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Arts Administration

Marc Folk, Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, Toledo

Nominated By: Bowling Green State University

Marc Folk was appointed as Arts Commission of Greater Toledo's (ACGT) interim executive director in 2002, artistic director in 2004 and executive director in April 2006. He also served as the Young Artists at Work (YAAW) program director and Art in Public Places coordinator for several years. He is that rare leader who is as comfortable in the Mayor's office as at a slam poetry reading, who can energize the CEO of a corporation as well as a street performer, and is as skilled at handling budgets as picture frames. In six short years, Folk led the creation and growth of projects that have made the arts a far more visible component of Northwest Ohio life. Among these are 'Artomatic 419,' a community-led arts event, which has engaged artists who have never before had a public voice. He pioneered the Toledo Art Loop and Toledo Jazz Loop, arts events that open and connect art galleries, studios and performance spaces to artists and the general public. He has expanded the enrollment and scope of the Young Artists at Work program, a summer community arts project involving at-risk youth. For the fifth consecutive year, the designs of YAAW adorn Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority buses, winning prestigious design awards. Folk supported the identification of an 'Arts Zone' in Toledo's downtown to attract artists to live and work there and assist in downtown revitalization. In partnership with Bowling Green State University, the economic analysis of real estate in the Arts Zone area was completed. Folk also was responsible for the focused and eff ective stewardship of the City of Toledo's Percent for Art Program. He has lectured at Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo and numerous public schools; and has juried many exhibitions across the region. Recently, he was appointed as the Americans for the Arts District Captain and was a keynote respondent at the Rust Belt to Artist Belt CPAC meeting in Cleveland. Folk is both a leader and a visionary and has a tremendous ability to innovate and get things done. His impact on the community continues to grow as do his tireless efforts to encourage collaboration among and through the arts in Toledo.

Marc Folk video tribute (5:04 minutes)