On the corner of Central and East 79th, lies a weathered green storefront. Inside, the walls are orange. Numerous paintings are on display. Visitors can walk through to admire the art, listen to music or view a documentary. Some say this intimate, unassuming space holds the future of creative power in Cleveland.
“Beyond the Table: Pilot / Test / Proof” is an artist-led initiative that aims to redefine creative labor as essential workforce development. By treating artists as skilled professionals, the project aims to establish a space in Cleveland where creatives receive fair compensation and credit for their work, retain rights to their work and have pathways for future employment opportunities.
Currently hosted at Deep Roots Experience, 7901 Central Ave., through Aug. 30, this collaboration is more than your typical gallery show. It is an interactive experience that includes a physical exhibition, a music album and a documentary that captures the process of empowering local talent.
The initiative, funded by two local foundations, is driven by a leadership team of Cleveland-based creatives. The team includes Marquette Williams of iFilm216, Kevin “Mr. Soul” Harp of Inspire Your City, Samantha “Sam Supreme” Flowers of Eerie Sounds and David Ramsey of Deep Roots Experience. They believe that when Cleveland’s creative workforce is intentionally supported, it becomes a powerful driver for the city’s economic and cultural future.
Banding together
The four artists came together through mutual community contacts and connections. They sat down to discuss the status and future of the arts community in Cleveland. Soon after, they realized that many of them were doing similar work in their own spaces.
“I feel like we share the same sentiment of doing art differently in Cleveland,” Flowers said. “We came up with a plan on what our combined vision together would look like and how we could advocate and support each other and other artists.”
Credit: Courtesy of Emanuel Wallace
It was important to the leadership team that artists have the opportunity to create their own tables instead of waiting for an invitation to existing ones.
“A great deal of conversation we had upfront was what it looked like for artists to be empowered and to create and execute projects themselves while working directly with funders,” Ramsey said.
“The pilot, test, proof aspect is about having a space that recognizes creative work as skilled labor and producing actual results and tangible outputs, which this collaboration does.”
Creating jobs
Since the launch of the pilot, employment opportunities have been created for 25 people. Every artist involved in the exhibition, music and documentary aspects is compensated for their work, Flowers said.
Williams, who was born in Cleveland but spent some years in Los Angeles, came back to Cleveland with a renewed desire to push the art scene forward. He participated in a lot of networking on the West Coast, which he believes is the key to ensure sustainable, art-centered workforce development in Cleveland.
“I think the biggest thing we are trying to show is that not only are we making art, we are empowering and engaging with our community,” Williams said. “We create opportunity through art for people who may not have gone to college or those who may not have had formal training.”
Mentorship for young artists is also a priority for Beyond the Table. Mr. Soul, a multidisciplinary visual artist, has consistently made an effort to prioritize young people in his work. He recalls having a mentor when he was younger who helped pave the way for him to learn and have access to resources that helped make him the artist that he is today.
“I feel it is my responsibility to cultivate young artists,” Soul said. “They need to be equipped not only with technical skills, but with knowledge of how to operate within the business.”
Maintaining the momentum
The team at Beyond the Table is hoping that this exhibition will give others a visual understanding of the artist experience in Cleveland. The long-term goal is to educate and create infrastructure that allows artists to lead their own projects while defining their own parameters without reliance on current limited funding models.
Credit: Courtesy of Emanuel Wallace
“I think once people see the documentary, they will understand the impact of everything that we are doing,” Flowers said. “Whether it’s coming to events or buying a digital album, all that is tied to creating jobs and opportunities for artists.”
Mr. Soul added to the sentiments of Flowers.
“I would like the community to see the process and what artists actually do when they get access to the funds and eliminate the middle man,” Mr. Soul said. “That’s how we establish a relationship through art with the community.”
The exhibition is open at Deep Roots Experience, 7901 Central Ave., on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Want to learn more about the artists? Click here for information on an upcoming event to meet the them.
