CLEVELAND, Ohio — Isaiah Williams spent several hours working on this painting, which honors Desmond Franklin, a Cleveland man who was shot and killed by an off-duty Cleveland police officer in April of this year. 

The painting is a part of the public art project, #VoicesofCLE, launched by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance to uplift voices in Cleveland through art.

What You Need To Know


  • Dozens of free standing and storefront installations are popping up across Cleveland as a part of a public art project called #VoicesofCLE

  • #VoicesofCLE intends to spark vital conversations and actions necessary to inspire change

  • A goal of the project is to amplify artists of color and their work

“I wanted to take this opportunity to get to amplify their voice so that people can bring awareness to, like, this isn't just happening in some far corner of the country, it's happening here, locally in Cleveland, so, I thought it was a good opportunity to do that as well,” Cleveland area artist Isaiah Williams said.

The project is a collaboration between local businesses and artists to animate and beautify downtown storefronts, following the events that occurred after the George Floyd protest in May, which left many downtown business storefronts destroyed.

Heather Holmes, with Downtown Cleveland Alliance, says #VoicesofCLE intends to spark vital conversations and actions necessary to inspire change as the city moves forward together. 

“This is a start of a healing. I mean, you know, it’s important to us that no business close, whether it be for COVID or whether it be, you know, for damages thereafter. So, we're doing our part at DCA to keep downtown Cleveland the most vibrant city and place that brings all people from all walks of life to gather. We wanted to use this opportunity through art to document this moment in our history in the world, in the nation, and here in Cleveland, and do it our way,” Holmes said.

Williams is one of over 70 commissioned artists who signed up to be a part of the project. His work is not only on a business storefront, but can be found as a part of a traveling #VoicesofCLE exhibition currently located in Public Square. 

“It’s beautiful that we can do it in a way that not only can like brighten the area and bring color and our, and, culture, but it also kind of like shows you that there’s a deep, you know, underlying issue that needs to be addressed," he said.

Holmes says a goal of the project is to amplify artists of color and their work. She and Williams say art has always been at the forefront of representing the times and giving a voice to the unheard. 

“It was important to us through this project that we were very intentional about works that we curate," she said.

“I think art is an important part of the movement because it's, it's kinda like the beautiful side of the struggle. It shows the struggle, but in a way that people can digest it and in a way that people can like, understand it," Williams said.