Alumna Jennifer Coleman ‘81 Authors Editorial in Crain’s Cleveland Business

Highlighting Cleveland as “A city with a bounty of diverse arts and cultural organizations and institutions,” Coleman goes on to say that, “There is work to do to maintain and grow our vibrancy and make Greater Cleveland a more desirable place to live, growing our creative workforce, catalyzing development in our neighborhoods and serving as a bridge between various segments of the community.”

 

She continues, “The process of art making involves critical thought and project management — skills that are transferable to helping solve some of our most challenging civic issues. The arts can open alternate paths of communication, finding commonalities between different points of view where conflict previously existed.”

 

Coleman cites other cities doing this type of work, including Seattle’s “Beloved” project, an anti-gun violence campaign linking the community, Office of Arts & Culture, and King County’s Zero Youth Detention/Public Health team. She goes on to discuss how “The George Gund Foundation values the integral role that arts and culture play in making Cleveland an intriguing, welcoming and exceptional place to live.”