Fred Bidwell

Executive Director

Fred Bidwell (he/him) 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 is currently on the board of the Cleveland Museum of Art, on the Visiting Committee of the Allen Memorial Art Museum, and chairs the board of Assembly for the Arts.

Sarah Spinner Liska

Managing Director

Sarah Spinner Liska (she/her) is a lawyer and non-profit leader, with extensive experience in fundraising, communications, and project management. As FRONT's Managing Director, Sarah leads exhibition planning and development, working closely on partner and funder relationships. Sarah has led important initiatives for FRONT, including making FRONT the first art organization in Cleveland--and the first 'ennial on the continent--to secure W.A.G.E. certification, meeting transparent guidelines for compensating artistic labor. She also led FRONT's accessibility campaign to open access to contemporary art to people of all abilities, securing "All Means All" certification from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Sarah is admitted to practice law in Ohio and is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association. She chairs the Special Exhibitions Committee at the Maltz Museum, leads the Community Conversations series as a trustee of the Yale Alumni Association of Cleveland, serves on the Johns Hopkins University Second Decade Society, leads the North American Arts 'Ennials Alliance, serves as a Governing Member of Cleveland Institute of Music, and as a trustee of The Sculpture Center.

Sarah holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, where she received the Hans Gatzke Prize, and a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served on the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities. Sarah was awarded a Golieb Fellowship in Legal History at NYU Law School and holds a B.A. in the History of Art and French and an M.A. in Humanistic Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Allison Hope Smith Hernandez

Operations & Digital Media Manager

Allison Hope Smith Hernandez (she/her) is an artist and arts administrator, specializing in exhibitions, project management, and social media. A double alumnus of Kent State University–holding a B.F.A. and M.F.A. in studio art with a concentration in textiles. She previously managed Transformer Station, a contemporary art museum in Ohio City, coordinating exhibitions, managing the Bidwell collection, serving as an artist liaison, and developing digital content. Additionally, Allison worked at the Kent State School of Art Collection & Galleries and Massillon Museum before joining Transformer Station and FRONT teams in 2018. She was the 2022 recipient of the 'Emerging Professional of the Year' Award, presented by the Ohio Museums Association.

Janet Renner

Director of Marketing

Janet Renner (she/her) comes to FRONT with more than 25 years of experience leading profitable branding, marketing and sales initiatives for consumer-packaged goods, e-commerce, creative, and retail businesses. Most recently, she was the Director of Shopper Marketing for American Greetings Corporation, guiding $40 million in marketing investment with Walmart, Target, Amazon, national and regional drug and grocery retailers, and a host of licensing partners including Disney, McDonalds, Sesame Street and Nickelodeon. Prior to American Greetings, Janet held leadership positions at KeyBank and Rubbermaid Corporation. Janet is passionate about volunteering her time to help individuals, small businesses and non-profit organizations benefit from her corporate experience, by helping them grow using big company approaches and techniques. Janet has held fund raising and board positions with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Great Lakes Theater.