Bill Cleveland is a musician, writer, and the founder and director of the internationally recognized Center for the Study of Art and Community. Cleveland is a 25-year veteran of community cultural development, working with artists, schools, arts organizations, human and criminal justice agencies, local and state government, businesses, and social institutions. He is the author of Art in Other Places, a book that chronicles 22 model programs developed by artists and human service providers in 17 American communities.

Erik Takeshita has been active in the community development field for the past 12 years. He was a Program Officer with the Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation’s largest private non-profit community development support organization. Previously, he worked with the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). Takeshita has been a member of the Minneapolis Arts Commission for the past five years, serving as Co-Chair for two years. Currently, he is the Senior Policy Aide/Policy Coordinator for the Office of the Mayor of the City of Minneapolis.