In December '05, I was fortunate to get a tour of the Ideastream's (WVIZ/WCPN) new Idea Center.  There were state-of-the-art video and sound studios along with a small theater.  It was my understanding that the studios and theater are available to rent by the public. 

The Idea Center should be made available to support local independent filmakers.  The new technology for editing and sound engineering should be made available to the filmakers for a reasonable fee.  The theater could be rented to show local independent films once a month, or more if need be.

A program to loan high-end video cameras and other equipment to videographers would be really useful.

Idea Center, Martha Joseph Prize

The Idea Center at Playhouse Square is a breakthrough concept conceived out of unprecedented collaboration between Art Falco, Jerry Wareham and Kit Jensen to serve and inspire the public.  Much more than a building, the Idea Center is a home for creative thinking and learning, one-of-a-kind cooperation and self discovery.  It is also headquarters for ideastream and the home of Playhouse Square Foundation’s arts education programs.  ideastream is a multiple-media public service organization with a mission to strengthen our communities through distinctive, thought-provoking programs and services which enlighten, inspire, educate and entertain. Kit Jensen (WCPN 90.3) and Jerry Wareham (WVIZ) led the effort to merge in 2001.

Jimmy Scott, Vocalist, Martha Joseph Prize

It’s hard to imagine the name Jimmy Scott without “The Legendary” before it. Now 71 years old, Scott is a survivor and a phenom, and his roller-coaster life is evidenced in his voice. To hear Jimmy Scott sing is to undergo an experience unparalleled in music. His voice is at once angelic and earthbound; his unique phrasing is intuitive and emotional, giving the song lyrics extra potency and passion. As one critic said, “He can carry a vowel into forever.” Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Marvin Gaye are among the many more famous singers who have praised Scott.

            Born third in a family of ten children in Cleveland in 1925, Scott’s mother was a seamstress and his father was an asphalt worker. Early on he sang with his siblings, and knew he wanted to be a singer who could tell a story, modeling himself after Paul Robeson. But the heartbreaks began early for Scott with the death of his mother when he was 13, and the onset of Kallman’s Syndrome, a hormone deficiency that stopped his body from going through puberty, keeping his voice a haunting high alto.

            Although he tasted fame in the 1950s singing with the Lionel Hampton band, and had several R&B hits, including “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” Scott spent the next four and half decades gigging in small clubs. He has probably cleared as many dishes in his stints as a busboy as he has sung songs. He’s also worked as an elevator operator, and in shipping and receiving at the former Sheraton Hotel in Cleveland.

            His early success failed to launch his career until the 1980s, when he moved to New York, signed with a major record label, released several critically acclaimed albums, and performed with Michael Stipe and Lou Reed. He became a star in Europe, is a phenomenon in Japan, and made appearances in films and TV shows, including David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks,” where he sang “Sycamore Trees” in an eerie star turn. According to the New York Times Magazine, Scott is “perhaps the most unjustly ignored American singer of the 20th century.”

            Scott has been nominated for Grammy award, is the subject of a new documentary film, and has had a recent biography released. It’s often said that you cannot be a prophet in your own land, but Cleveland now recognizes and honors this native son, “Little Jimmy Scott,” a jazz cat with a few extra lives.

William P. Blair and William R. Joseph, Arts Advocacy, Martha Joseph Prize

Known affectionately as “The Bills,” Bill Joseph and Bill Blair have worked ardently for 30 years to push Ohio’s arts and culture into the hearts and minds of legislators.

By founding the statewide advocacy organization Ohio Citizens for the Arts (OCA) in 1976, and working tirelessly with the Ohio State Legislature, they have also secured millions of dollars for State Capital Improvements grants for Northeast Ohio cultural institutions. Through its history, OCA has served as a model for the country and a catalyst for the creation of other statewide arts advocacy organizations.

“They are passionate believers in the power of art in all of its forms to improve our lives and our communities,” says Jerry Wareham, president and CEO of Ideastream.

Name any nonprofit in Northeast Ohio and Bill Joseph is either serving on its board, is a past president, a former trustee, or a trusted and valued advisor. Bill Blair’s resume reads like a template for public service. Blair was the founding President of the Ohio Foundation of the Arts, Inc., another statewide arts service corporation. He is also past Chairman of the American Arts Alliance in Washington, D.C., and is the founding Chairman of the Alliance of Arts Advocates, the nation’s first arts political action committee.

            A resident of Shaker Heights, Joseph is a partner in the law firm Weston, Hurd, Fallon, Paisley & Howley since 1989. He received his B.A. in 1968 and his J.D. in 1972 from Columbia University. Today, he specializes in nonprofit corporate and tax law and advocacy regarding cultural, educational, and social service organizations and health care providers.

            Blair, a resident of Canton and Columbus, received his B.A. in History and Government, his M.A. in Public Administration, and his J.D. from the College of Law at The Ohio State University. When he served as Executive Counsel to the Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, he drafted and helped pass many bills benefiting Ohio’s natural resources and environment, including the creation of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.