Veronica Thornton, known to many as “Miss Vee,” is a Mt. Pleasant resident with a passion for the arts. The arts, she said, have improved not only her own quality of life but the lives of loved ones. Now Thornton is channeling her passion to advocate for more dedicated art spaces in Mt. Pleasant and other Southeast Side neighborhoods.
“Spaces for arts and culture do not exist on the Southeast Side,” she said. “Research has proven that having access to culturally appropriate arts improves health outcomes across the board.“
Read on to learn more and to find Thornton’s survey asking Cleveland residents “to come together to discuss solutions and possibilities for revitalizing our community” through the arts.
You’re a lifelong Mt. Pleasant resident. Can you share with our readers a little bit about your upbringing in the community?
My maternal and paternal grandparents had settled in the Mt. Pleasant community many years ago. As a child, I spent a lot of time at the Boys & Girls Club. I hung out at the library on 131st a lot and the rec center when it was up on Harvard.
What are some of the changes you’ve seen through the years in Mt. Pleasant?
So much has changed. One of the major things we saw was the crack epidemic in a lot of Black communities. During that time, a lot of people lost their homes, and those houses, which were already older, started to deteriorate. That brought in more and more crime over time.
We also used to be able to walk through neighborhoods at all times of the day and night and we were OK. Now, you have to be careful where you’re going and be mindful about not being out too late.
You have talked about finding healing in the creative space as a writer, artist and poet. Can you talk about how your involvement with the arts has improved your quality of life?
It started with writing. I would write poetry, but I didn’t share it with others too much. At one point, I began to allow myself to share and be more open to the experiences of others. It really made me realize that everybody is going through something in some way.
It really made me realize that everybody is going through something in some way.
Veronica Thornton
Writing allowed me to tap into emotions that I hadn’t really addressed. From there, I started exploring the art world in Cleveland. I wanted to go beyond museums and art galleries, so I became more involved in the performance arts, and using that as a vehicle to get more involved in the community.
What do you believe is the state of the current art scene in Cleveland?
It’s very active. Somebody has always got something going on. It’s also very divided. There are a lot of things that some people are not happy with [but] that others are OK with. Particularly when it comes to funding and who gets to decide where that funding goes.
What are some of the improvements you think that Mt. Pleasant can make as it pertains to arts and culture?
Well, for starters, Mount Pleasant doesn’t have an arts and culture aspect, which is what my entire project is about. It’s multifaceted. The overall project is about going beyond murals and investing in those dedicated, accessible spaces. It will help improve the health and economic growth of our communities. That economic piece is one thing that we are missing to help move the needle towards healing. Although murals are a beautiful form of artistry, we need investments for our own cultural hubs.
I met Miss Vee at Elections Unfiltered, our event hosted in partnership with Cleveland VOTES to hear more from Clevelanders about the upcoming mayoral and council elections. Stay tuned for our next Elections Unfiltered event coming soon to a West Side neighborhood.
The southeast side has been left dangling with a lot of promises of improvement over the years. When you go to other areas of the city, you can actually see those investments playing out. Spaces for arts and culture do not exist on the southeast side, unless they are in small areas off on a side street that are not invested in.
Sometimes they are given an initial investment to get going, then they are left to figure it out for themselves.
What can the community do to help advocate for more art spaces?
I currently have the impact of art beyond mural survey circulating to get community feedback on what they want to see in the community, as well as answering some of the questions that reflect how they feel about the neighborhood and their overall health. The survey will be live until June 10. We will use the data from the survey to present to city leaders and stakeholders when we make our asks for investments.
They can also make a donation to Assembly for the Arts, who is my current fiscal sponsor. We are currently working on the documentary portion of this project.
Every neighborhood should have some form of dedicated space that will add to the growth and the healing of their community. That’s what I’m here to help push forward.
