PROGRAM PROVIDES NEW MODEL OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS

Artists in Cleveland are likely to have access to affordable health insurance, low-interest loans, and other support services by the end of this year if a set of recommendations from the Cleveland Community Partnership for Arts and Culture goes into effect as planned, Carolyn Jack reports in the Plain Dealer. The recommendations, released Wednesday by the partnership, could lead to a nationally significant system of services both for individual artists and small arts businesses. These strategies, the result of work by four special task forces, are intended to make it easier for artists to work, survive economically, and contribute to the quality of life in the Cleveland area. The recommendations were sparked by a 2004 national study, conducted by the Urban Institute in Washington, that looked at existing support services for artists in nine US cities, including Cleveland.