The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Matthew Gellin
Executive Artistic Director & CEO American Legacy TheatreBio
Executive Artistic Director & CEO at American Legacy Theatre | Fundraising Innovator | Artistic Developer | Empowering Leader | IDEA Champion
“The power of theatre that has not yet been leveraged completely. It’s the idea of how can we get to a point where wars can be stopped and people can be brought together into a world of true equity because of the power of theatre. How do we truly make an impact in positive way for ALL voices and ALL people? We, at A.L.T. give them a voice and bring that voice to the forefront to be heard.”
Matthew has successfully acted and directed across the country, in Europe, and in Asia.
Matthew is proud to have served as a U.S. representative at the UNESCO
International Theatre Institute Research Lab in Romania. He was named a Promising Artist of the 21st Century by the International Arts and Cultural Exchange, and he has published papers on directorial theory in international peer-reviewed journals. He has also been recognized as one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40.
His financial background includes serving as U.S. delegate to the People’s Republic of China for foreign business affairs and serving on the Association of Fundraising Professionals Board of Directors as president-elect.
Now, he looks to lift American theatre back to the top of the world’s stage.
Artist Statement
As American Legacy Theatre blazes a new trail for both artists and audiences, we not only differentiate ourselves in how we approach theatre, but why we approach it. Our commitment to nourishing the growth and development of American artists and audiences means we must create work that is fully accessible to all people, all voices.
One of the many ways in which A.L.T. creating access is disrupting the traditional model. We are nomadic by strategic design. It makes no sense for A.L.T. to say we are fully accessible but you can only engage with us in a singular location. Our strategy is to meet people where they are.
By meeting people where they are, A.L.T. is able to further break the walls on the barriers forcing a decline in theatre popularity. We provide access. Access leads to education. Education leads to increased value. Increased value leads to increased desire for access.
Our work is in line with our mission, vision for a national theatre, and data-informed strategies. In the NEA publication, U.S. Patterns of Arts Participation, from January 2020, it states that 92% of the US population does not regularly participate in theatre. To substantiate that research further, A.L.T. has found the two barriers for entry are prohibitive cost and people saying “it’s not for me.” In pursuit of a more accessible theatre, our work hits this right on the head – underwrite the experience for those who cannot otherwise afford it (200% FPL), and make it for them quite literally. Moreover, it is proven time and again that in order for systemic change to happen in a community, community representation needs to be present. By focusing on those who are traditionally underserved and underrepresented, A.L.T. is leveling the playing field for a more equitable tomorrow ensuring the truths of the unheard are heard.
The work of A.L.T. is to help people all across the community – regardless of socioeconomics and racial identity – realize that theatre and A.L.T. belong to and for them, not just a small few.