The Arts Commission is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1959 to foster Toledo’s heritage in the arts. The organization is the longest-standing arts commission in the state of Ohio, serving youth, artists, arts organizations, and the general public. Since 1977, The Arts Commission has managed the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art program, the first in the state of Ohio and among the first in the nation, and maintains Toledo’s impressive collection of public art.
What We Do
The Arts Commission delivers innovative and influential programming to the community, including public events that support and drive our local economy. In addition, the organization offers educational and professional development opportunities for artists and area youth, advocacy on behalf of artists and cultural organizations, and access to arts and culture for all in the greater Toledo region.
Why We Do It
The Arts Commission is honored to serve the artists, cultural institutions, and creative community who make our city an inspiring place to live, work, and create. Arts and culture are at the core of strong and vibrant communities and artists play a vital role in both civic engagement and economic development. We believe the arts are for everyone, and we invite you to join us.
Expression is an essential need.
The Arts Commission is proudly supported by the Ohio Arts Council. By promoting the arts and connecting artists, the OAC makes the collective voice of the arts stronger for artists, for the public, for organizations, and for educators.
Art in Public Places & Creative Placemaking Project Mgr.
Cail Lininger
Art in Public Places & Creative Placemaking Project Mgr.
A graduate from the University of Toledo, Cail Lininger holds his B.A in Art History.
He first got involved with The Arts Commission as an intern for Art in Public Places
focusing on research for the Mayoral Portrait Project. Following his time with Art in
Public Places, Lininger continued working with the Arts Commission as an intern for
Congressional, the Art Loop, and Young Artists at Work. Lininger began as a project
manager for the Arts Commission in 2019 and serves both the Art in Public Places
and Creative Placemaking teams providing both research and development of tools
for community engagement.
Crystal Phelps
Momentum Coordinator
Crystal Phelps
Momentum Coordinator
Crystal Phelps is the Momentum Coordinator for The Arts Commission. Momentum is a three day festival of music and art in downtown Toledo, Ohio, centered on our revitalizing waterfront. In its inaugural year Momentum brought over 17,000 attendees downtown while celebrating Toledo’s creative culture and supported over 100 local artists and musicians while engaging in dynamic programming that was interactive and accessible. Crystal is passionate about empowering our community through networking, collaboration, engagement, and innovative art experiences.
Crystal is an MFA graduate from Maine College of Art and has presented her performative work both nationally and abroad. Outside of the studio she actively trains at Birds Eye View Circus Space, is a member of Young Professionals for Animal Conservation, and volunteers with human rights organizations.
Dave Ross
Creative Placemaking Project Manager
Dave Ross
Creative Placemaking Project Manager
Dave Ross is a community artist turned advocate for youth and creativity. He is an alumnus of The Arts Commission's Young Artist at Work and an artist leader and founder of the charity Dunkin 4 Donations. He has a heart for mentorship, which he utilizes as a boxing coach for Soul City Boxing Club. Ross has been a member of The Art Commission's Creative Placemaking team for two years, working to connect visual art and social issues, with a focus on youth against crime, art and health, and honoring local legends Art Tatum and Jon Hendricks to inspire our community. Ross also works with the City of Toledo Youth Commission to build creative engagement opportunities for young people.
Emily joined The Arts Commission staff in 2008. Emily leads administrative coordination among staff and manages communication. She also serves as the executive assistant to both the Deputy and Executive Directors and works closely with managing event, fundraising, programs, and personnel strategies for various programs and services, including the Young Artists at Work program, and Hot Glass.
Emily received her B.A. in the History of Art and Architecture from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In addition to her work at The Arts Commission, Emily works building and restoring stained glass art, and serves as a member of the Toledo Opera Chorus.
With over 25 years of experience in non-profit administration, Jennifer became a full-time member of The Arts Commission staff in 2007. Her primary responsibilities include fundraising and development efforts to support The Arts Commission’s programs and activities. Jennifer has worked in the arts community in Toledo since 1999, including seven years as the Business Manager for the Toledo Ballet. She has also worked as a consultant for Toledo Repertoire Theatre and Masterworks Chorale. She serves on the board of Scrap4Art, a non-profit providing creative reuse of materials destined for landfills, as well as the advisory board of the Ohio Theatre and Events Center.
Jordan Buschur comes to the Arts Commission with a strong background in arts administration and education. Most recently, she directed the Eisentrager-Howard Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and the Prescott Gallery, a commercial exhibition space in Lincoln. At each gallery, Buschur cultivated and enhanced relationships with both the broader academic community and local residents to increase the visibility of the arts in diverse audiences.
With an M.F.A. in painting from Brooklyn College, the City University of New York, Buschur exhibits her paintings nationally. As a curator, she has organized exhibitions in Lincoln, Nebraska and New York City. Buschur grew up in Northwest Ohio and is excited about returning to the area to contribute to the arts culture in Toledo.
Kelly joined The Arts Commission in 2018. As the Donor Relations Coordinator, Kelly is
responsible for the implementation of fundraising events, campaigns and corporate
sponsorships. Prior to joining The Arts Commission, Kelly worked for over a decade in Chicago,
primarily focused on public policy issues in the field of women’s health. Her experience includes
volunteer management, community organizing and community education, as well as electoral
campaign work. Kelly earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Miami University
and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Public Administration from Northwestern University. She also serves on the Board for the Perrysburg Schools Foundation.
Lindsay Akens joined The Arts Commission as a LISC/AmeriCorps Member in 2015 and moved into the new position of Creative Placemaking Facilitator in late 2016. In her previous role as Community Engagement Specialist, Akens worked closely with neighborhoods in the central city to provide artistic opportunities for residents, and to increase volunteerism through event planning and creation of new community partnerships. Akens furthers that work in her new position, using art to build bridges between local organizations and communities. She states “a wide range of community needs can be met through creative placemaking, especially when we share resources.”
Akens earned her BFA from Bowling Green State University and MPA from the University of Missouri. She serves as a committee member at the Ohio Theatre, and is actively involved in both the Toledo International Film Festival and the Glass City Film Festival. Akens spends part of her time at Handmade Toledo, where her creative work can be found under the name Artsshark.
Executive Director Marc D. Folk is completing his 20th year of employment with The Arts Commission. Marc’s career with the Arts Commission began in 1996 as an instructor in the Young Artists at Work program; he coordinated the program in subsequent years, and has served as Director of the Art in Public Places program and Artistic Director, prior to becoming the Executive Director in 2006. Under his leadership, The Arts Commission has instituted initiatives bridging economic and community development with the arts.
Marc has represented The Arts Commission on numerous Toledo area, statewide and national committees to advocate for and promote the development of the arts and served for three years as the president of the Ohio Citizens for the Arts. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Toledo Area Cultural Leaders (TACL) and is a member of the United States Urban Arts Federation. He was also a 2006 recipient of the 20 Under 40 Leadership Award and the 2009 winner of the Ohio Arts Council Governor’s Award for Arts Administration. In 2010 he was given the Toledo Federation of Arts Societies Special Award and recognized as the University of Toledo’s Outstanding Alumnus in the Arts. He has served as a grants panelist for the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, Arts and Science Council of Charlotte, Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Marc is a 1998 graduate of the University of Toledo, with a BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Printmaking. He is a DJ and avid record collector. He lives in Toledo’s Old West End with his son Holden.
As part time Financial Administrator for The Arts Commission, Marcia is responsible for the fiscal and human resource management of the organization. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and 30 years of experience in public business administration.
Natalie Gray is a recent graduate from the University of Toledo with a B.A. in Communication. Gray first got involved with The Arts Commission through volunteering for Artomatic 419! and the Art Loop. With a focus on creative nonprofits, her experience includes development work at Toledo School for the Arts as the Alumni Relations Liaison and a summer at The Toledo Museum of Art in the Special Events department. In 2016, Gray started on The Arts Commission’s Creative Placemaking team working to connect artists to neighborhood residents. In 2018, Gray took on the role of Youth Services Coordinator, including the Ninth Congressional District Invitational Art Exhibition and Young Artists At Work programs. She also sits on the board of Toledo SOUP as marketing chair, The Ohio Theatre on the marketing committee, and on the board of Circle at the Toledo Museum of Art as the program committee co-chair.
Natalie Tranelli-Jacobs is the principal coordinator for The Arts Commission’s monthly Art Loop program and leads event organizing efforts for organizational fundraisers and special events. In addition, Natalie leads the development of The Arts Commission’s Volunteer program. Natalie has traveled internationally working as a community artist and educator. Additionally, Natalie has been an adjunct faculty member at The Art Institute of Michigan, Detroit since 2012. Natalie received her BFA at Pennsylvania State University in Photography and MFA in Community Arts at the Maryland Institute College of the Arts.
Nathan Mattimoe has worked as a project manager for nine years. Nathan joined The Arts Commission as the Art in Public Places Coordinator in 2013. Nathan administers the City of Toledo’s 1% for Art ordinance through The Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program. This includes managing new public art projects and overseeing the maintenance and conservation of the City’s more than 40 public art pieces, with additional focus on public art education and community outreach.
Ryan A. Bunch is the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at The Arts Commission. His work focuses on community programs and creative placemaking initiatives in Toledo, Ohio. With more than ten years experience coordinating and organizing community events in the area, Ryan has served as the Vice President of the UpTown Association CDC, co-founder of Toledo SOUP microgrant program, co-founder of Spoken Toledo storytelling program, trustee at Toledo's Frederick Douglass Community Association, committee member at the Ohio Theatre, trustee at the Village on Adams, founder of the Adams Street Zombie Crawl, and volunteer organizer, event planner, and MC for a number of other programs and events. Ryan has worked to elevate and promote local arts and artists as the former Arts & Entertainment Editor at Toledo City Paper and Music Editor at Toledo.com and was recently recognized as a recipient of Toledo's 2016 '20 Under 40' Leadership Award. Ryan studied nonprofit administration through The Washington Center internship program in Washington D.C. and creative writing and humanities at the University of Toledo. He is a poet, writer, and spoken word performance artist whose works have been published both in print and online nationally and internationally, and has been featured at numerous regional arts events.
Shelly Harrington first got involved with The Arts Commission by volunteering for the Art Loop in 2017. As a LISC AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist, Shelly will provide support for the Uptown and Englewood neighborhoods. She plans on developing creative programming through learning, discovery, collaboration, and personal growth. She is currently completing a degree in Apparel Merchandising and Product Development along with a minor in Marketing from Bowling Green State University.
Victoria Stegner
LISC AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist
Victoria Stegner
LISC AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist
Victoria Stegner’s mission as a LISC AmeriCorps Community Engagement Specialist is to incorporate arts and culture to address local neighborhood issues. Working out of the Englewood and Uptown areas, Stegner hopes to increase resident engagement, address safety concerns and find a creative way to beautify local neighborhoods. As an independent artist Stegner has assisted with several murals around the city of Toledo and has assisted with programming for youth in local neighborhoods and schools.
Board of Trustees
Sarah SkowPresident
John EikostPresident-Elect
Julie BeckertVice-President
Kevin KwiatkowskiTreasurer
Maribeth Nitschke PhibbsSecretary
Greg Braylock, Jr.
Maureen Brown
Ramona Collins
Gretchen DeBacker
Michael Duket
Deborah Ernsthausen
David Guip
Dan Hernandez
Adam Jackson
Laura Jajko
Tony Jayne
Ardenia Jones-Terry
Maggie Kaser
Kate Kelley
Claire Kirsner
Kristin Kiser
Suzanne Lind
Bob Lubell
Robert Meeker, Jr.
Kathleen Merrill
Larry Meyer
Diane Phillips
Rhonda Sewell
Aly Sterling
Jenn Stucker
Reginald Temple
Josh Thurston
Mechelle Zarou
Gail Zimmerman
Robert Zollweg
Honorary Trustees
Paula Brown
Liz Cole
Sara Jane DeHoff
Arnold Gottlieb
Sue Hague-Rogers
Jeff Jaffe
Patricia Levey
Rita Mansour
Jim Moore
Diane Putnam
Susan Reams
Rory Shanley-Brown
Margy Trumbull
Peter Ujvagi
Tim Valko
Georgia Welles
Sandra Wiseley
