Three creative Clevelanders, who have made their mark on the city’s hearts and minds, are being honored in this year's class of the Cleveland Arts Prize.
Poet Ali Black is the 2025 Emerging Artist. CAP executive director Effie Nunes said Black made “a huge impression” on jurors with her recent book, “We Look Better Alive.”
This year's Lifetime Achievement winner, Mark E. Howard, has created sculptures, paintings and murals that have been seen throughout the city - including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the main library Downtown and Hopkins airport.
Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, a longtime Cleveland Institute of Music instructor, is recognized as the Mid-Career Artist. He's performed with orchestras around the world and was the first classical musician to perform a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR.
The juried discipline prizes include a $10,000 award and will be presented alongside four special prizes on Oct. 22. The first Cleveland Arts Prizes were given in 1961, established by the Women’s City Club.
Ideastream asked the 2025 juried discipline winners to reflect on the award and how they practice their craft.
The following responses were edited only for grammar, clarity and time references.
What does recognition from the Cleveland Arts Prize mean to you?
Ali Black: Recognition means Cleveland Arts Prize finally made it to the conversation. It feels good to be on a list that includes two of my favorite Black female writers — Rita Dove and Toni Morrison.
Mark E. Howard: I've been exhibiting in Cleveland for 40 years now. I've had the honor to work with some truly wonderful people over the years whose expertise has enabled me to grow as an artist. To win the Lifetime Achievement Award is an incredible honor. It inspires me to know that my art has brought joy to the city.
Jason Vieaux: It means a lot to me, especially since I decided to plant roots here in Cleveland around 1998, rather than NYC (or later in 2011, Philadelphia). Both of those scenarios could well have happened, but for many reasons I’m really happy I stayed in Cleveland. The post at Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) means a lot to me since being hired onto the guitar faculty in 1997. I met my wife here, and we’re raising a family. I really enjoy living in Lakewood and the strong sense of community we have here.
Describe where and when you do your best work?
Ali Black: I do my best writing on weekend mornings that spill into the late afternoon at my dining room table.
Mark E. Howard: I don't have a place or time where I do my best work. I've worked in and out of my studio, depending on the projects. For me, creativity isn't confined to a place or time. You try to do the best wherever you are.
Jason Vieaux: Where and when is never a factor. It’s usually the actual project, the artists involved or how much preparation I was able to do for the concert, recording, etc. These factors usually have more of an impact on my actual memory of it: positive, negative or in-between. Working with Pat Metheny, one of my biggest musical heroes, from 2019-2021, on “Four Paths of Light” (the large solo work written for Mr. Vieaux) was something beyond my wildest dreams. I really have very few negative memories of work in the musical arts, locally or abroad. And, sometimes an unintentional lack of preparation, due to late arrival of scores or materials, made it very positive as well, due to the added excitement (adrenaline!) of everyone pulling together under time constraints.
How has an arts organization or artist in Cleveland positively influenced your work?
Ali Black: The Cleveland artist who has influenced my work is a person most people hate on or they’re uncomfortable with because he’s a truthteller and that’s Donald Black, Jr. Donald inspires me to keep making and to keep searching for and exposing my true self through the work. I’ve never seen an artist as disciplined and excited to make, make, make as him. His drive and talent is unmatched and it pushes me every day.
Mark E. Howard: Many people have influenced my work. But I would have to say that Julian Stanczak, Ed Mieczkowski and Wenda Von Weiss have been the most important. All were professors at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
Jason Vieaux: The performance opportunities afforded to me from the late 1990s onward in Northeast Ohio, many through teaching at CIM, gave me a lot of repertoire, with many fine musicians to work with. Performing chamber music and concertos was always a major part of my professional goals. I’m grateful to so many of these great artists, like Yolanda Kondonassis, Cavani Quartet, Mari Sato, Karel Paukert, Bruce Egre, Margaret Brouwer, Martha Aarons, Lev Polyakin, Keith Fitch - just to name a few out of DOZENS of Northeast Ohio artists. Bruce Egre, who founded Azica Records here in Cleveland in 1995, gave me the opportunity to make the kinds of records I wanted to make. My students from over the last 28 years at CIM have given me a great deal of knowledge and experience. I’ve learned probably as much from them as they have learned from me, and I’m committed to training future musicians at CIM.
What is the next project you’re excited about?
Ali Black: I’m editing a collection of essays and writing a young adult novel in verse. Donald and I are also collaborating on a couple of projects, and I’m very excited about them.
Mark E. Howard: I have a show at Hedge Gallery through October. Forty-four, all new pieces of artwork that I'm very excited about.
Jason Vieaux: My next album is going to be really different from what I’ve ever done before. It’s an album of compositions for solo guitar I wrote from 2020-2025. The great Azica Records producer Alan Bise, a three-time Grammy-winner, who I’ve worked with for 32 years, said, “It’s time for a record like this,” and I trust his judgement.
What is your vision for Northeast Ohio’s arts community in the next decade?
Ali Black: Let’s see … 10 years from now (hopefully) certain people and organizations will have left the city or at least moved on from spewing their lies and harm so real artists can get to work. Other than that, I just want to see more Black women running s---. If we listen to Black women and give them the space to create and make decisions, Northeast Ohio’s arts community will be everything it needs to be.
Mark E. Howard: My hope is that the city fully engages with the incredible artists we have here. We need to utilize their wonderful talents to better enrich Northeast Ohio.
Jason Vieaux: Well, I hope the arts will continue to thrive in this uncertain time and not falter. Hopefully, Northeast Ohio’s arts community will find ways to merge with the inevitable forward march of technology in a way that can expand its audience, without having to make compromises in its quality or its communicative power. We need great music and arts in Northeast Ohio more than ever!
