*Artists to Receive $600,000 in Creative Workforce Fellowships* CLEVELAND, OH (May 1, 2015) ­Artists who call Cuyahoga County their home will be given the opportunity to compete for a research and development grant. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) will distribute 40 Creative Workforce Fellowships in 2016. Artists of all disciplines are invited to apply for one of the $15,000 grants. Alongside the financial investment, 2016 Fellows will receive communications support to help spotlight the work and opportunities they are creating in the community and help connect them with residents. CPAC designed the application process to benefit all Cuyahoga County artists who apply, regardless of the outcome. CPAC will offer a series of free workshops to help artists apply for the program and develop skills, such as grant writing and documenting work. They will have access to panelist comments after the review, and can observe the second round of review online. ³Our goal for the Fellowship is to acknowledge and influence artists¹ investments in our community by making a substantive investment in them,² said Tom Chema, chair of CPAC¹s Board of Trustees. ³Cleveland is on the leading edge of artist intersections across a number of fields, including our nationally recognized healthcare systems and community development efforts. This Fellowship is a source of support for a thriving and innovative future for Cuyahoga County.² Applications and guidelines will be available for interested artists on May 1, 2015. The deadline to submit an application is September 4, 2015. Artists who reside in Cuyahoga County can apply to be reviewed in one of two discipline groups: 20 Fellowships are reserved for craft, design, media and visual artists, and 20 more Fellowships are reserved for dance, literature, theater and music artists. ³By providing artists with this funding, they can focus their efforts on researching new methods and developing important new work through this investment,² said Tom Schorgl, president and CEO of CPAC. ³The Fellowship program is a clear indicator that our community values artists as an important segment of the community¹s workforce.² The Creative Workforce Fellowships are made possible by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. For more information about CPAC¹s Creative Workforce Fellowships, visit their website at www.cultureforward.org/Fellowship <http://www.cultureforward.org/Fellowship>. For media interviews please contact Becki Silverstein at Becki@RebeccaAdele.com or 440-227-8794. ### ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR ARTS AND CULTURE: Communities thrive through arts and culture. Effective arts and culture requires connections, support and unity. This is what drives the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC). CPAC serves arts and culture professionals, community leaders and visionaries, who are shaping greater Cleveland. CPAC¹s research and advocacy helps leaders and decision-makers stay informed. Its training, online programs and customized advice build ideas, skills and connections for those we serve. CPAC brings people together and inspires purposeful action in the community. All of this work combined ensures arts and culture is a continued force for making greater Cleveland an even better place to live, work and visit. For more information, please visit www.CultureForward.org. ABOUT CUYAHOGA ARTS & CULTURE: Cuyahoga Arts & Culture¹s mission is to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture. CAC was approved by Cuyahoga County voters in 2006, and since then, CAC has invested more than $125 million dollars in more than 300 local arts and cultural organizations in Cuyahoga County. CAC¹s vision for its first ten years of public funding for arts and culture is to help build stronger, more resilient arts and culture organizations, create vibrant and energetic neighborhoods infused with culture, and establish Cuyahoga County as a hub of creative activity and a destination for artists. For more information about CAC, visit www.cacgrants.org.