News
The Board of Trustees of Cleveland Arts Prize recently announced that the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation will be awarded the prestigious Barbara S. Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts at the 2025 Annual Awards Event on Wednesday, October 22 at Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus. This recognition celebrates the Mandel Foundation’s dedication to strengthening Northeast Ohio’s cultural landscape, in alignment with the spirit and legacy of Barbara S. Robinson—a tireless arts advocate, civic leader, and champion of artistic excellence.
Over the years, the Mandel Foundation has made extraordinary investments in the region’s arts and cultural institutions, with just a few including:
- Major support for The Cleveland Orchestra, helping to sustain in perpetuity its world-class programming and outreach and resulting in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Opera and Humanities Festival and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center.
- Generous funding to the Cleveland Museum of Art, expanding access, exhibitions, and community engagement as well as updating and renaming the Armor Court to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Armor Court.
- A 2024 challenge grant to Cleveland Public Theatre to help transform its Gordon Square campus into a more functional and accessible community arts hub.
- Transformational gifts to the Cleveland Institute of Art to establish the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Atrium, provide annual support for its curriculum and remove financial barriers through the Mandel Leadership Scholarship program.
- Ongoing support for local community arts initiatives, including placemaking murals along East 72nd Street commissioned by LAND studio and the CLEVELAND WALLS! mural program organized by MidTown Cleveland Inc.
The Mandel Foundation’s commitment to the arts mirrors the deep commitment Barbara Robinson showed throughout her life—believing that the arts are essential to a thriving, equitable society. Like Robinson, the Foundation has not only elevated artistic excellence but also championed access, equity, and civic vibrancy.
“The Cleveland Arts Prize Board of Trustees is thrilled to honor the Mandel Foundation with the Barbara S. Robinson Prize,” said Kurt Karakul, Board Co-Chair for Cleveland Arts Prize. “Their impact on the cultural vitality of Northeast Ohio has been nothing short of transformational, embodying the very values Barbara stood for—leadership, vision, and an unwavering belief in the power of the arts to enrich lives and communities.”
The jury selections are currently underway for the discipline and special prizes. The Cleveland Arts Prize will announce the full cohort of 2025 discipline and special prize winners in August, followed by the ceremony with the presentation of the awards at its Annual Awards Event at Tri-C East in the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre on Wednesday, October 22. Artists, advocates, and community leaders and everyone interested, will gather to celebrate this year’s honorees.
About the Organization
Founded in 1960, the Cleveland Arts Prize is the oldest municipal award of its kind in the United States, honoring exceptional artists, arts advocates, and cultural leaders who enrich the creative life of Northeast Ohio. CAP celebrates artistic excellence while fostering a vibrant and inclusive cultural community.
