Cleveland Arts Prize Announces 2026 Winners

The Cleveland Arts Prize, which has recognized the best Northeast Ohio artists for 66 years, has revealed its 2026 winners, spotlighting artists, visionaries and community leaders with honors.

Chris Webb will receive the Emerging Artist Award for theatre. His one-person show, The End of Black Excellence, sold out the Cleveland Public Theatre when it premiered in 2025, and his spoken word, journalism and filmmaking have earned him large audiences. In 2021, he won an Emmy Award for his work on WKYC 3 documenting marginalized communities in Cleveland.

The Mid-Career Artist award winner is papermaking artist Aimee Lee. Her advocacy for Korean papermaking practices brought the first hanji studio in North America to Cleveland. This style of papermaking is known for its strength and longevity, made from the inner bark of a mulberry tree and used specifically for fine art. Lee’s book, Hanji Unfurled, is also the first English-language book dedicated to the practice.

Dexter Lee Davis will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the visual arts. The Cleveland native and Cleveland Institute of Art alumnus uses hand-carved woodblock prints and found materials in his collages, highlighting the endless possibilities of the material world.

The Connor Foundation is being recognized for its generous support of the local arts scene with the Barbara S. Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts. Chris and Sarah Connor and their daughter Erin Connor Reif have been dedicated to making the arts in Northeast Ohio more accessible through support of Playhouse Square, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Terry Stewart, former CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is receiving the Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts. During his time as CEO, he facilitated bringing the induction ceremony to Cleveland every other year, stabilized Rock Hall attendance and kept the Library and Archives in Cleveland, all of which brought significant economic impact to the city.

The Robert P. Bergman Prize spotlights not only a local artist, but an influential community leader. This year’s recipient is Héctor Castellanos-Lara, Artistic Director for Parade the Circle and Dia de Muertos. His work with the Cleveland Museum of Art has spanned more than two decades, as he’s taken on leadership roles across various projects and community-building events.

Sculptor and arts educator Barbara Stanczak is receiving a special citation for her work and leadership of the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Foundations program for 36 years. After moving to Cleveland in 1963, she has exhibited her wood and stone work across the country more than 40 times.

CAP winners will be honored at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Oct. 29. For more info, visit clevelandartsprize.org.

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