The Cleveland Arts Prize announced the recipients of its 2025 awards this week. The 65th annual event, which takes place at the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre at Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, features live performances, tributes and presentations about the newest class.
Here are this year's winners:
- Emerging Artist Award: Ali Black — Described as "a vital voice of Cleveland's literary scene," the author whose collection We Look Better Alive explores the struggles of black women.
- Mid-Career Artist: Jason Vieaux — The guitarist has earned a Grammy award and international acclaim for his classical guitar work.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Mark E. Howard — The sculptor, painter, muralist and textile artist has placed artwork in public spaces, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Hopkins Airport and the Cleveland Public Library.
- Special Citation from the Board of Trustees: Jennie Jones — The photographer, author and historian depicted Cleveland's grand architecture through a collection of 27,000 photos.
- Barbara S. Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts: Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation — The Mandel Foundation is honored for its investment in the arts, especially at The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Public Theatre and Cleveland Institute of Art.
- Robert P. Bergman Prize: Greg Peckham — The longtime supporter of public arts and urban design served as executive director of LAND Studio for two decades. Now, he works for land preservation and sustainable development at the Cuyahoga Valley Land Conservancy.
- Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts: Robin Pease — A playwright of Native American descent and the Mohawk Nation, her theater work has shined a light on characters of Native American descent. She is the founding artistic director of Kulture Kids.
Related: Meet the 2024 Cleveland Arts Prize Winners
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