“Pull Back the Curtain”: Fred Bidwell 

Transformer Station and FRONT, & Making Creativity Pervasive in Our Communities 

Fred Bidwell is a philanthropist, collector, and community leader. After a 35-year career as an advertising and marketing entrepreneur, in 2011 he and his wife established the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Foundation. In 2013, the Bidwell Foundation opened Transformer Station, a contemporary art exhibition space on Cleveland’s West Side. Transformer Station alternates between acting as a venue for exhibitions curated by the Bidwells from their renowned collection of photo-based contemporary art and as a venue for exhibitions organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Fred Bidwell served twice as board president of the Akron Art Museum and currently on the board of the Cleveland Museum of Art and on the Visiting Committee of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Bidwell launched FRONT International, a season-long contemporary art triennial exhibition of contemporary art in over twenty venues in 2018 and is leading planning for its second edition in 2022. 

Curious about the arts? This is your opportunity to go “behind the scenes” with local experts. Programs designed for adults, but family-friendly. Program made possible due to the generous support of Toby and Melanie Maloney.