Whether creating, teaching, documenting or supporting the arts, this year's Cleveland Arts Prizes recognize decades of contributions in Northeast Ohio.
A special citation from the CAP board this year goes to Jennie Jones for her work photographing the city's skyline, architecture and museums in the 1980s – when she was in her 50s.
A second award, the Barbara S. Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts, recognizes the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation for its decades of support for institutions ranging from the Cleveland Orchestra to Cleveland Public Theatre. Chairman Steve Hoffman said the foundation is “honored” by the prize.
This year's Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts recognizes actress and playwright Robin Pease, founding artistic director of Kulture Kids. Her organization uses performance and storytelling to help youth understand Native American history.
The Robert P. Bergman Prize, named for the late Cleveland Museum of Art director, goes to Greg Peckham. As director of LAND studio, he spent two decades advocating for public art projects throughout the city.
The four special prizes, along with three juried prizes, will be presented in a ceremony on Oct. 22. The arts prize was established by the Women’s City Club and first awarded in 1961.
Ideastream asked the 2025 special prize 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?
Jennie Jones: It's absolutely incredible. I wasn't expecting it. I was on the board myself for several years, and I think it's one of the most interesting things to have for the society and for Cleveland, because Cleveland is amazing. I'm not from here, so I can brag up a storm. And I think the arts are extremely important here, more vibrant than the country really realizes with our museums and our orchestra, which is one of the best in the world.
Steve Hoffman: We're honored to receive the Cleveland Arts Prize, especially knowing it reflects the Mandel brothers' deep commitment to both the humanities and the city of Cleveland. This recognition affirms that we have stayed true to their vision and mission of expanding access to the arts in greater Cleveland, which strengthens people's ability to lead with compassion and work toward a more just world.
Robin Pease: Being recognized by the Cleveland Arts Prize is both humbling and encouraging. It reinforces a core belief I hold: The arts aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity.
Art has the power to educate, connect and heal. Whether it's teaching science through music or bringing neighborhoods together through storytelling, the arts help us better understand ourselves and each other.
But access to the arts isn’t equal. That’s why I’ve dedicated years to bringing creative opportunities into schools and communities. I’ve seen students grasp tough concepts through a song and neighbors connect through shared performances.
This recognition from the Cleveland Arts Prize validates that the arts are essential. Essential for stronger students, stronger communities and a stronger future.
Greg Peckham: The Bergman Prize is particularly meaningful to me because it speaks to advocating for a democratic vision for the arts. That has been the motivation for me – making sure that inspiring and artfully designed public spaces are part of everyday life for everyone in Cleveland, no matter who you are or where you live.
Describe where and when you do your best work?
Jennie Jones: I moved here in '68 and I must say this is really all about the renaissance of Cleveland. I had never studied, but I ended up photographing a lot of the big, enormous building projects. We really had a renaissance starting from about 1989 all up to the present day. You think of all of the places that have been built: Society Center, Gateway, Tower City, all of these things. It's amazing. And we're not done yet.
Robin Pease: I’m not tied to a single space. I’ve written in bustling coffee shops, quiet libraries, my car, cozy corners of my home and even on the go with just my phone in hand. My creativity does not follow a schedule.
Performing happens anytime and anywhere. But for writing, I’m a night owl. That’s often when the muse comes to me. However, since performing and creating are constants in my life, it really does not matter the time or place.
Greg Peckham: I love a good underdog situation; one that requires bringing together unlikely partners to take on problems that require creative, cross-disciplinary solutions.
How has an arts organization or artist in Cleveland positively influenced your work?
Jennie Jones: So many artists, particularly visual artists, don't get all of the important recognition that they would like to have. And I think that Cleveland makes sure that not only the music, but the arts, everything - they've really paid attention to it.
Steve Hoffman: The Mandel Foundation deeply values our partnerships with high quality leaders and cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Public Theatre and others. These collaborations amplify the impact of our philanthropy by strengthening both the grantee organization and the broader community.
Robin Pease: Vincetta Dooner, a former teacher at Coventry Elementary, was a big influence on me. She introduced me to the Ohio Department of Education’s academic and arts learning standards, which really helped me understand how to integrate the arts into the academic curriculum.
She then connected me to the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, which opened many doors. Through them, I met other artists, found collaboration and work opportunities, as well as gained valuable contacts.
Thus, arts integration has inspired me to create many of the pieces that I produced in schools and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
Greg Peckham: Sometimes you have to flip the plans around on the table in order to see the problem from a different perspective. That’s a piece of advice an architect once gave me. That’s proven to be useful advice for me well beyond my work in the arts and urban planning.
What is the next project you’re excited about?
Jennie Jones: I am 93 years old, and I have put the camera down. However, I have my iPhone and I get carried away ... but I'm not doing it anymore.
Steve Hoffman: Last month, our board approved a five-year expansion of the Mandel Youth Humanities Academy at Tri-C, a 9-week summer program for Cleveland-area high school students to foster engagement with the humanities through reading, self-discovery, discussion and citywide learning opportunities. Since the program launched in 2021, MYHA has served 115 students, and 85% of them have enrolled in a post-secondary education. With programs like this, we hope to counteract educational funding trends that undervalue the arts, while expanding access to learning and career pathways that build essential skills like empathy, critical thinking, imagination and communication.
Robin Pease: I’d say my next project is two-fold: one writing and one performing.
First, I’m finishing the final children’s book in a four-part series for PNC and Playhouse Square’s Grow Up Great program. This series equips children with the tools to create their own original stories. The first three books focus on setting, characters and conflict. The final book, on plot, will bring these elements together, empowering kids to craft their own narratives. I’m collaborating with the talented illustrator Mark Santiago. Once the book is complete, children will not only create their own stories but also act them out for the community and preserve them in print. Teachers will then have these books as ongoing guides to inspire future students in writing.
Second, I’m writing and performing a play for Women in History Ohio about Mary Read, one of the pirate queens from the Golden Age of Piracy. Even though her life was marked by violence and crime, she challenged gender norms in a world dominated by men. I am working with the amazing artist Molly Cornwell who will portray Anne Bonny. By the way, pirates didn’t actually say “Arrghhh!”
Greg Peckham: I can’t wait to see the completion of Irishtown Bend Park along the Cuyahoga River. That project will set a new standard of excellence for urban parks across the country.
What is your vision for Northeast Ohio’s arts community in the next decade?
Jennie Jones: I think they should keep going on what they're doing. We've got the science museum. We've got the natural history museum. I really think we have to keep it going. I hope that we really do projects for the kids, because I don't think that we won't keep the strength of our orchestra in this particular climate of what we're turning into these days. And that means that our museums and our music and our schools and all things, they really have to dig into this and make it a better future than it looks right now.
Robin Pease: More arts programs are needed for children in schools, especially inner-city districts. While some schools offer a variety of art programs, many do not. There used to be a program called ICARE, “The Initiative for Cultural Arts in Education” (later known as “Art is Education”) that provided funding to place artists in residence within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The goal was to integrate the arts into the academic core curriculum and provide professional development for teachers in the arts. This taught art techniques alongside academic content. While this work continues, the resources to sustain it have steadily declined.
In my work for the Kennedy Center, it is explained like this: “Arts integration is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process that connects an art form with another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.”
I really miss ICARE. My organization, Kulture Kids, was in residence at many schools for years.
Recently, a high school student came up to me singing the “Water Cycle Song”—something I taught them way back in 2nd grade! They remembered everything: the dynamics, lyrics, melody, dance movements and, most importantly, the scientific concepts behind the water cycle.
That’s the power of the arts. It's moments like this that remind me why this work matters so deeply and needs to continue.
Greg Peckham: Northeast Ohio is at a springboard moment when it comes to reshaping the landscape of our city, its neighborhoods and capitalizing on our natural assets. Never before have so many of the world’s leading landscape architects and planners been working on significant projects in one region. We are in the midst of remaking postindustrial waterfronts in our Downtown. We are reshaping major urban infrastructure that historically sliced through our city to reconnect neighborhoods. We are building a truly world class network of city, metropolitan and national parks that bring everyone in our region closer to nature. There is a golden age of urban planning taking place right now. I believe these are among the critical building blocks that renew the social, economic and environmental fabric of Northeast Ohio.
