_our_ people

our people

our people

See below for a listing of the many people who make Heights Arts programming so vibrant. As a small organization, we could not accomplish over 60 programs a year without our board’s leadership, our event, store and Community Teams volunteer time and expertise, and our staff’s dedication and creativity.

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Board

Heights Arts is governed by a community-based Board of Trustees who may serve two consecutive 3-year terms.

Interested in being part of our Board? At this moment in our history, Heights Arts is looking to expand and deepen the board in specific areas, which are a result of the goals and values spelled out in our 2018 strategic plan.

  • We are keenly interested in expanding the geographic diversity of our board to include members from the ‘Greater Heights’ suburbs (and beyond) to better reflect our broad service area.
  • We strive to reflect the ethnic, economic, and age diversity of our community to a greater degree.
  • We welcome applications from early and mid-career professionals.
  • Our board would benefit greatly from membership by people with legal, financial, and human resources skills, as well as those with retail and business technology expertise.

William Stigelman

Board Member | President

Consultant

Lynn Iams

Board Member

Director of Institutional Giving - The MetroHealth Foundation

Ioana Missits

Board Member | Secretary

Violinist - The Cleveland Orchestra

Brad Ortman

Board Member | Music Community Team Member - Board Liaison

Attorney at Law - Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC

Lisa Smith

Board Member - Immediate Past President

Senior Vice President, Director of the Key Technology, Operations, and Services Chief Administrative Office at KeyBank

Mark Litzler

Board Member

Chief Development Officer - Cleveland Institute of Music

Steve Presser

Board Member

Arts Activist and Former Owner – Big Fun and Sweetie’s Big Fun

Staff

Heights Arts has a small but dedicated group of staff members who, along with its volunteers and community teams, produce more than 60 events and programs each year.

Rachel Bernstein

Heather Patterson

Store Manager and Exhibitions Coordinator

216.371.3457

Kasey Kania

Store Intern 2023-2024

Antonia Casucci

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Juliet Duffy

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Intern

Heights Arts provided opportunities for gaining exhibitions and retail experience through our Store and Exhibition Internship. Each year, we hire two recent college graduates who serve on our Exhibitions community team and staff our store and Holiday Store.

We also partner with Cleveland Heights High School to provide a two-year, deep learning experience for a high school Junio and Senior each year. Each student serves as a full participating member of our Exhibition Community Team to select artist, curate, install and de-install each of our exhibitions. They also develop a theme and curate a student exhibition in June feturing up to 30 of their peers at Heights High.

Kasey Kania

Store Intern 2023-2024

Antonia Casucci

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Juliet Duffy

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Volunteers

Do you have a passion for the arts and expertise or connections in the literary, musical, or visual arts? Learn Our volunteer community team members provide their talents and time to bring the highest quality of programming our region has to offer.  Learn more about becoming a community team member

Catherine Wing

Heights Writes Community Team

Associate Professor - Kent State University

Amy Rosenbluth

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Executive Director - Lake Erie Ink

John Burroughs

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Poet

Annie Holden

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Employment Specialist and Instructor at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry

Siaara Freeman

2023-2025 Heights Poet Laureate

Poet and Author

Cathy Barber

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Poet and Author

Ray McNiece

Heights Writes Community Team Member | 2020-2023 Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate

Heather Patterson

Store Manager and Exhibitions Coordinator

216.371.3457

Greg Donley

Exhibition Community Team Leader

Amber Ford

Exhibition Community Team Member

Photogarapher

Jack Stinedurf

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist | Nonprofit Management

Linda Nickman

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist

Antonia Casucci

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Juliet Duffy

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Helen Liggett

Exhibition Community Team Member

Professor - Kent State University

Dante Rodriguez

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist

Brad Ortman

Board Member | Music Community Team Member - Board Liaison

Attorney at Law - Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC

Gabe Pollack

Music Community Team

Director of Performing Arts, Cleveland Museum of Art

Exhibition Community Team

The Heights Arts Exhibition Community Team (ECT) is meant to engage the resources of the surrounding community to provide expertise and ensure that Height Arts’ visual arts programming is of the highest quality, is relevant, and reflects our community.

For more information about our community teams, CLICK HERE

Heather Patterson

Store Manager and Exhibitions Coordinator

216.371.3457

Greg Donley

Exhibition Community Team Leader

Amber Ford

Exhibition Community Team Member

Photogarapher

Jack Stinedurf

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist | Nonprofit Management

Linda Nickman

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist

Antonia Casucci

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Juliet Duffy

High School Exhibition Intern

Student - Cleveland Heights High School

Helen Liggett

Exhibition Community Team Member

Professor - Kent State University

Dante Rodriguez

Exhibition Community Team Member

Artist

Heights Writes Community Team

The Heights Writes Community Team (HWCT) is meant to engage the resources of the surrounding community to provide expertise and ensure the Height Arts’ literary programming is relevant and reflects our community.

For more information about our community teams, CLICK HERE

Catherine Wing

Heights Writes Community Team

Associate Professor - Kent State University

Amy Rosenbluth

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Executive Director - Lake Erie Ink

John Burroughs

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Poet

Annie Holden

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Employment Specialist and Instructor at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry

Siaara Freeman

2023-2025 Heights Poet Laureate

Poet and Author

Cathy Barber

Heights Writes Community Team Member

Poet and Author

Ray McNiece

Heights Writes Community Team Member | 2020-2023 Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate

Music Community Team

The Heights Arts Music Community Team (MCT) is a group of volunteer artists and arts professionals who collectively oversee the Heights Arts music programming. The objective of the community team is to provide expertise, engage the resources of the surrounding community, and ensure the Heights Arts’ music programming is relevant, diverse, and reflects our community.

For more information about community teams, CLICK HERE

Brad Ortman

Board Member | Music Community Team Member - Board Liaison

Attorney at Law - Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC

Gabe Pollack

Music Community Team

Director of Performing Arts, Cleveland Museum of Art