about us
The
Red Brick Center for the Arts began as a grass roots
group of citizens interested in furthering the future of the arts in Westlake
and in preserving the “Old Red Brick” schoolhouse on Dover Center Road. Our organization, then called the “Committee
for a Westlake Arts Center” formed in June 2005 and quickly gained momentum and
members. In August 2006, we incorporated with the state of Ohio as the “Red
Brick Center for the Arts”. In February
2007, we received our non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service.
Our
mission is two-fold: to preserve one of our city’s most
important landmarks and to improve upon the availability of and access to the
arts in the Westshore region of Northeast Ohio.
We
have received strong support from all levels of the community,
including that of families with young children, students, artists, senior
citizens, “Red Brick” alumni, city and school district leadership and from the
not-for-profit arts and education communities.
Our goal is to serve all of these constituencies, by opening the Red
Brick Center for the Arts in the newly preserved “Red Brick” schoolhouse during
its centennial anniversary year, 2009, or soon thereafter.
our leadership:
Heather
Drago, President and
Chief Executive Officer
board chair
Duane
Van Dyke, AIA, LEED AP, Principal:
Van Dyke Architects LLC
vice-chair
Roger
Cooley, Retired Program
Director: Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Ohio, Red Brick Alumnus
secretary
Patt
Long,
Artist & Community Volunteer, Former
President: Westlake/Westshore Arts Council
treasurer
John
Middleton, Senior
Vice-President: Wachovia Securities
Ted
Bender, Retired Westlake
(and Red Brick) Educator, Red Brick Alumnus
Cheryl
Bonner, Goldsmith &
Owner: Stanton Jewelers
Sherri
Clancy, Director of Development:
Goodrich-Gannett Community Center, Cleveland
Susan
Jenkins, Artist &
Community Volunteer
Cindy
Griffiths-Novak, Owner/Administrator:
Rae-Ann Nursing Facilities and The Belvedere of Westlake
Kelly
Kutler, Attorney, Writer & Performer
Andrew
Mangels, Director:
Westlake Porter Public Library
Iris
Pieschalski, Retired
R.N. & Community Volunteer
David
Puffer, Director of
Business Affairs: Westlake City School District
Nanette
Reilly, Artist &
Educator
Marge
Widmar, Artist &
Educator
The Red Brick Center for the Arts is funded in part by the following organizations:
