Cleveland Arts Prize announces 2025 winners, honoring creative excellence, community impact

CLEVELAND, OH — The Cleveland Arts Prize is turning 65 this year, but that is by no means retiring age for what they do best: celebrate the people who make this region a creative force.

The organization has announced its 2025 class of winners and honorees, a dynamic mix of artists and changemakers who have shaped — and continue to shape — Northeast Ohio’s cultural landscape.

This year’s recipients include poet and educator Ali Black, Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux and visual artist Mark E. Howard, whose bold public works invigorate the city.

They’ll be joined by special honorees like architectural photographer Jennie Jones, arts education leader Robin Pease and LAND studio’s Greg Peckham — all recognized for their powerful and lasting impact on culture and community.

This year’s Cleveland Arts Prize Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, October 22 at the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre on Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30.

Expect an evening of tributes, performances, and recognition of artistic mastery and cultural leadership — followed by an after-party with cocktails and small bites in the lobby.

Tickets start at $20 for students and go up to $250 for VIP access, with full details at clevelandartsprize.org.

2025 Cleveland Arts Prize Winners

Ali Black (Emerging Artist – Literature): One of the region’s boldest literary voices, Black’s “We Look Better Alive” wrestles with beauty, survival, and what it means to be a Black woman in America today.

Jason Vieaux (Mid-Career Artist – Music): A Grammy-winning guitarist whose international reputation and deep Cleveland roots have made him a global ambassador for the local music scene.

Mark E. Howard (Lifetime Achievement – Visual Art): Painter, sculptor, muralist, and textile artist, Howard’s colorful, community-centric work can be found at places like Cleveland Hopkins Airport, the Main Library, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Special Prize Honorees

Jennie Jones (Special Citation from the Board of Trustees): A photographer and visual historian whose lens has lovingly chronicled Cleveland’s architecture for over 50 years.

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation (Barbara S. Robinson Prize): Recognized for its unwavering support of the arts, with major investments in institutions like The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Museum of Art.

Greg Peckham (Robert P. Bergman Prize): The longtime head of LAND studio and new leader at Cuyahoga Valley Land Conservancy, Peckham’s imprint is everywhere — from neighborhood murals to the reinvention of our public spaces.

Robin Pease (Martha Joseph Prize): Playwright, performer and educator of Mohawk descent, Pease has spent decades uplifting Native American stories through her organization, Kulture Kids, reaching students across the region with inclusive, engaging performances.

“These artists and cultural leaders represent the best of who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Effie Nunes, Executive Director of the Cleveland Arts Prize.

“Their work is more than creative expression — it’s a form of civic leadership that challenges, heals and inspires.”

Founded in 1960, the Cleveland Arts Prize is the oldest municipal arts prize in the country.

Over the decades, it has honored more than 400 individuals and organizations, becoming both a living archive and a spotlight for what’s next in the arts.

Learn more about the Cleveland Arts Prize and the 65th Annual Awards Ceremony
by visiting their website, clevelandartsprize.org.