Stacie Boord
CEO
Shadowbox Live
Columbus, Ohio
Stephanie Bridwell
Board President
Ohio Arts & Crafts Foundation
Cambridge, Ohio
Justin Brookhart
Executive Director, BLINK
Senior VP of Cultural Economy
Cincinnati US Regional Chamber Cincinnati, Ohio
Brandon Cavender Smith
Producer (Tecumseh!)
Scioto Society
Chillicothe, Ohio
Sara Clark
Director of Development
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Cincinnati, Ohio
Heather Clow
Executive Director
Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
Findlay, Ohio
Alex Coon
Executive Director
Massillon Museum
Massillon, Ohio
Celeste Cosentino
Executive Artistic Director
Ensemble Theatre
Cleveland, Ohio
Maya Curtis
Grants Manager
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
Cleveland, Ohio
Luke Dennis
General Manager & President
WYSO-Miami Valley Public Media
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Michael Gill
Executive Director/Editor/Publisher
CAN Journal
Lakewood, Ohio
Kimberlee Goodman
Executive Director
McConnell Arts Center
Worthington, Ohio
Gee Horton
Artist/Founder
Gee Horton Studios
Cincinnati, Ohio
CoLleen Houston
CEO & Artistic Director
ArtWorks
Cincinnati, Ohio
Becky Keck
President/Founder
SMARTS Community Art School Youngstown, Ohio
Kappy Kilburn
Executive Director
The Human Race Theatre Company
Dayton, Ohio
Mac Love
Co-Founder & Chief Catalyst
Art X Love
Akron, Ohio
Melody Reed
Executive Director
Columbus Glass Art Center
Columbus, Ohio
Kristin RiEpenhoff Zelinskas
Program Officer
Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Cincinnati, Ohio
Clare Roth
Managing Editor
The Ohio Newsroom
Columbus, Ohio
McKenzi Swinehart
Director of Grants & Community Engagement
Greater Columbus Arts Council
Columbus, Ohio
Christina Vassallo
Executive Director
Contemporary Arts Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Olivia Villaseñor
Program Manager
Tri-C Film Academy
Cleveland, Ohio
Robyn Winkler
Executive Director
Visionaries & Voices
Liberty Township, Ohio
Marta Wojcik
Executive Director
Westcott House
Springfield, Ohio
Creative Ohio Advocacy Institute OVERVIEW
Empower your voice.
Shape Ohio’s future.
Join the inaugural CreativeOhio Advocacy Leadership Institute and become a champion for Ohio’s creative sector.
PROGRAM
The CreativeOhio Advocacy Leadership Institute supports and galvanizes leaders from the arts, culture, and creative sector to power a more inspired Ohio.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants are recognized creative sector leaders (arts administrators, nonprofit executives, advancement/development professionals, etc.) — or government/business leaders with a passion for the creative sector—with a desire to become advocacy champions.
When
Participants will gather at monthly day-long, in-person events from May to October
Where
Experiences will be held at inspiring arts and cultural spaces and places in different regions around Ohio
Curriculum
The unique curriculum of CreativeOhio’s Advocacy Leadership Institute has been developed in collaboration with national leaders in arts advocacy, and has received the support and endorsement of Arts Midwest. Participants will dive into topics from “How the Sausage is Made” to “It’s a Numbers Game” with respected experts from around the state and across the country.
Certification
Upon program completion, graduates will be Certified Creative Sector Advocates – equipped with the critical knowledge and practical skills to be effective advocates for their organizations and Ohio’s creative sector.
SELECTION PROCESS
A selection committee carefully reviews all applications and works to choose a compelling and diverse group of participants from around the state.
TUITION
$1,500*
*A limited number of scholarships are available, thanks to our funding partners. Scholarship recipients will be determined based on application responses.
Meeting Dates
- May 13, 2025 (in Columbus)
- June 10, 2025 (location TBA)
- July 8, 2025 (location TBA)
- August 12, 2025 (location TBA)
- September 16, 2025 (location TBA)
- October 7, 2025 (location TBA)
Applications include informational questions about you and your organization as well as essay responses. Please prepare responses to these questions in advance, responding in 200 words or less for each question.
1. What would you hope to get out of it?
2. What is your advocacy expertise?
3. How do you hope to be an advocate for the creative sector?
4. What would being part of this program mean to you?
Made possible with support from
