CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ARTWORKS
Honoring the Past, Building the Future.
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ArtWorks is turning 20!
For two decades this program has provided high school youth with paid apprenticeships, artistic mentorship, and professional development through the power of the arts.
To celebrate this milestone, we are launching the ArtWorks 20th Anniversary Campaign, a year-long initiative to honor our legacy, engage our alumni, and invite 1,000 people to donate $200 each by Summer 2026 to support the future of creative youth in Cleveland. Our goal is to celebrate our past, support our present, and secure our future.
We invite you to be a part of this exciting journey.
Learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved below.
ArtWorks is the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning’s longest-running community program, offering paid arts-based apprenticeships to high school students in grades 10 through 12.
Through fall, spring, and summer sessions, students are enrolled as apprentices in a range of artistic disciplines such as visual art, podcasting, filmmaking, dance, fashion design, songwriting, and more. They are mentored by professional Teaching Artists and gain real-world experience, creative growth, and job readiness skills.
Each session ends with a culminating showcase, ArtWorks Live!
No prior experience is required to apply, and apprentices receive a stipend for their participation.
Fall and Spring sessions are held after school, two days a week
Summer sessions run four days a week during the day
WHAT IS ARTWORKS?
Provided first-time job experiences for over 2,000 youth
Equipped students with workforce development skills including time management, resume building, interview techniques, teamwork, and professionalism
Fostered mentorship between youth and working artists
Helped youth build confidence, communication skills, and a creative voice
Built a diverse, multi-generational community rooted in the power of the arts
Launched countless youth artists into higher education, creative careers, and civic engagement
WHY ARTWORKS MATTERS
Due to decreased funding for arts education, programs like ArtWorks are increasingly at risk. At the same time, they’re more essential than ever.
ArtWorks gives 10th through 12th grade youth the opportunity to work alongside professional Teaching Artists, building artistic talent, job readiness, and life skills that prepare them for success beyond high school.
Over the past 20 years, ArtWorks has:
Your support helps us continue this transformative work and reach even more youth in the years ahead.
The 20th Anniversary Campaign
We are seeking 1,000 people to donate $200 to help us reach our goal by Summer 2026.
YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US:
Invest in workforce development by funding paid apprenticeships for high school students and paid creative opportunities for Teaching Artists to mentor and lead
Expand access by removing financial and systemic barriers for youth from under-resourced communities
Build a strong alumni network to foster professional connections, expand volunteer support, and strengthen long-term program sustainability
Create career pathways by engaging alumni in mentorship and leadership opportunities that promote equity and creative workforce development
Celebrate 20 years of impact through a community-wide event showcasing the talent, voices, and stories of ArtWorks youth and alumni
Be 1 in 1,000
Your donation powers creative opportunity and equity in Cleveland.
Looking to give through stock or other methods? Click here.
WERE YOU PART OF ARTWORKS?
We’re looking to reconnect with the incredible people who have shaped ArtWorks over the past two decades. Whether you were an Apprentice, Teaching Artist, Program Manager, Assistant, or family member of someone who participated, you’re an important part of our story.
Through the ArtWorks Alumni Network, we’re creating space to stay connected, celebrate your journey, and invite you to help shape the future of the program.
Ways to Get Involved
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Complete one simple form to:
Provide your contact information so we can let you know about upcoming events and opportunities
Share your ArtWorks story by writing a few sentences or uploading a 30 second –2 minute video/audio clip
This is your chance to come full circle and help shape the future of a program that may have shaped you.
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Help us continue this program for the next 20 years and beyond. We’re working toward a goal of raising $200,000 by next summer by rallying 1,000 supporters to give $200 each.
Every gift helps create opportunities for youth artists to thrive.
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Know another former apprentice, teaching artist, staff member, family member or anyone else who was part of the ArtWorks community?
Invite them to join the network and be part of what’s coming next. -
Date: August 1, 2026
Time: 6:30-9:30 PM
Location: Disciples Christian Church (3663 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44121)
This summer, we will gather for ArtWorks Live!, a showcase, fundraiser, and alumni reunion marking 20 years of impact. The evening will bring together alumni, current apprentices, families, and supporters for an interactive gallery of past and present work, live performances, and a celebration of the program’s creative legacy and future.
Be sure to join the network using the button below to receive our Alumni newsletter for more details!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 5:30–9:30 p.m.
Location: Cultural Arts Center with Disciples Christian Church | Cleveland Heights, OH
Some portions are free and open to the public; others are ticketed or RSVP-based (details below)
Join the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning in celebrating 20 years of our ArtWorks program, a paid arts apprenticeship that has engaged more than 2,000 high school students across Northeast Ohio. This milestone evening honors the creativity, growth, and impact of ArtWorks apprentices—past and present—while celebrating two decades of workforce development through the arts.
This event includes three distinct ways to participate. Guests are welcome to join one or more portions depending on interest.
ARTWORKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Our 20th Anniversary Logo!
We are thrilled to announce that the logo representing ArtWorks’ 20th Anniversary was created by Youth Leadership Council / Fall 2025 Apprentice, Otis Houtz.
Thank you, Otis, for your creativity and vision! Your design will proudly appear on shirts, stickers, flyers, and more as we celebrate this milestone year.
Additional Ways to Give
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If you are 70½ or older, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly from your IRA to Center for Arts-Inspired Learning. A QCD counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), and you pay no income tax on the amount transferred. You can give up to $108,000 annually. Ask your IRA administrator to make the distribution directly to Center for Arts-Inspired Learning.
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If you have a DAF through your financial institution or community foundation, you can recommend a grant to Center for Arts-Inspired Learning. This is an easy, flexible way to support youth creativity. You can make one-time or recurring gifts from your DAF, and you may also name Center for Arts-Inspired Learning as a beneficiary to continue your legacy. Ask your fund advisor to direct your gift to the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning. -
Gifts of appreciated securities, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, can provide meaningful support for our programs while offering tax benefits. You can avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated assets and deduct the fair market value of your gift. Center for Arts-Inspired Learning receives the full value of your contribution. To ensure your gift is completed by December 31, we encourage you to begin the transfer process early.
Stock Transfer Information:
Type of Transfer: Gift
Receiving Firm: National Financial Services, LLC
DTC: 0226
Receiving Account Name: Center For Arts-Inspired Learning
Receiving Account Number: 0KS-711454
Recipient's Registration Type: Corporation account
To notify us of a transfer, contact: Cat Derrick, Director of Development via cderrick@arts-inspiredlearning.org or 216.561.5005 x25.
For detailed transfer instructions or to let us know a gift is on the way, please contact our Director of Development, Cat Derrick, at cderrick@arts-inspiredlearning.org or 216.561.5005 x25.
MEET THE ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
A team of ArtWorks alumni are helping lead this campaign and alumni outreach. Meet the individuals behind the effort!
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Da'Nira McClary
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2015-2016, 2017-2018
Art Forms Taken Part In: Photography, Performance Poetry, Dance, Game Design
Current Organization: Department of The Interior/National Park Service
Current Job Title: Park Ranger/Media -
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Emily Gitlin
Years Participated in ArtWorks: Summer 2010-2011
Art Forms Taken Part In: Photography and Video Game Design
Current Organization: The Pratt Institute
Current Job Title: Administrative Assistant for Development -
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LAUREN JORDAN
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2005-2007
Art Forms Taken Part In: Photography and Dance
Current Organization: JumpStart Inc.
Current Job Title: Events & Marketing Associate -
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Janet Katzin
Years Participated in ArtWorks: Summer 2008
Art Forms Taken Part In: Stage Combat
Current Organization: Hawken School
Current Job Title: Alumni Relations -
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MAKENNA REDDIX
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2023-2025
Art Forms Taken Part In: Poetry and Photography
Current Organization: Morgan State University
Current Job Title: Student -
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MIKAILI CLARK
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2022-2024
Art Forms Taken Part In: Songwriting, Performance Poetry, Drawing, Fashion Design
Current Organization: Eccentric Fantasies
Current Job Title: Artist -
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Kaleigh Tuck-Macalla
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2010, 2011
Art Forms Taken Part In: Vocal Performance
Current Organization: Frederick Douglass High School/Oakmont Education
Current Job Title: Family Advocate -
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Aniya Johnson
Years Participated in ArtWorks: Fall 2022, Summer 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2023
Art Forms Taken Part In: Videography, Spoken Word Poetry, Photography, Crafting Arts Poetry
Current Organization: Kent State University
Current Job Title: Student / Desk Assistant and College Senator (Undergraduate Student Government) -
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Mikayla Coleman
Years Participated in ArtWorks: 2015-2016
Art Forms Taken Part In: Photography, Fashion
Current Organization: The George Gund Foundation
Current Job Title: Fellow
