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Archibald Willard's 1876 painting "The Spirit of '76" is Cleveland's most famous artistic image, originating from a commercial commission to create patriotic souvenirs. The painting's success embodies the practical, moneymaking role often assigned to artists in Cleveland, an industrial city where art is closely linked to commerce. The city's utilitarian view of art is reflected in the Cleveland Institute of Art's motto "Making Art Work," which conveys a skepticism about the value of art for art's sake. Today, public and private philanthropic support for the arts in Cleveland is strong, with the arts being called upon to help revive the city's struggling economy. However, the city's approach to the arts is primarily based on economic impact, rather than artistic quality, originality, and critical esteem. This pragmatic approach has led to a creative brain drain, with artists and architects leaving the city to pursue their ambitions elsewhere. Cleveland's conservative views on the arts have paralleled its economic decline, raising questions about whether a more innovative and open approach to the arts could help reverse the city's decline.