ARTS EDUCATION, Sylvia Easley, Cleveland Heights

true to their focus of presenting universal themes that explore the human condition and providing theatre-goers a renewed awareness of themselves, t hey believe audience members are an equal part of the artistic experience.<br><br> Moore and Hanna have created an organization where the sense of collaboration and joy of making theatre is apparent and expected, both on stage and in the house. As musical theatre can only survive and flourish with the infusion of new talent, Moore and Hanna also share a commitment to developing future theatre artists. As one of only a handful of regional theatres developing new musicals, HRTC embraces works from both established and emerging writers.<br><br> In addition, HRTC works collaboratively with the Muse Machine and the Musical Theatre program at Wright State University, finding and creating ways for students and faculty to interact and collaborate. Their practice of seeking talented students and fully incorporating them into productions on stage and off has helped launch dozens of now successful careers. Both Moore and Hanna approach each endeavor with great artistic understanding, but they also are willing to consider the inevitable compromises that are necessary when dealing with budgets, timelines and practical concerns.<br><br> With the utmost respect for others and willingness to help, they remain focused on their original mission and true to their art, while creating financial stability and serving the need for unique theatre in Dayton. They are willing to take the necessary risks to make great theatre, which speaks to their talents as artists, and that the company is thriving after 24 years demonstrates their skills as great administrators. ARTS EDUCATION, Sylvia Easley, The Music Settlement, Cleveland For more than 40 years, Sylvia Easley has worked diligently to insure that music and movement are an integral part of the early childhood education experience.<br><br> As director of Early Childhood Education at The Music Settlement in Cleveland, Ohio, Sylvia Easley has helped create programs that benefit nearly 700 children annually. Under Easley 9s guidance, children are immersed in a unique atmosphere of creativity and free thought. In 1965, Easley broke barriers by entering a field not traditionally open to young African American women.<br><br> Early in her career at The Music Settlement, she recognized that an arts-rich education yielded even greater results when offered in the first years of life. From the start, her inspired incorporation of music and the arts into the program enabled an expansion that now includes a day school, early childhood arts classes and highly successful summer camps. The programs are so well developed that they are recognized by Ohio 9s Step Up to Quality initiative (a group child care and education rating program) as cthree star d the top ranking in the field.<br><br> In 1996, she developed a Music & Movement class for students from birth through age three that is still considered a model for successful arts education programs. Easley 9s desire to influence positively the development of children extends beyond the walls of The Music Settlement. She is a passionate advocate for bringing the arts to children in underserved neighborhoods and she has led the effort to provide quality teacher training and professional development.<br><br> She recently developed a bi-annual two-day conference, The Arts in Early Childhood: A Summer Institute to empower educators and therapists to help young children develop critical readiness skills through the arts. Additionally, Easley has published articles on methods of introducing music to young children and has conducted workshops for Head Start, the Cleveland Public Schools, the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, and the Cleveland Association for the Education of Young Children. She also served four years on the board of the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children.<br><br> Easley works daily to uncover and develop the potential that exists in each and every child. Her dedication and years of hard work are fuelled by her belief that arts education is vital for the emotional, physical, social, and intellectual development of a child. When offered accolades, she will share that she feels honored every day, when she receives hugs from her students and sees the happiness her programs bring to the five-and-under crowd.<br><br> Her warm and nurturing spirit finds the joy in all children, and her accomplishments and contributions to arts education are immeasurable. ARTS PATRON, Jim and Enid Goubeaux, Greenville Jim and Enid Goubeaux met while students at Harvard University, and according to him, cit was love at first sight. d Augmenting their mutual attraction was a shared love for the arts and a sense of community that endure to this day as central elements in their relationship. And that enthusiasm was fanned into a philanthropic flame when they discovered the deep satisfaction of making gifts that make a difference.<br><br> Their philanthropic endeavors began in earnest when they began an endowed scholarship fund at Eaglebrook School, which their son attended. They soon began to expand their circle of giving to include arts organizations throughout the region. Culture Works, WDPR, Think TV, the Victoria Theatre Association, the Darke County Center for the Arts and The Human Race Theatre Company are among the many cultural groups who receive substantial gifts.<br><br> But their giving does not begin or end with a signature on a check. They are first and foremost enthusiastic patrons of the arts. The Goubeaux 9s fully understand the important role arts organizations play, going far beyond entertainment to impacting the quality of education, and creative and economic growth of a community.<br><br> They willingly do whatever they can to insure the continued strength of organizations so vital to an enhanced quality of life. This includes active participation as board members and officers for many of the arts groups they support. And for those organizations fortunate enough to benefit from their patronage and generosity, they don 9t get just one Goubeaux.<br><br> They come as a team, ready and willing to jump in with all four feet. In addition to the many Dayton based groups they support, they are just as active and involved in their own hometown of Greenville where they put into practice their heartfelt belief that philanthropy makes it a better place. They are tightly woven into the cultural and economic fabric of the Greenville community, and are considered among the top philanthropists in Darke County.<br><br> The shared passion for the arts they first discovered in each other remains a major source of inspiration and motivation. They love giving back to the community and investing in the vitality of the region they call home. Their leadership and support provide a great example of how one couple with a passion can have a tremendous impact: enriching lives and helping to build a vibrant, creative community through their arts patronage.<br><br> BUSINESS SUPPORT OF THE ARTS - American Electric Power American Electric Power (AEP) and its affiliates, AEP Ohio and the American Electric Power Foundation, serve a critical role as arts advocates and philanthropic leaders to the Ohio arts community. AEP 9s ongoing commitment to the communities it serves is evidenced by its generous support for dozens of arts and cultural initiatives in all disciplines. The company 9s headquarters are in Columbus, but their support of the arts reaches across the state.<br><br> In 2008 AEP 9s giving to the arts in Ohio totaled more than $1.1 million. This support allows arts organizations to leverage their work to enrich communities throughout the state, making Ohio a richer hub for creative talent; a leader in innovative arts education; and a unique and vibrant home for young professionals, families, and thriving businesses. AEP provides generous ongoing annual support to fund educational programming efforts for central Ohio K-12 students and they involve employees at all levels in arts initiatives through the AEP Connects program.<br><br> AEP Connects supports individual employee efforts by awarding small grants to organizations where they volunteer. For the past decade, one of the Central Ohio beneficiaries of AEP 9s generous support has been the Wexner Center for the Arts. The company 9s support of the Wexner corporate membership campaign has increased each year and they provide special project support enabling the Wexner Center to offer the highest quality educational programming.<br><br> In addition to significant financial contributions, AEP leaders use their skills and resources to make their communities better places to live and work. AEP Chief Operating Officer Carl English 4and, before him, AEP Chief Information Officer Kevin Walker 4have dedicated substantial time and energy to advancing the center 9s mission by serving as trustees of the Wexner Center Foundation. Other AEP support for the arts in Central Ohio includes: funding for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Youth Orchestra and Music Educator Awards; a multi-year AEP Foundation grant for renovation of the Columbus College of Art & Design's new Broad Street classroom facility; a multi-year AEP Foundation grant for the restoration and endowment of the historic Lincoln Theatre; the Ohio Historical Society's "Rockwell's America" exhibition featuring life-size recreations of many of Norman Rockwell's most notable Saturday Evening Post covers; support for the King Arts Complex "Global Traditions" series celebrating diverse artistic expressions; and sponsorship of the Columbus Museum of Art's annual Art Ball.<br><br> AEP Ohio and AEP Foundation support stretches across the state. An AEP Foundation grant for the Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus Center for the Performing Arts helped build a community arts performance space in New Philadelphia for use by the entire county including local schools that lack performance space. Beneficiaries of AEP Ohio corporate giving include: ArtsinStark's "SmArts" programming that integrates the arts into math and science learning for K-12 students in Canton and the Stark County area; operational support of Stuart's Opera House, the cultural anchor of Nelsonville's historic public square; the Lima Symphony Orchestra for performances, education and community partnerships; and the French Arts Colony, a regional multi-arts center based in Gallipolis dedicated to enhancing local quality of life through the arts, education and economic development.<br><br> Through its dedication to supporting cultural and intellectual life in our communities, AEP has consistently proven itself as a model corporate partner for the arts in Ohio. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PARTICIPATION, Donna Sue Groves, Manchester Donna Sue Groves has been the connector and spark that brings people, resources, and dreams together, building civic and community capacity at the grass roots level for over 40 years. Throughout Ohio, and especially in Appalachia, she has worked hand-in-hand with communities, building fruitful partnerships, and bringing resources to economically disadvantaged communities 4giving them the skills, tools and networks needed to build successful arts business that stimulate local economies.<br><br> As coordinator of the Appalachian Arts Initiative from 1991-1999, Groves developed the first Directory of Appalachian Arts and Artists in Ohio. In her role as OAC Southern Ohio field representative from 2001-2008, she continued to grow the Directory and served a vital role in ongoing work with the artists and arts organizations in Appalachia. As a tireless leader and advocate for the arts and culture in Appalachia, her own strong Appalachian identity and passion for bringing recognition to underserved communities and individual artists is unmatched.<br><br> Groves fights tirelessly to keep Appalachian Ohio in the public eye and in the minds of arts funders statewide 4allowing startup groups and artists with limited resources to grow their audience, market their products and create economic opportunities based on their creative work. She has made it her personal mission to communicate both the cultural and economic value of the region to both its artists and the communities who help create a market for their work. This is a critical element in laying the groundwork for revenue-building, creative industries in isolated, economically depressed, Appalachian border communities.<br><br> Grove 9s own vision took root in the Quilt Barn Project. Honoring her mother, she thought quilt square murals installed on barns would be a unique way for communities to emphasize and utilize local assets for economic development. What began in rural Adams County in 2001, now draws visitors from all over the country who drive and bike through the Ohio countryside enjoying quilt trails comprised of more than 500 murals in 21 counties.<br><br> The Quilt Barn Project has become a cultural tourism phenomenon that now stretches across 26 states with 98 dedicated driving trails. In 2004 Groves received the Jenco Foundation Inspirational Service Arts Award and was named an Outstanding Philanthropist by the Foundation for Appalachia Ohio. In 2006 Sinclair Community College awarded her the Wayne White, Unsung Hero Award.<br><br> Groves irrepressible spirit demonstrates each day that one person can make a difference sharing by her knowledge, vision, and love for the arts. She has built deep trust and collaboration in communities across the state and nation by living her motto of cgiving people a hand up, not a hand out. d Her ongoing collaborative work to celebrate and raise awareness of the unique gifts, talents and cultural traditions of Appalachian Ohio embody the very spirit of participation and community development. INDIVIDUAL ARTIST, Andrew Hudgins, Poet, Columbus Andrew Hudgins 9 unparalleled excellence as a writer and teacher of writing have earned him legions of fans 4students and readers alike.<br><br> Students who encounter his poems fall in love with his voice and artistry, hope to be admitted to The Ohio State University 9s MFA program so they can study with him, and use quotes from his poems as Facebook status updates 4high praise indeed. But Hudgins 9 true talent is for surprising readers 4for saying just about anything and for expertly capturing moods many people have forgotten. Since he moved to Ohio more than 25 years ago, Hudgins has published seven books of poetry and edited two.<br><br> His books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and have been lauded in the Washington Post and The New York Times. His second book, After the Lost War , won the Poets' Prize, and was called by the Denver Post ''One of the best narrative poems to appear in this country in more than 30 years. d This rather small representation of the positive critical reception Hudgins 9 work has received indicates his high standing among critics, readers and peers. Hudgins has mentored two generations of Ohio poets, both at the University of Cincinnati and at The Ohio State University, where he has served as Humanities Distinguished Professor in English since 2001.<br><br> As the beneficiaries of his generous time and deep commitment to teaching, many of his undergraduate students have gone on to the best and most selective graduate programs in the country. Several have followed his lead, establishing strong, sometimes prize- winning careers as poets and professors. Warm, honest, and direct, Hudgins was described by fellow professor and friend Lee Abbott as cthe poet you turn to when you need both a poke in the eye and a poke in the heart. d The impact of Hudgins 9 strong sense of service goes beyond his work with students.<br><br> Hudgins was one of the first writers to join the National Endowment for the Arts' Project Homecoming , a program developed to encourage service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to write about their experiences. He spoke with Marines and held workshops about writing their experiences. As a child of an Air Force lieutenant colonel, Hudgins was a hit 4and a point of pride for his adopted home state of Ohio.<br><br> As an author and a teacher, as one who has dedicated his life to working with young writers, helping to foster a love for literature in future generations, it is difficult to imagine an artist who has accomplished more or brought more luster to the literary arts in Ohio.

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