ZYGOTE PRESS INC

PROOF FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN 2021, ZYGOTE LAUNCHED A RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR BIPOC ARTISTS THAT WAS RENAMED TO PROOF (PRINT RESIDENCY OF OHIO'S FUTURE) FELLOWSHIP IN 2023. THE PROOF FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH A SIX-MONTH RESIDENCY, 500 STIPEND, GROUP WORKSHOPS IN ALL THE PRIMARY PRINTMAKING PROCESSES, INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION OF PRINTMAKING PROCESSES, PROJECT MENTORSHIP, COLLABORATIVE WORK SPACE, YEAR-LONG ARTSPASS MEMBERSHIPS, 24/7 ACCESS TO OUR STATE-OF- THE-ART PRINTMAKING STUDIO, AND STORAGE FOR THE ARTISTS' WORK. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROOF FELLOWSHIP IS TO PROVIDE EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, CREATIVES, AND EDUCATORS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THEIR PRACTICE BY LEARNING A VARIETY OF PRINT TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING SILKSCREEN, MONOPRINT, AND RISO, AND TO BUILD PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS. IN 2021, FIVE ARTISTS WERE CHOSEN THROUGH AN OPEN CALL FOR A MONTH-LONG RESIDENCY. THESE FIVE AIRS IN THE PILOT PROGRAM CREATED FALLING THROUGH THE LITTLE EDGES, AN EXHIBITION IN ZYGOTE'S GALLERY THAT INCLUDED THE RESULTS OF THE ARTISTS' COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL NEW WORK COMPLETED DURING THEIR RESIDENCIES. EXPANDED FROM ONE-MONTH RESIDENCIES, IN 2022, THESE THREE-MONTH RESIDENCIES PROVIDED TIME AND FLEXIBILITY FOR ARTISTS TO HONE THEIR CHOSEN PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES AND INTEGRATE WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED INTO THEIR LARGER PRACTICE. ADDED TIME PROVIDES DEEPER CONNECTIONS TO THE PRINTMAKING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIPS ARTISTS WILL BUILD WHILE WORKING IN THE STUDIO. ARTISTS WORKED IN TWO COHORTS OF THREE, CREATING PEER GROUPS THAT MODEL THE CREATIVE INCUBATOR ENVIRONMENT OF A MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAM. SMALL COHORTS PROVIDE A SOUNDING BOARD FOR PEER REVIEWS AND AN ENVIRONMENT OF SHARING COLLECTIVE CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES. INDICATIVE OF THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS, PAST AIRS HAVE BEEN CENTRAL TO IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROGRAM AND STAY INVOLVED WITH ZYGOTE AS TEACHING ARTISTS AND JURORS. IN ALL, THE PROGRAM HAS SEEN INCREASING INTEREST. THIRTY ARTISTS APPLIED TO THE SPRING 2024 OPEN CALL. IN 2023 THE SIX PROOF FELLOWS WERE: MCKINLEY WILEY, LACY TALLEY, SYDNEY KAY, CHESTER HOPKINS BEY, LAWRENCE HUDSON, AND CHUDNEY PATTERSON. OPERATING COSTS FOR SHOP MAINTENANCE IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, ZYGOTE REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC WITH EXHIBITIONS, LIMITED WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES, AND OPEN ACCESS STUDIO HOURS. IN 2022, OUR WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS, AND OFF-SITE EVENTS GREW RAPIDLY, RETURNING THE ORGANIZATION TO NEARLY PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS OF ACTIVITY. TO ENSURE THAT REOPENING INCLUDED AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR ACTION IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND INCLUSION (DEAI) AND SAFETY, WE HAVE REVISED SEVERAL STAFF, SHOP, AND PRINTMAKING POLICIES. WE HAVE NEW HANDBOOKS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS, DEAI, AND SHOP OPERATIONS. WE IMPROVED OUR HANDBOOK FOR HANDLING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. WITH THESE CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS, ZYGOTE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE GREENEST PRINTMAKING FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRY. STUDIO STAFF ENGAGE IN ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF GREEN PRINTMAKING IN ORDER TO STAY UP TO DATE ON BEST PRACTICES. ZYGOTE ARTISTS USE INKS, CLEANING PRODUCTS,CHEMICAL FORMULAS THAT ARE FAR LESS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, TO ARTISTS, AND ARE MORE SUSTAINABLE OVERALL. ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES AND MISSION FOR DEAI, ZYGOTE PRESS PRIORITIZES ANTI-RACIST POLICIES, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TRAINING, AN UPDATED CODE OF CONDUCT FOR OUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, AND COLLABORATION WITH OUR MEMBERS AND TEACHING ARTISTS TO SUSTAIN AN ATMOSPHERE OF SUPPORT AND INCLUSIVITY. THE BOARD HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING DOCUMENTS AND PROCESSES. FURTHERMORE, AS AN EMPLOYER, WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS ON ADVANCING EQUITY IN THE ARTS IN NORTHEAST OHIO. FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN 2021, WE OFFERED STAFF PAID TIME OFF, AND IN 2022, WITH GUND FUNDING, WE INTRODUCED HEALTH INSURANCE STIPENDS. WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS BY INCREASING SALARIES AND BENEFITS. WE GAVE STAFF RAISES AT THE END OF 2023 TO ENSURE RETENTION AND CONTINUITY. WORKING WITH JANUS SMALL ASSOCIATES, WE COMPLETED A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2023, 2024, AND 2025. THE PLAN INCLUDES BUILDING COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, EXPANDING ZYGOTE'S REACH, INCREASING DIVERSITY AND CAPACITY ON THE BOARD AND STAFF, AND RESEARCHING RELOCATION OPTIONS FOR A LARGER, MORE ACCESSIBLE FUTURE HOME. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN 2023, ZYGOTE CONTINUED TO SEE GROWTH ACROSS ALL SEGMENTS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, WITH SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE GROWTH IN WORKSHOPS, OFF SITE EVENTS, INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION AND ART SALES. IN 2023, ZYGOTE CONTINUED THE WORK WE HAD STARTED IN 2022 WITH CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY ART HISTORY PROFESSOR, ERIN BENAY, AND HER STUDENTS, ON A SELF-ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PRINTMAKING EDUCATION PROGRAM TO EMPOWER UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH IN CLEVELAND'S CLARK-FULTON NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH FUNDING FROM OHIO HUMANITIES COUNCIL, WE PARTNERED WITH THE MUSEUM OF CREATIVE HUMAN ART TO OFFER A 22- WEEK AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM FOR CLEVELAND TEENS, BRIDGING PRINTMAKING AND HUMANITIES. IN 2023, WE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS EVENTS/FESTIVALS, INCLUDING ASIATOWN CLEVELAND FESTIVAL, SUPERMAN 75 CONVENTION, DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND FEST, COVENTRY VILLAGE STREET FESTIVAL, PARADE THE CIRCLE, AND OTHERS. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS AND OTHERS, EARNED REVENUE INCREASED FROM 100,470 IN 2022 TO 118,285 IN 2023. ZYGOTE'S COMMUNITY OF PARTNERS HAS ALSO GROWN AND CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE WORK WITH LITERARY CLEVELAND, SPACES GALLERY, PRAXIS FIBER WORKSHOP, MIDTOWN CLEVELAND, CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY, CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LAND STUDIOS, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART AND OTHERS. USING ZYGOTE'S MOBILE ART PRESS (MAP), WE BRING FREE, INTERACTIVE PUBLIC ART EXPERIENCES TO THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART, CLEVELAND PRIDE, SLAVIC VILLAGE, UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, WEST PARK KAMM'S CORNERS COVENTRY VILLAGE, AND OTHERS. EXHIBITIONS IN 2023, WE COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 7 EXHIBITIONS. THESE EXHIBITIONS WERE: "TRANSMUTATIONS" - AN EXHIBITION OF OUR 2022 BIPOC ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE; "AAWFUL FRIENDS: THE FUTURE IS NOW" - A GROUP EXHIBITION OF PRINT AND MIXED MEDIA, CURATED BY AARON WILLIAMS; "PANSY POWER" QUEER PRINT AND ZINE FAIR; "WE'RE HERE, WE'RE QUEER" - A GROUP SHOW FEATURING LETTERPRESS ARTISTS; "ECHOES OF INNOCENCE" - A SOLO EXHIBITION OF ARTIST, CHRIS MASON, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLEVELAND PRINT ROOM; "INVOLVED" - A COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITION OF INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ARTISTS, PRESENTED BY VISITING ARTIST, PEI-HSUAN WU; "OFF THE WALL" - ZYGOTE'S ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF MEMBER ARTISTS. PLANNING AND DESIGN OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ARTS CENTER IN 2022 WE IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL PARTNERS WITH SIMILAR GOALS AND MISSIONS WITH THE GOAL OF A FUTURE HOME FOR ZYGOTE AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN A SHARED SPACE. IN 2023, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH PROCESS CREATIVE AND ARCHITECT JOHN WILLIAMS TO IDENTIFY A LARGER SPACE THAT WILL SERVE AS A CULTURAL COMMUNITY CENTER FOR ZYGOTE AND PEER ORGANIZATIONS IN CLEVELAND. RELOCATION TO A BIGGER, MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND, THEREFORE, MORE INCLUSIVE SPACE WILL ENABLE ZYGOTE TO BE THE LEAD ORGANIZATION FOR A MULTI- DISCIPLINARY ARTS CENTER. CHAMPIONING A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, ZYGOTE WILL CREATE AND IMPLEMENT A BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE OF SHARED SPACES, BUSINESS RESOURCES, AND STAFF. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR NEEDED CONSOLIDATION AND RIGHT- SIZING OF ARTS SERVICES AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. WITH A DEEP HISTORY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES IN COMMUNITIES OF ALL KINDS, PRINTMAKING CAN SERVE AS A TOOL OF EXPRESSION FOR ALL. THE NEW SPACE WILL OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY-BUILDING WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES CAN WALK INTO A CULTURAL SPACE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT. ENHANCING ZYGOTE'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF AND BUILDING UP DEAI ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION WILL BE IMPORTANT STEPS TOWARDS ELEVATING ZYGOTE'S PLACE IN CLEVELAND'S ARTS ECOSYSTEM. IN 2023, ZYGOTE BEGAN THE PRELIMINARY WORK TOWARD AN EVENTUAL CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BY INCREASING THE SIZE OF OUR BOARD, ENGAGING THE SERVICES OF CBRE REAL ESTATE, COMPLETING A 6-MONTH LONG SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, AND DEFINING THE FINANCIAL GOALS AND PARAMETERS OF THE PROJECT.