CC: What it the best thing about Cleveland? The worst thing?
KSJV: Having been born and raised here I think I'm a bit biased and sentimental about Cleveland. I spent every weekend of my formative years at the Cleveland Museum of Art, surely one of our greatest treasures. I don't think a lot of people realize what a cultural center Cleveland truly is. I know I didn't realize that till I lived in south Florida for a number of years. It really hit me in a big way. Now if we could only do something about the weather (of course, previous to the current reprieve).
CC: What does Cleveland have that no other place has?
KSJV: Potential for greatness. I think people are just beginning to recognize that, especially in the arts community. There's this sort of underground movement of artists working to create a greater awareness of the importance of supporting the arts; the integral role art plays in the overall vitality of a city. It is the heart and soul.
CC: What does Cleveland have to do to make itself indispensable in the 21st Century?
KSJV: Support the arts and give artists the opportunity to breathe life back into every nook and cranny of downtown.
CC: What does Cleveland have to stop doing?
KSJV: Cleveland has to stop playing it safe. Perhaps adopt a much less conservative attitude toward change. And much more liberal attitude towards the arts.
CC: What has been your greatest contribution to this region?
KSJV: I don't know that I've made it yet. Perhaps, at this juncture, it is having made the decision to remain here; to not move to Chicago or NYC, but to try and be a successful artist and make a difference here.
CC: And here's a couple that are more personal: What do you want to be remembered for when you're gone? KSJV: For not being afraid to be different and for throwing great parties!
CC: Cleveland is not a town that celebrates failures, but maybe it should. What was your biggest "failure" and what did you learn from it?
KSJV: I don't look at failure the same way I did at one time, a much younger time. Now I am able to look back at this tapestry that lies in my wake and say "yes, there was a reason for every poor decision, wrong turn, every tire in the ditch."
CC: Who do you look up to?
KSJV: My mother for teaching me to be strong and a survivor.
CC: Do you have a motto?
KSJV: I tell my 17-year-old son: "With freedom comes responsibility." I tell my 28-year-old twin daughters: "Everything happens for a reason."
CC: What's the best advice you've been offered.
KSJV: Do what you love.
CC: Where are you most likely to hang out in Cleveland?
KSJV: Depending on my mood and finances: Mise, the diner on Clifton or virtually any coffee house
CC: Least likely?
KSJV: A food court in a mall
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