The Cleveland Arts Education Consortium (CAEC) was established in 1999 and formally introduced to the community in December 2003 through the auspices of Cleveland State University's Center for Arts and Innovation. Founding organizations included The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Opera, PlayhouseSquare, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Tri-C JazzFest, and Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio.

Between 2000 and 2005, the Consortium has undertaken a series of arts education research and assessment studies. These include member organization program surveys, attendance and fee comparison charts, an organizational program directory as well as an in-depth Arts Audit of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (2004) and a Cuyahoga County Arts Resource Guide for Early Childhood Development Services (2005).

In 2007, the Executive Committee convened a strategic planning session.  Guided by Consultant Amy Morgenstern, the Committee concluded that CAEC should establish a dedicated office and administrator, continue to convene arts educators, encourage information sharing and collective work, address current arts education goals and issues, and serve the region as a civic partnership to advocate on behalf of the benefits of arts education.

New CAEC Manager, Judith Ryder, is overseeing all Consortium activities while working with the organization's leadership to build membership and undertake CAEC projects that will build an arts-aware 21st century workforce and broaden public awareness about the value of the arts for all people living in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.