Jeremy Johnson, renowned arts leader and Americans for the Arts member, has recently returned to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to serve as the first president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts. A newly formed nonprofit and advocacy organization, Assembly for the Arts will work to elevate Greater Cleveland’s creative industry. In this new role, Johnson will serve as the spokesperson for arts organizations, nonprofits, and other creative industries in Northeast Ohio. He comes to this position from Newark, New Jersey where he worked as an arts administrator for the past 27 years. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Newark Arts, a leading local arts nonprofit organization.

The Assembly for the Arts is a cohort of organizations that arose from a three-way partnership between Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the former Arts Cleveland, now known as the Assembly for the Arts, and the Assembly for Action. The assembly aims to strengthen the Cleveland arts community through advocacy, activism, racial equity, creative resources, as well as through research efforts.

Johnson’s drive to become an arts leader traces back to his childhood when a third-grade trip to the Cleveland Orchestra made a lasting impression on him. He also frequented the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he especially appreciated the suits of medieval armor. Having access to the arts at an early age continues to motivate Johnson today as he works to make Cleveland’s arts and culture sector both more accessible and more expansive.

Photo by Steven Litt, Cleveland.com.