of successful community-driven artwork. The session will focus on recent projects spearheaded by KCB's arts team and examine their unique approach to volunteer engagement, the lasting impact these pieces have on the community, and volunteer engagement strategies during the stages of a pandemic.
2. Statewide Arts Service Organizations: Overview and Resources Bridgestone/Firestone Molly Cairney, Art Possible Ohio; Jane D'Angelo, OhioDance; Jarrod Hartzler, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education; Jessica Rosenblatt, Ohio Arts Professionals Network; and Matt Wiederhold, Heritage Ohio 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.
3. The Power of Print and Community B.F. Goodrich Michael Gill, Collective Arts Network, CAN Journal 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.
4. Arts Integration Techniques for Students with Special Needs Harvey S. Firestone Lindsay Goossens, Amanda Beagle, Sarah Demetruk, James Hain, and Simon Kenneally, SMARTS Experience interactive arts learning activities for students with special needs through the arts integration teaching approach heralded by the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) staff and teaching artists will share their premier program, Beats and Empowers, which uses arts integration to simultaneously engage students with special needs in learning the arts, social-emotional skills, and core content. Come ready to explore and activate your inner superhero as you take away lessons and activities that can be employed to engage students of all ages and abilities.
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Creative Reflections
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Post-Conference Party at Jilly's Music Room You made it! Celebrate the end of two days of learning and growing by kicking back at Jilly's Music Room, a staple of Akron’s incredible downtown live music scene, located just steps from the conference hotel. Doors open at 5 p.m. for food and drinks. Starting at 7 p.m., check out Northeast Ohio’s own Danjo Jazz Orchestra with OAC staff and conference friends (old and new), and raise a glass to the impact of the arts in Ohio! Show your Arts Impact Ohio badge to extend happy hour specials throughout the night.
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