ARTneo, formerly the Cleveland Artists Foundation (CAF), was founded in 1984 by Cleveland-based artists, patrons, and collectors who recognized the need to establish an organization that would preserve, research, collect and exhibit the most significant visual art of the Northeast Ohio region. ARTneo has transformed into the premier center for the art of Northeast Ohio, owing to both its significant collecting initiative and to its commitment to creative exhibition planning and educational outreach. It is the only museum that caters exclusively to the acquisition of Cleveland School artists and regional art, while not charging an admission fee. The organization is supported through cash and in-kind contributions of many individuals, foundations, corporations, and through state funding, membership, and fundraisers.

At the heart of ARTneo’s mission is a collection of more than 3,000 paintings, prints, ceramics, and sculpture. Major artists include George Adomeit, David Batz, August Biehle, Lawrence Blazey, Samuel Butnik, Clarence Holbrook Carter, William Eastman, Edris Eckhardt, Carl Gaertner, Frederick Gottwald, Henry Keller, John Semon, Phyllis Seltzer, Phyllis Sloane, Viktor Schreckengost, William Sommer, Paul Travis, Abel Warshawsky, and Frank Wilcox.  

ARTneo has produced seminal exhibitions on many of these artists as well as group shows that supplemented our collections with loans from private collectors and other cultural institutions.  As the Cleveland Artist Foundation, the organization’s mission historically focused on a group of artists known as the “Cleveland School” that was active from 1900-1950. For twenty five years, ARTneo has broadened its historical scope to integrate the contributions of artists who were active before and since the “Cleveland School.” We now focus on the achievements of the most significant artists in Northeast Ohio whose period of productivity encompasses all or part of the past 50 years.