Wayne Lawson, Columbus, OH
Senior Associate
Dr. Lawson is the newly named Barnett Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Arts Administration in the Department of Art Education at The Ohio State University where he teaches and advises Ph.D students. Recently he chaired the Creative Columbus Policy Steering Committee which issued "The Creative Economy, Leveraging the Arts, Culture and Creative Community for a Stronger Columbus," an extensive report making policy recommendations about the city's creative economy. Appointed by the City Council, the Committee's report laid out the steps necessary to effectively sustain and enhance the city's cultural resources.
Dr. Lawson was also one of four persons who produced, researched and wrote The Appreciative Journey--a guide to developing international exchanges. Lawson has worked in the international arena for the past 25 years and completed various projects and exhibitions in a variety of countries including Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Japan, Israel and Mexico. Earlier this year, Lawson and Mary Kelley made presentations on American cultural policy in Santiago, Chile at the conference "Access to Culture in Chile and the United States."
In September of this year Dr. Lawson was asked to present his work in international programming to a group of public policy officials, foundation representatives, and former diplomats chaired by Frank Hodsoll, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts and now consultant to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The topic of the meeting, held in Washington, D.C. was "Toward a More Consequential Cultural Diplomacy."
Dr. Wayne Lawson is the Director Emeritus of the Ohio Arts Council where he served as Director for over 20 years. He is a board member of the Alliance of Artists Communities, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts and the Music Theatre Group in N.Y. He also serves on the evaluation team of Young Audiences in New York and has been on many program panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. He served a three year term as chairman of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and completed three terms as chairman of Arts Midwest.