2023 Artist Launchpad Cohort

Dance expresses an incredible sense of life and movement. Observing and drawing from dance has been a focus of my art for over 49 years and has evolved many styles […]

Newhem is a veteran writer, author, ghost, and literature/writing professor who’s written 100+ books, articles, stories, essays, etc. for major publications and publishers. He’s interviewed and/or written bestselling books for

Angel Newhem Valenzuela is an Akron-based performer who’s played Trixie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Angel in Rent, Woof in Hair, and Nicky in Avenue Q, all with the

Shannon is a mixed media artist.  She uses paper scraps, old hardware, wood and discards of all kinds to create whimsical characters, prints, cards, coasters, apparel and more! She sees

Georgio Sabino III is a highly acclaimed multi-disciplinary visual artist, photographer, designer, author and educator.  He was twice an official photographer at The White House for President Obama’s invitation to

Katherine’s professional life has been non-linear. She’s worked in finance, journalism, logistics, and perhaps her hardest job, being a full-time parent. Like it did for many people, the pandemic generated

Juniper is an artist, singer-songwriter, and poet who creates imagery inspired by mystical and imaginative themes. She likes to describe her work as a sacred journey to open portals of

Daryl Largent is the author and cover illustrator of James the Third, a surreal and comic coming of age novel. He writes literary fiction, YA fiction, and children’s fiction (picture

Jack was born and raised in the Cleveland area, and currently lives and maintains a studio in Bedford, Ohio. After a brief career as an engineering student at Case Western

Chey became an artist to delve deeper into the creativity and energy they have to make and explore through visual, auditory and multitudinous means. They have worked on the margins