For thirty years, the organization that was once known as the Cleveland Artists Foundation has been one of the leading institutions to recognize and celebrate the art and artists of Northeast Ohio. Now, ARTneo, as it is now known, is looking forward to the next thirty years and beyond. ARTneo is in the midst of a significant transition period. We are exploring and implementing several major changes and enhancements to the organization in order to create a more viable and sustainable institution. Not only is ARTneo under new leadership with a new Board President, Joan Brickley and a new Executive Director, John Farina: in addition, the following initiatives are currently in process as we look toward an even broader and more comprehensive planning process in 2015.

 

ARTneo will be relocating from the Beck Center for the Arts to the 78^th Street Studios. This puts ARTneo right in the middle of one of the most vibrant visual arts centers in Cleveland. Home to more than 40 other galleries and artist studios, and visited by thousands of people each month, 78^th Street Studios is the perfect place for us to raise our visibility and create opportunities to expand our audience. We will be creating a space in which we can better house our collection and allow greater access for those interested in understanding and researching it.

 

ARTneo has moved the majority of our exhibition programming to various locations throughout the Cleveland community. Again, this is in an effort to allow greater access to the work we do, and to provide stronger visibility for the art, as well as for ARTneo. We recently held our first exhibition at 78^th Street Studios and had a record attendance of more than 1,500 visitors. Our current exhibitions are located at the Hawken School in University Circle, and at the galleries of Tregoning & Co. We look forward to bring ARTneo to many diverse and interesting places around Cleveland. By exhibiting our collection in locations around the community, we are able to show our more than 2,500 objects and educate, inform and share the work that is a significant part of the history of Cleveland.

 

We will be undertaking a full review of our holdings and determine where we can enhance the collection for greater representation of the art of the region. We’ve slightly broadened our collecting interests to include significant artists of the later 20^th and early 21^st centuries.

 

ARTneo has established a key partner in the Hawken School in University Circle. By exhibiting our collection there, we are able to also expose the work to the students and faculty of the school. In January, we will create a special curriculum, in conjunction with Hawken faculty, to use the collection as a part of art, history, and other classes. This partnership is something that ARTneo could not do alone and is a major part of the ARTneo mission. Our collection is a valuable educational tool and can be an important resource in the classroom.

 

Each of these initiatives will require significant investment by ARTneo and our supporters. Hopefully, you will be willing to join us at this very exciting point in our history. Please visit our website at www.artneo.org to learn more.

 

Dr. Jon Logan is Vice President of ARTneo.