The Ohio Arts Council is assembling its 2008 Ohio Arts Festivals and Competitions Directory and invites festivals across Ohio to submit their listings. The directory is a useful guide for artists interested in places to display and sell their work—from traditional crafts to arts on the cutting edge—and for anyone seeking to experience the arts in Ohio. The directory contains detailed information about arts and crafts festivals and competitions, including dates, activities, number of spaces available for artists to display work, fees and contact information. It is organized by date and location and includes alphabetical indexes of festivals by name, city, region and sponsor.

Organizers or promoters interested in listing their arts festivals or competitions in the 2008 Ohio Arts Festivals and Competitions Directory should fill out the questionnaire found at www.oac.state.oh.us/search/OACFestival/SearchFestivals.asp. The form was e-mailed or mailed on August 13 to coordinators of all festivals appearing in the 2007 directory.

The directory is published by the Ohio Arts Council and distributed in partnership with the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild, Ohio Designer Craftsmen, Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism, Ohio Department of Transportation, Chambers of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureaus and AAA offices around the state. The listings are compiled by Lorz Communications of Columbus.

Instrument Matching Grant Program

The Classics for Kids Foundation helps K-12 schools and community organizations secure high quality violins, violas and cellos. It accepts applications from U.S. nonprofit schools or programs that serve kids in grades three through 12. Classics for Kids Foundation uses its matching grant program to secure instruments that exhibit the highest craftsmanship, sound and ease of playing. Grants range from $1,500 to $30,000. In most cases, Classics for Kids Foundation awards a 50 percent matching grant in the form of complete stringed instrument outfits, including case, bow and custom setup by authorized instrument providers.

Deadlines for applications are October 15, 2007, January 15, 2008, March 15, 2008 and June 15, 2008. Grant applications are reviewed by the Classics for Kids Foundation Executive Committee. Applications can be submitted electronically, provided they include all required forms. For questions about the application process or grants program visit the Classics for Kids Foundation Web site at http://www.classicsforkids.org/ or by phone at 406/587-8183.

SPACES Announces New Executive Director

Sheryl Hoffman has been named new executive director of SPACES. Hoffman is currently director at Art House Inc. in Cleveland. She has been an advocate for the arts since the beginning of her career as an artist in the 1980s. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Cleveland State University and a master of fine arts in sculpture at Ohio University.  She also has completed the Certificate of Nonprofit Management at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University. She began her administrative career at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Hoffman will start in the position in October of this year. Susan Channing, executive director of SPACES for more than 21 years, announced her resignation in early 2007 and will work through the transition. SPACES is a nonprofit, artist-run arts organization in Cleveland. It is Ohio’s oldest and largest nonprofit, alternative art gallery.

Opera Cleveland Announces New Artistic Director

Opera Cleveland announces the appointment of Dean Williamson as artistic director. He comes to Opera Cleveland from Washington East Opera where he was the music director. He previously served as artistic director of the Viva Voce Song Recital Series with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra. He arrives in Cleveland in January 2008.

In July, the Ohio Arts Council presented Barynya Russian Music and Dance Ensemble as part of its Summer International Music and Performing Arts in Communities Tour (IMPACT). The ensemble performed at various sites around the state providing more than 3,100 Ohioans with a new cultural experience. The following is from Barbara Summers of the Southern Hills Arts Council relating the great response received from the program:

I just attended a volunteer recognition luncheon and was seated next to Congressman Zack Space. One of the ladies who attended the Barynya performance presented the photo she'd taken with me and Misha and Alex, two Barynya performers. I had an opportunity to explain the program to Representative Space and he enjoyed learning more about the program.

Several of us have Barynya CDs in our vehicles and one woman goes to bed at night listening to Sasha. Everywhere I go, folks are still raving. Also, I recently saw the woman who runs the Wellston nursing home that brought the bus load of folks down and she's bubbling about it. Phone messages confirm the good this did. Four Winds Nursing Community left a phone message of glee and thanks.

It's making an "Impact" on us, that's certain.

Barbara Summers

Southern Hills Arts Council

If you have a public value story about how the arts have affected your life or community, please contact Stephanie Dawson at stephanie.dawson@oac.state.oh.us.

October is National Arts and Humanities Month, a month-long celebration that provides hundreds of exciting opportunities for Ohioans to participate in and appreciate the arts. Organized nationally by Americans for the Arts, arts organizations across the country will recognize the importance of the arts in our communities.

The OAC has urged artists and arts organizations to participate in Arts & Humanities Month by planning activities to honor the cultural heritage and arts in communities throughout the state. Many organizations are offering discounts on tickets throughout the month of October or have selected a special event to celebrate National Arts & Humanities month. People interested in taking advantage of these special offers can visit http://www.artsinohio.com/ and click on the special National Arts & Humanities month logo to see a list of activities taking place in October.

Organizations interested in promoting their Arts & Humanities month events may enter their events on http://www.ohioeventfinder.com/ to be included in the special promotion on http://www.artsinohio.com/.