Loann Crane honored for spirited support of the Arts

Loann Crane, this year’s recipient of The Spirit of Denny Griffith Award, has dedicated her life to the arts and to social justice. Her outstanding and ongoing impact on CCAD is multifold, but is perhaps most visible in the building that bears her name: the Loann Crane Center for Design, a space for CCAD students and others to congregate, study, and learn.

Crane, born in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, moved to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University and was on CCAD’s board when the college formally split with the Columbus Museum of Art in 1981. In the years since, Crane, the first woman to chair the college’s board of trustees, has been a longtime supporter of initiatives such as the Griffith Faculty Excellence Fund, the Senior Fashion show, and the college’s Master of Fine Arts program.

“It has been a great joy for me to watch the school and be a part of it. I continue to be amazed at the talent of the students. My jaw drops each time I see their work,” she said.

Crane’s artwork-filled Downtown condominium, which includes pieces by Griffith and by the late Aminah Robinson, another arts luminary with a CCAD connection, bears testament to her longtime passion for visual art and her connection to the college in particular.

CCAD “broadens our view to the world and gives us a perspective we wouldn't have, or didn't have,” she said.

To receive an award created in honor of Griffith, her longtime friend, is flattering, Crane said. “He was an inspiration to all of us, so I just feel very grateful to be associated with his name,” she said.

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Loann Crane will be formally recognized for her years of dedication and support to CCAD with the Spirit of Denny Griffith Award at the 2017 CCAD Senior Fashion Show on Friday, May 12. Learn more and purchase tickets at ccad.edu/fashionshow.