Jake Vriezelaar loved being a creative in Toledo, but after a stint in LA, realized the scale of his ambitions in the film industry would lead him elsewhere. Now, he lives in New York.

Alyssa Brutlag grew up in Toledo, and dreamed of one day being a professional dancer. School led her away and then COVID led her back home, but she ultimately felt the Glass City just didn't have a big enough appetite for dance. Now, she lives in Chicago.

To be fair, Toledo is not a New York or a Chicago. It's Toledo.

And the city has a long history of commitment to the arts — and artists. In 1941, the city hosted the first American performance of the Nutcracker and has performed it without fail every year since. In 1977, it was the first city in Ohio to adopt the One Percent for Art Program, which requires 1% of the city’s Capital Improvement Budget be set aside specifically to support public arts. In 2022, Toledo officially became home to the largest mural in the United States

Toledo is investing heavily in the arts, today, too. A newly released Ohio Creative Economy Report reveals that Northwest Ohio's creative sector supports nearly 14,000 jobs, generates $789M in worker income and adds $1.2B in value to our regional economy.

But is that investment making it easier for local artists to stay in town?

Welcome to episode four of Brain Drain, a Midstory podcast that explores the city of Toledo through the eyes of the people who’ve left it behind. In this episode, we explore Toledo’s efforts to attract the workforce of the future.

Visit www.midstory.org/braindrain/ to explore interactive data visuals and listen to bonus content.

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