Cleveland Arts Prize promotes creativity in Northeast Ohio by honoring artists for artistic excellence and recognizes community leaders who help regional arts flourish. Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) was established by the Women’s City Club in 1960, and continues today as the nation’s oldest municipal arts award and an ongoing platform for celebrating Northeast Ohio’s exceptional arts community. In its earliest years, the group commissioned the Arts Prize medal, launched a scholarship program and established an endowment that secured the annual awarding of prizes.
Discipline Awards
Applications are accepted March 1 - April 27.
Discipline awards are application-based only. You do not have to be nominated in order to apply.
Discipline Prize Criteria:
A body of original work that consistently exemplifies the highest level of artistic excellence as shown by but not limited to:
- Mastery of traditional skill and willingness to challenge status quo
- Awareness and/or acknowledgment of contemporary and/or changing schools of thought respective to discipline
- High level of continuity between artist statement and work
- Regional, national and/or international recognition*
- Contributions to the canon of knowledge that will endure beyond the artist's life*
*These criteria will be assessed relative to career level.
Applicants will be placed into career levels based on the following requirements:
Emerging Artist Award: Candidate is currently living in Northeast Ohio and has created significant work or projects and shows remarkable promise for further development of their artistic careers.
Mid-Career Artist Award: Candidate is currently residing or has previously resided in Northeast Ohio and whose work has received both regional and national recognition.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Candidate who has worked or has been influential in the Northeast Ohio region over a period of decades and whose artistic achievements have brought distinction to the artist individually and to our region as a whole.
Past Arts Prize winners are not eligible to win a prize in the same category more than once.
Applicants must currently or have previously lived or worked in Northeast Ohio. Only living artists can apply or be nominated for a discipline prize.
Special Prizes
Special Prize candidates are considered through nomination only. The nominator is responsible for soliciting no more than 5 letters of support in favor of the nominee.
The submission of support letters is the responsibility of the nominator. Nominations without support letters will not be considered.
The nominator for a special prize candidate may suggest the specific award they feel their candidate is best suited for, but the Cleveland Arts Prize Jury will make the final decision as to which Prize is awarded. Special Prize nominees are not notified of their nomination.
Nominations are accepted March 1 - June 1.
Special Prizes are honorary. Read more about them here.
Determination of Winners
Discipline Prize winners receive an unrestricted prize of $10,000 each. Special Prize recipients are honorary.
Winning applicants are selected by the Cleveland Arts Prize Jury, composed of artists, community leaders, and past winners. Their decision will be final and no further correspondence shall be considered.
Discipline applicants are reviewed through a two-tier process. Each discipline's respective juries put forth up to three finalists to be reviewed by what is called The Academy Jury. This is the second and final round of review of the finalists from each discipline. The Academy Jury determines the Emerging Prize Winner, Mid-Career Prize Winner, and Lifetime Achievement Winner.
The Special Prize Jury members review all nominees and determine the winners for each of the Special Prizes.
Meet the Jurors!
Literature
Stephanie Ginese (CAP)
Imad Rahman
Matt Weinkam
Music
Liza Grossman (CAP)
Afi Scruggs
Bobby Selvaggio
Dr. William Washington (CAP)
Visual Art
Kerry Davis
Hilary Gent
Tom Huck
Bellamy Printz (CAP)
Nikki Woods
Design
Emily Applebaum
Jack Bialosky
Robert Bostwick
Michael Cristoff
Sandra Madison
Theatre & Dance
Maureen Burns
Joan Meggitt
Dominic Moore-Dunson (CAP)
Donald Carrier
Academy Jurors:
Jonathan Kurtz (CAP), Michele Crawford, Erin Guido, John Williams (CAP), Jason Hanley, PhD, Michael Dalby, Emily Laurance, Kathryn Karipides (CAP), Felise Bagley (CAP), Dianne McIntyre (CAP), Darius Steward (CAP), Sarah Kabot (CAP), Meg Harris-Stanton, Lisa Kurzner, Arnold Tunstall, Eric Coble (CAP), Raymond Bobgan (CAP), Fabio Polanco, John Orlock, Brad Ricca (CAP), Jan Ridgeway
Special Prize Jurors
Kathy Barrie (CAP)
Fran Belkin
Kim Bixenstine
Letitia Lopez
Anna Vedouras
Arts Prize Discipline and Special Prize Winners will be announced on or around August 1.
Discipline Prize funds will be distributed in December of the winning year.
INELIGIBILITY: Incomplete or late forms, past winners will not be considered.
VERGE Fellowships
Fellowship applications for the 2025 season are closed.
Five (5) Verge Fellowships are awarded annually an unrestricted stipend of $2,000. In addition to the awards, Verge fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a group and individual photoshoot, a recognition reception, and promotional media opportunities.
DESCRIPTION | Cleveland Arts Prize, with support from the Cleveland Foundation and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture award the (on the) Verge Fellowship to provide unrestricted monetary stipends to promising, developing artists within and across multiple disciplines. The program is designed to celebrate and support artists within initial, introductory levels of their artistry. The Verge Fellowship is intended to recognize and support artists on the verge of their arts career, at a level before they would be considered “emerging” artists, who demonstrate creativity, passion and commitment to their arts discipline. CAP will work with community partners to widely promote the Verge Fellowship, select winners and to support the artists during their fellowship period. This support may take the form of mentorship by CAP winners and exhibitions or other discipline specific opportunities by CAP partners.
Eligibility:
- Only one application per person will be accepted.
- Applicant must be at least 15 years of age.
- Applicant must reside in Cuyahoga County.
CAP reserves the right to withdraw or disqualify an application or nomination from consideration if (i) the candidate is ineligible based on established requirements for the award, or (ii) if the candidate's past or present actions or behavior are unlawful or if, in the sole discretion of the Board, are harmful to the integrity or reputation of CAP or the award.
Special Prize Guidelines
Special Prize candidates are considered through nomination only. The nominator is responsible for soliciting no more than 5 letters of support in favor of the nominee.
The submission of support letters is the responsibility of the nominator. Nominations without support letters will not be considered.
The nominator for a Special Prize candidate may suggest a specific award their candidate is best suited for, but the Cleveland Arts Prize Jury will make the final decision as to which Prize is awarded and to whom. Special Prize nominees are not notified of their nomination.
Special Prize Categories
Robert P. Bergman Prize
The Robert P. Bergman Prize is awarded to an individual whose life and work are illuminated by an energetic and inspiring dedication to a democratic vision of art. The Bergman Prize recognizes the highest possible expression of art stewardship through long term commitment.
Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts
The Martha Joseph Prize is awarded to an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the vitality and stature of the arts in northeast Ohio through exceptional commitment, vision, leadership, and/or philanthropy.