Chief Executive Officer & Artistic Director at 1001 Colors
Colleen Houston serves as the CEO and Artistic Director of 1001 Colors (formerly known as ArtWorks), a prominent nonprofit youth employment and community-based public art organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Houston's journey with the organization is a lifelong calling; she first joined as a teenage apprentice in 1997, transitioned to a full-time staff member in 2003, and was appointed to her executive leadership role in April 2020.
Artists are often the first to reclaim forgotten places. Long before major redevelopment occurs, creative communities bring life, identity, and activity back into underutilized buildings and neglected corridors. This session explores how visual and performing arts communities have played a critical role in the revitalization of Downtowns and the reactivation of the Main Street corridor. From galleries and maker spaces to live performance venues and public art initiatives, attendees will gain insight into how arts and culture can function not simply as entertainment, but as an economic development strategy capable of driving foot traffic, entrepreneurship, placemaking, and neighborhood identity. This session has been approved for 1.00 AIA LU credits.