Haddad Art Initiative

The Haddad Art Initiative is a transformational investment in student success at Cleveland State University’s Department of Art & Design. Established through a $3 million endowed gift in honor of Gladys and Phillip Haddad, the initiative expands opportunity for Art & Design students through scholarships, career mentorship, professional development, exhibitions, and community engagement.

Designed to support students beyond the classroom, the initiative helps emerging artists, designers, and art historians build creative practices, professional confidence, and meaningful connections to Cleveland’s vibrant arts and creative industries.

Haddad Merit Scholarships

At the heart of the initiative are the Haddad Merit Scholarships, which provide significant merit-based support for talented current and incoming students in Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art History.

Each year, Cleveland State awards 20 half-tuition merit scholarships through a competitive selection process based on academic promise, creative achievement, and portfolio strength. These scholarships help students focus more fully on their education while expanding access to professional and experiential opportunities.

For eligible Studio Art recipients, the scholarship experience also includes the opportunity to develop and present work in the department’s annual Haddad Merit Scholarship Exhibition, offering valuable experience in exhibition planning, professional presentation, and public engagement alongside Cleveland State’s long-running Student Art Show.

Learn more about Art & Design scholarships.

Career Mentorship

Through the Haddad Career Mentor Program, students connect with working creative professionals who provide individualized mentorship, professional guidance, and career development support.

Mentors help students:

• develop portfolios and professional materials
• identify internship and employment opportunities
• connect with arts and design professionals
• prepare for graduate study
• build confidence navigating creative careers
• engage with Cleveland’s arts and cultural community

Mentorship takes many forms, from one-on-one advising and portfolio development to networking, site visits, internship preparation, and direct engagement with working professionals. For Design students, this includes Career Connections, an immersive professional development experience that provides job shadowing, studio visits, portfolio feedback, and structured networking with Cleveland-area design, digital media, and creative businesses.

Recent mentorship outcomes have included internships, paid creative work, arts writing fellowships, curatorial experience, museum placements, entrepreneurial grants, and long-term professional connections within Northeast Ohio’s creative ecosystem.

Connect with your Haddad Career Mentor.

Every Artist is a Startup

Creative careers increasingly require entrepreneurial thinking, adaptability, and professional self-direction.

In partnership with CSU’s Weston Ideation Lab, Every Artist is a Startup introduces students to entrepreneurship, branding, professional practice, and creative business development.

Through workshops, guest speakers, and interdisciplinary collaboration, students explore topics including:

• personal branding
• creative entrepreneurship
• portfolio and professional presentation
• networking and communication
• emerging technologies, including AI in art and design

The program helps students translate creative ambition into sustainable professional pathways.

Learn more about the Weston Ideation Lab.

Haddad Design Week

Design Week introduces younger students to creative thinking, design practice, and design careers through a one-week summer enrichment experience at Cleveland State.

Designed for students in grades 5–12 who are interested in design, the program offers hands-on learning, mentorship, and exposure to creative problem-solving in a university setting. Design Week also helps strengthen pathways into design education while connecting Cleveland State to the broader community.

Learn more about Haddad Design Week Youth Summer Camp.

Impact

Since its launch, the Haddad Art Initiative has helped connect students to meaningful professional and creative opportunities across Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Student outcomes have included:

• paid internships and professional placements
• museum and gallery opportunities
• arts writing fellowships and published criticism
• curatorial and exhibition experience
• entrepreneurial grants and startup support
• community arts engagement
• community outreach and youth creative education through Design Week
• graduate study opportunities
• long-term mentorship and professional networking

Partner organizations and opportunities have included institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, Assembly for the Arts, Zygote Press, Heights Arts, Future Ink Graphics, Collective Arts Network (CAN), Yards Projects, and other regional creative organizations.