Samuel Foulkes Honored with LEAD Community Asset Award

Clovernook Center’s Arts & Accessibility Program launched in 2017 and has steadily gained momentum and new partners each year. Today, the program supports a network of 200+ partners, impacting countless museum patrons across the country under the leadership of Samuel Foulkes, director of braille production and accessible innovation at Clovernook Center.

Each year, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Awards honor a select few arts administrators and organizations whose dedication has resulted in the advancement of inclusion of people with disabilities in the cultural arts, and whose efforts serve as an example to all in the field. Foulkes, widely regarded as a leader in the field of arts accessibility, was selected to receive the 2025 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts LEAD Community Asset Award and will be recognized at their conference in Cleveland in August.

“Having worked with Samuel for nearly a decade, I can testify to his unwavering advocacy, not only for individuals with blindness and visual impairments, but for the organizations that strive to be more accessible and welcoming throughout our state, and internationally,” said Alexandra Nicholis Coon, executive director, Massillon Museum.

The Community Asset Award recognizes the achievements of people and organizations who continually demonstrate success with access initiatives, improving accessibility in their organization, city, state or region.

“Sam’s approach to problem solving and innovation is embellished by his work with his colleagues who have lived experience in the blind or low vision community,” said Sara Birkofer, assistant director of gallery and accessibility services, Cincinnati Art Musuem. “His dedication to having people who are blind or low vision part of the process is paramount to his success as a leader in the community.”

Foulkes is frequently asked to speak at national and international conferences on the topics of arts accessibility and tactile literacy. He most recently presented at the Tactile Reading Conference in Amsterdam.