Who are we?

Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) in Shaker Heights, Ohio, is a volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the cultural fabric of Shaker Heights by establishing the arts as a vibrant and integral part of the community.

SHAC works to close the gap in services to adults/young adults in areas such as arts events and activities, support to working arts professionals who reside in Shaker, and a coordinated voice of the Shaker arts community within the City and in the greater Cleveland area.

Our purpose is best described as ‘building the community through the arts and building the arts through the community.’

Shaker Arts Council:

• Maximizes and coordinates arts resources in Shaker Heights
• Fosters audience development and public awareness of the arts and artists
• Nurtures lifelong learning in and through the arts
• Celebrates the diversity of our culture through art
• Presents a unified voice in advocacy of the arts and artists
• Partners with other communities’ arts efforts

How did we happen?

The inspiration for what was to become the Shaker Arts Council was a discussion in February of 2002 among Mayor Judy Rawson, staff, and City Council members Jan Devereaux and Brian Parker. They were looking at ways to involve citizens in creating citywide events which would bring Shaker residents out of their homes to avail themselves of the services Shaker has to offer. Community activists Jan Thrope and Bettyanne Green were brought in to discuss planning some public cultural events, which spurred brainstorming about a citizen-directed effort to coordinate the arts and culture resources which exist in Shaker Heights.

Our first goal was to raise the public’s awareness of the high number, quality and variety of arts professionals who live in Shaker Heights. We received a grant from Edens and Avant, the property managers at the Shaker Towne Centre mall, to install window displays which showcase artists in our community. Shaker Arts Council was born.

Shaker Arts Council offers a range of opportunities to artists and art lovers to get involved in your own backyard – window displays, performance events, rotating art exhibit, advocacy for the arts in the region, resource directory and networking events.
 
Shaker Arts Council is funded primarily by its members, private donors, local grants and corporate sponsorships. Thanks to the generous project support of:

Who’s Who in SHAC

Shaker Arts Council is entirely volunteer-driven, and is governed by a 13-member board of directors comprising a diverse group of Shaker citizens from a variety of art and professional backgrounds.