Webb, Lee, Davis Split $30,000 in 2026 Cleveland Arts Prizes

The 2026 Cleveland Arts Prizes award $30,000 in total cash prizes to three artists, marking the 65th year of the municipal honor. Each of the three juried discipline winners receives a $10,000 stipend. The awards were established by the Women’s City Club in 1961. A ceremony at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Thursday will present the honors to the recipients, along with four additional special prizes.

Chris Webb, a playwright, actor, and journalist, received the Emerging Artist designation. He trained at CalArts and the Royal Scottish Academy before returning to Cleveland. His one-person show, “The End of Black Excellence,” premiered last year at Cleveland Public Theater. Webb noted that the prize places his work within the oldest municipal arts award lineage in the country. He stated that local recognition matters more than national accolades because it validates the production of world-class art within the city.

Aimee Lee was named the Mid-Career Artist. She is a papermaking artist who established the first hanji studio in North America in Cleveland. Her book, “Hanji Unfurled,” published in 2012, received awards. Her work has been exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Korean Cultural Centers in Washington, D.C., and Abu Dhabi. A current exhibition is located at the Kent State University Museum. Lee said being recognized in her home city carries more weight than international travel, citing the support of the local community over the years.

Dexter Lee Davis received the Lifetime Achievement award. He is a lifelong Clevelander known for collage-based works that combine hand-carved woodblock prints with found paper. He has channeled experiences of urban violence into his multi-media art. Davis described the honor as equivalent to winning the Cleveland version of the Oscars. He works primarily in his home studio during early to midday hours.

Webb is currently remounting “The End of Black Excellence” at Cleveland Public Theater in November. The run consists of four performances. He is also developing “The End of Black Love,” the second installment of his End Series. This new production uses life-size Bunraku-style puppets to explore interpersonal dynamics. Webb cited Karamu House and Cleveland Public Theater as key institutions that influenced his career path.

Lee moved from New York to Cleveland in 2013, partly due to the cost of living and the support of the Morgan Conservatory. She later opened a separate hanji studio after the pandemic. She is organizing a two-week hanji summit at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina this fall. The event aims to connect Korean diasporic artists and hanji makers. Lee values the leadership of Sarah Spinner Liska at the Kent State University Museum for its support of living artists.

Davis credited the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art for providing resources during his early career. He is preparing a retrospective and a new body of work titled shadows. He believes the arts prize helps restore community bonds when it maintains active engagement with local residents.

The jury also selected Terry Stewart for the Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts. Stewart serves as the emeritus president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The special prizes accompany the three main discipline awards in the annual presentation.

The awards highlight the financial and institutional support available to artists at different career stages. The $10,000 individual grants provide direct funding for creative projects and studio operations. The recognition from a 65-year-old award adds institutional weight to the careers of the three recipients.

The ceremony will conclude with the distribution of the four special prizes. The three main winners will accept their $10,000 checks on stage. The event serves as a public acknowledgment of their specific contributions to the local arts economy and cultural infrastructure.