Music, poetry, and sculpture: Cleveland Arts Prize honors creative excellence at 65th annual Awards
The Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) is the nation’s oldest municipal arts award, celebrating a cavalcade of luminaries eager to explore the complexities of the human experience. Established in 1960 by the Women’s City Club, CAP has recognized more than 400 dream makers across Northeast Ohio’s creative landscape.
The arts organization welcomes a new class this fall with Cleveland Arts Prize’s 65th Annual Awards Event—a typically eclectic gathering of poets, musicians, photographers, and performance artists.
Guitarist Jason Vieaux, poet Ali Black, and sculptor Mark E. Howard are the three winners of the 2025 jury prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award.
Prizes recognizing advocacy and philanthropy went to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, playwright Robin Pease, and former LAND studio executive director Greg Peckham.
Cleveland Arts Prize executive director Effie Nunes says she is thrilled to celebrate the award’s 65th anniversary with a new slate of hard-working visionaries.
“Over six-and-a-half decades, we’ve had the privilege of recognizing and supporting hundreds of artists whose creativity has shaped not only Northeast Ohio, but the cultural landscape far beyond,” Nunes said in an email. “What excites me most about this year’s class of winners is the incredible range of artistry and impact they represent.
“Each one is not only outstanding in their discipline, but also deeply engaged with the world around them, whether through storytelling, music, visual expression, or community leadership,” Nunes continued.
Poet Ali BlackA hopeful narrative
This year’s emerging artist is Ali Black, author of the recent poetry collection, “We Look Better Alive.” The book delves into the varied experiences of Black women, examining themes of grief, violence, racism, and unfair beauty standards. Yet, a thread of hope is twined through this heavy narrative, notes Black.
“Mainstream depictions of Black women show us struggling, or down and out,” says Black. “It’s never about resilience, strength, or bravery. That’s who we are, but those adjectives are rare to hear.”
The 1990s marked the start of Black's artistic journey. She was drawn to musical artists like TLC, whose seamless blend of pop, R&B, and hip-hop inspired her to record their song lyrics off her radio. By college, Black had fallen for poetry’s unique rhythms, further inspired by the work of Nikki Giovanni.
Black has made Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood her home, where she continues to mine memories and personal narratives for her creative projects. In the meantime, Black says she is honored to join the ranks of previous CAP winners such as Toni Morrison and Rita Dove.
“The recognition shows that artists are important to the community fabric and economy,” she says. “Cleveland artists need continued support and I’m grateful to receive it in this way.”
Classical guitarist Jason VieauxA man and his guitar
Guitarist Jason Vieaux won’t be attending CAP’s October awards ceremony but will instead record his thank-you speech remotely. A good problem, as the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) alumnus is busy touring to showcase his masterful classical guitar compositions.
Vieaux’s Grammy-winning work has taken him from his Lakewood home to concert halls in New York, Seoul, and Amsterdam. An extensive repertoire, as well as performances with orchestras throughout the country, earned him the mid-career artist award from a panel of CAP judges.
“[Cleveland is] very special to me, because it’s my hometown and I’m raising a family here,” says Vieaux, who won a Grammy in 2015. “You have these [artists] in the community that are speaking to the truth of the human experience.
“That’s what great visual artists do, and what great literary people do,” Vieaux continues. “We have to recognize them when they’re alive.”
Originally from Buffalo, Vieaux studied at CIM in the early ‘90s before joining the ranks of the institute faculty. From there, he built a dazzling career through chamber music and orchestra concerts, in addition to a collection of solo compositions.
Classical guitar is an art of interpretation, argues Vieaux, as he says the majority of the repertoire consists of music written by other composers. He says playing Bach is a particularly rewarding challenge, although he is currently compiling an album of solo work.
Ultimately, the Cleveland Arts Prize is a wonderful reminder of the power of music, he says.
“I don’t have a grand vision or goals, or anything noble in mind,” Vieaux says. “My job is to play the guitar. But when people are coming backstage crying [after shows], that’s when you know you’re doing something important.”
Painter, sculptor, muralist, and textile artist Mark E. Howard won the Cleveland Arts Prize for Lifetime Achievement.Love of a lifetime
Mark E. Howard’s work can be viewed across Northeast Ohio in an array of art that has brightened spaces at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Cleveland Public Library.
A Newark, New Jersey-born painter, sculptor, muralist, and textile artist, Howard studied at Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) in the early 1980s. Northeast Ohio’s supportive regional arts’ scene—as well as inexpensive studio space—landed Howard in Cleveland full time after he earned his BFA from CIA.
Although painting is his primary love, Howard also creates African-themed and Asian-themed rugs, fabrics, and other textiles. His sculptures adorn the walls of local religious institutions, while a paper cutout silhouette called “Drug Bust” is in the Cleveland Museum of Art American Collection.
Hedge Gallery in the Detroit Shoreway’s 78th Street Studios in September debuted Howard’s colorful, abstract paintings and collage pieces in an exhibit that is part of a larger body of work that won him the CAP lifetime achievement award.
“It’s a little like the Oscars,” says Howard. “It’s nice to know that people recognize and appreciate what you’re doing. I’ve been in museum shows, but this is looking back at decades of what I’ve accomplished. That’s what makes it different and special.”
Howard didn’t know much about CAP when he first came to Cleveland in the 1980s. Today, he says he is proud to be ingrained into the award’s rich and storied history.
“It’s a celebration of arts in different career disciplines, with no outside politics involved,” he says. “It’s smart for the city to utilize the talents it has here. You have to nurture those talents, or else they’ll leave.”
The 65th Annual Cleveland Arts Prize awards ceremony takes place on Wed. Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre, Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, 4250 Richmond Road, Highland Hills 44122. The event features live performances, tributes, and an official presentation of the 2025 arts prizes. Tickets start at $75, $20 for students.
