Established in 1960, the Cleveland Arts Prize is the oldest award of its kind in the country. The prize honors outstanding creative artists whose work brings vitality to Northeast Ohio, and individuals whose leadership expands community participation in the arts.

Following the death of two past winners, Marcie Bergman, executive director of the Cleveland Arts Prize, launched a documentary film series on the winners.

"We want to capture our artists on footage now, for future generations, and create something that allows the public to hear our artists speak in their own words and see them in their own context," explains Bergman.

Beautifully shot by local filmmaker Ted Sikora, the short films capture each Cleveland Arts Prize artist in a real-time mode with appealing directness.

Below is one such example, featuring glass artist Brent Kee Young, winner of the 1987 Cleveland Arts Prize for Visual Arts.