Ep. 2 - Guest: Rhonda K. Brown cover art

Ep. 2 - Guest: Rhonda K. Brown

Ep. 2 - Guest: Rhonda K. Brown

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 Rhonda K. Brown is Cleveland’s Senior Advisor – Arts & Culture (July 2025–Present), appointed by Mayor Justin Bibb to guide the city’s cultural strategy and strengthen the role of the arts in economic and community development. In this role, she leads initiatives to expand access, amplify underrepresented voices, and build a thriving creative economy, including programs such as Cleveland’s $3 million Transformative Arts Fund.

A Shaker Heights native, Brown grew up surrounded by the arts. Her parents founded the Malcolm Brown Gallery, the nation’s first for‑profit Black‑owned fine art gallery, where she was immersed in works by artists like Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. This early exposure shaped her understanding of art as both representation and community dialogue.

Brown earned a BFA in Painting & Drawing and Art History from The Ohio State University and an MA in Art History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her own artwork—vivid portrayals of Black life—has been featured in national exhibitions.Before returning to Cleveland, Brown held leadership roles in Chicago with the Museum of Science and Industry, the Joffrey Ballet, Governors State University, and as President of the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation, where she helped raise millions in scholarships.
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.