Making Art Work: Why I Wrote a Guide for Artists in Northeast Ohio (and What Comes Next)

I knew I wanted my thesis capstone to be something more than a paper that sat on a shelf and would combine with the mission of StarFall Creative Collective. I wanted to create something that would make the process of being an artist here in Northeast Ohio just a little bit easier.

That idea became Making Art Work: An Artist’s Field Guide to Northeast Ohio.

This guidebook is the culmination of three years of research, writing, and relationship-building. It’s both a practical resource and a personal offering - designed to help local artists navigate the sometimes overwhelming landscape of calls for art, arts organizations, and professional development opportunities in our region. It breaks down how the arts ecosystem functions, how to access support, how to build sustainable practices, and how artists can advocate for themselves and their communities.

Alongside the printed guide, I also built a searchable online database of 100+ arts organizations across the region - as seen here on this website. You can filter by type, location, or need, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. This is also an ongoing project as I still have many orgs to add!

Right now, I’m in the peer review stage of my guidebook - sharing early drafts with fellow arts administrators, nonprofit leaders, and working artists across the region. This part is crucial. I want the guide to feel useful to the people it’s made for. That means catching blind spots, clarifying confusing sections, and making sure the tone feels accessible and empowering.

If you’re reading this and you’re an artist, administrator, educator, or community advocate in Northeast Ohio - I’d love to hear from you. Your feedback can help shape this guide into a tool that truly supports our creative community.

We deserve systems that work for us. This guidebook is just one small step toward building them.