I love my city!!!

Where in five hours (including travel time) on a Friday night can you . . .meet a colleague to wind up a deadline, eat an early dinner, and run into old friends and hear about the latest Cleveland Orchestra’s residency in Florida, drive down the street to a City neighborhood to attend an art opening featuring art by musicians, and then head downtown to the City’s best modern and contemporary art gallery to listen to public radio’s best interviewer being interviewed by Cleveland International Film Festival groupies.

The answer:  In Cleveland, Ohio.

What is art?

After spending time with New York artist James Gilroy (www.jamesgilroy.com) in his studio, touring several revitalized Brooklyn neighborhoods populated by artists and immigrants, and viewing the Whitney Biennial today I have been asking one question: What is art?

In traditional circles this question is often answered by asking:

What is language?
What is culture?
What is knowledge?
What is beauty?

I would add at least one more question to this series of questions that helps define art: What is the context?

Great artists bring context to their work . . .from yesterday or yesteryear. They channel their personal experiences and sense of individual being to their work. They capture even the most simple yet the most complex experiences and combine them to create a beautiful language all their own.

Great art speaks for itself.

The Arts: one way to understand culture

Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson once said of art and culture . . . “Culture is the definition and art defines culture.”

Having just left the 2008 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio Luncheon in Columbus, I would like to share the news and congratulate Marcie Goodman, Executive Director of the Cleveland International Film Festival, for receiving the 2008 Governor’s Award for Arts Administration.

Dozens of “Friends of Marcie” were on had to watch her accept this distinguished award that places her in the company of an accomplished group of individuals leading arts activities around the state in education, philanthropy, business, individual expression, and community development and participation. In their humbling acceptance comments the recipients talked about the power of the arts to engage, connect, express diversity, bring about change, instill hope and share passion for the arts with all of humanity.

Governor Ted Strickland reminded the audience of the power the arts have to innovate and inspire and that there exists an intrinsic connection between the arts, education, workforce development and economic development.

Our state has both public and private leadership that is creating a culture defined by our commitment to and support of the arts.

The arts are one way of understanding our culture in Ohio . . . from the rolling hills of Appalachia to the lakefront communities of Toledo and Cleveland.