Richard E. Pelzer II has been a frontrunner in advertising and viewers engagement, however celebrating Harlem and Black tradition by means of artwork manufacturing has been the middle of his profession. As common supervisor of the Harlem Effective Arts Competition, he’s seeking to create a cultural renaissance for Harlem, wanting towards the longer term.
“I believe arts and tradition is large enterprise, particularly now within the artistic financial system, and I believe there are a variety of actually nice alternatives,” mentioned Pelzer, 58. “These are full on careers and other people ought to actually take them critically.”
For greater than 30 years, Pelzer has represented completely different purchasers within the trend, magnificence, and leisure industries by means of his firms Mega Personalities, a enterprise improvement and expertise administration agency he co-founded in 1994, and Harlem CLX (Create Study and Expertise), a neighborhood engagement and advertising agency he created in 2013, the place he works with artists, creatives and entrepreneurs to search out methods to make income by means of their artwork.
Raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Pelzer studied enterprise and artwork historical past at Kent State College. As he was within the trend trade, he was directed to work at a modeling company, which was his introduction to the humanities administration world.
After transferring to New York in 1994, Pelzer co-founded Mega Personalities as a modeling company. Within the early 2000s, he says he turned extra intent on highlighting and celebrating Harlem, the place he has lived for 28 years, and its wealthy cultural historical past by means of his firm, which had shifted to a enterprise administration agency.
“The aim actually was to symbolize the epicenter of Black tradition,” Pelzer mentioned about utilizing his administration expertise in Harlem.
“As a lot as I like the time interval of the Harlem Renaissance, I believe that Harlem, in each decade, has one thing to actually share,” Pelzer continued. “And so there are such a lot of different wonderful tales that we might have the ability to discuss.”
Purchasers he has had through the years embody the NYSE Range Council, Sephora, The Apollo Theater, Schomburg Middle, Essence Journal, Walker Worldwide Communication Group, and SlayTV. He has additionally labored with the NYCxDesign Competition forward of their annual competition in Might. Underneath Pelzer’s management as a venture supervisor, they’re structuring the Harlem Design District, a 36-month marketing campaign to rejoice Harlem’s structure and design.
After assembly Dion Clarke, founding father of the humanities competition, Pelzer turned a venture supervisor for the corporate and shortly turned interim common supervisor. In September 2025, he turned the brand new official common supervisor and can oversee this yr’s present in February for its 18th yr.
On the present, over 100 artists get the chance to showcase their work to an estimated 7,000 guests throughout three days. Pelzer says they’re intentional with supporting small companies and making the Competition really feel like an artwork ecosystem.
“We might have the ability to all come collectively and rejoice, you recognize, the humanities, the tradition, the design, the storytelling,” Pelzer mentioned. Via his firm CLX, the artists are ready to participate in a enterprise coaching workshop forward of the Competition, known as the “Brunch Pitch Collection.”
In recent times, Pelzer has additionally labored with Barbara Askins from the a hundred and twenty fifth Road Enterprise Enchancment District on tasks just like the Harlem Vacation Lights Celebration, one thing he’s uniquely pleased with in his profession.
Movie manufacturing has been one other enterprise he has not too long ago gotten concerned in, because the co-partner of iN-Hale Leisure LLC, a content material creation and manufacturing firm. He has executive-produced the Emmy award-winning quick movie 90 Days, a couple of couple attending to know one another however are every withholding secrets and techniques from one another. On the horizon are his movies Love Will Save The Day and Superb Grace.
The Effective Arts Competition will happen on the Glasshouse in Midtown Manhattan between Feb. 20 and Feb. 22.
