Art audiences, supporters, and patrons are all vital to a healthy arts and culture sector. This blog series will highlight some of the people who make the arts work in Summit County. Today we hear from Kathy Romito, Community Relations Manager with Western Reserve Hospital. (Have somebody you want to nominate for the spotlight? Reach out to becky@ampstrategy.com.)

Driving down Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. Lights, shops, an art gallery, live music, an art center. It is so very different than when I grew up on 12^th Street in the Falls. My parents would say Akron had nothing to offer.

Look at it now. Great jazz and dining, arts and theater, culture and family fun. My schedule is always full of really cool things to do and so many others I just wish I had time for. Most of the experiences aren’t bank breakers and are accessible to almost everyone. This is what I love about Akron and the surrounding area.

We don’t have to travel to the big cities to take it in. We simply have to look around. The arts and culture scene is thriving. Local is key. We want people to visit and stay. We are working hard as a community to make sure art flourishes, that artists make a decent living and that all groups have access to the vibe that is Summit County.

Business is slowly catching it. They see the value of art in their organizations; realize the need for the “other side of the brain” to be part of the conversation and to empower all ages to participate. Art is the great connector. It makes whole, the conversations of diversity, equity and inclusion. At least that’s what we strive for every day.

Things have changed and that makes me happy. Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls…. the list is long. Watch us. We have our own little mecca of arts and culture and it’s growing by leaps and bounds.