Artful makes new home in Cleveland Heights

St. Alban's is the new home of Artful. [photo: ©A BCD Creative/Brady Dindia]

Artful, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable and accessible studio space, has purchased the former St. Alban’s Episcopal Church at 2555 Euclid Heights Blvd. This marks a major step toward establishing a permanent home for artists in the heart of the Heights, strengthening Cleveland Heights’ reputation as a “Home to the Arts.”

In the coming months, Artful will begin moving artists into the new location, which will house 25–30 permanent studios. The organization also plans to launch programming for artists seeking flexible workspace and storage options.

Artful was among the nonprofits displaced from the Coventry PEACE Building after its owner, the Cleveland Heights – University Heights Public Library System, decided to close the facility.

"Artful successfully negotiated an all-cash equity purchase by combining two generous donations with an innovative deal structure that included accepting the building as-is and subject to use limitations that strongly align with community benefit," said Lee Chilcote, an attorney and longtime Cleveland Heights resident (and father of FutureHeights Executive Director Lee Chilcote). The purchase was made possible through the leadership of Artful’s executive director and board president, and Chilcote, with the support of the city of Cleveland Heights and the Episcopal Diocese of Cleveland.

St. Alban’s has a long-standing connection to the arts, having hosted gallery exhibitions by the Transformational Art Center and showcasing a Tree of Life carving created by Mort Epstein.

According to the Episcopal Asset Map, the church began as a mission near Murray Hill Road and Fairview Avenue before the original building—completed in 1892—was moved by ox cart in 1897 to its current location. The complex was later rebuilt following a fire in 1989. Recognized as the oldest church in Cleveland Heights, it more recently served as a shared spiritual home for both Episcopal and Jewish worshippers. 

"We’re incredibly grateful to the Episcopal Diocese of Cleveland for their stewardship of this beautiful, creatively designed building," said Shannon Morris, Artful’s executive director. "We’re excited to bring it back to life as a hub for artists, community events, and collaboration."

Founded in 2015, Artful sought to meet the need for affordable studio space on Cleveland’s east side. After opening in the Coventry PEACE Building in 2017, the nonprofit grew into a thriving arts hub with 26 full studios. Its programming has included PEACE Pops, Art for the Masses, the Lantern Festival, Juneteenth exhibitions, creative performances with Robin Van Lear, and bi-monthly potluck critiques.

Fern Haught, a current Artful artist and local author, said, "I look forward to seeing how this new home allows Artful to strengthen their work supporting early career artists, marginalized artists, disabled artists, and the arts enrichment of the whole community."

Artful plans to assess the building’s needs and create a vision plan while preparing to launch a capital campaign to ensure long-term stability and address the physical needs of the space.

To support Artful’s mission to create an inclusive, sustainable home for the arts, contact Morris at donations@artfulcleveland.org or visit artfulcleveland.org/donations.