April 2009 Published by the Ohio Arts Council
GOVERNOR STRICKLAND HELPS HONOR 2009 GOVERNOR’S AWARDS FOR THE ARTS WINNERS

GovernorMailDogGovernor Ted Strickland joined House Speaker Armond Budish, Senator Tom Niehaus, members of the legislature and more than 800 arts and business community representatives in honoring the 2009 Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio winners on April 1.  In his keynote address the Governor congratulated the winners and thanked them for their contributions to the arts year round.  He also cited the recent study by Bowling Green State University that indicates the arts contribute $25 billion annually to the state's economy and acknowledged that a vibrant arts community is a major asset in attracting new jobs to Ohio and ultimately, to the state's ability to foster creativity and innovation.

Award categories and recipients for the 2009 Governor’s Awards for the Arts include: Arts Administration, Marc Folk, Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, (Toledo); Arts Education, Dr. Corwin Georges (Springfield); Arts Patron, Roe Green (Aurora); Business Support of the Arts, Huntington Bank (Statewide); Community Development & Participation, Cityfolk (Dayton); Individual Artist, Derek Mortland and Michael Joseph Ulery, musicians, Sketches of the Inner World; Irma Lazarus Awards, Willis “Bing” Davis, (Dayton); The Honorable Patrick Sweeney, (Cleveland).

Each winner received a painting by New Carlisle artist Jean Koeller.  The 2009 Governor’s Awards ceremony and luncheon was held in conjunction with Arts Day. This daylong event demonstrating public value and support for the arts was sponsored by Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation. Arts Day included an arts advocacy briefing, legislative visits and student exhibitions. 

The 2009 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio and Arts Day Luncheon was made possible by The National Endowment for the Arts and Ohio Government Telecommunications. Media sponsors include The Columbus Dispatch, Dayton Daily News, Ohio Magazine, Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, The Blade and Time Warner Cable.

Image by Terry Gilliam

STIMULUS MONEY TARGETED AT PRESERVATION OF JOBS IN THE ARTS
StudioSpaceMailDogThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provides $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to be distributed in direct grants to preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.  Forty percent of the funds will be distributed to state arts agencies and regional arts organization and 60 percent of the funds will be competitively awarded directly to nonprofit arts organizations. 

The NEA asks that Recovery Act projects funded through state arts agencies “make the arts and arts education widely available.” While the overall Recovery Act speaks to both job creation and job preservation, the part of the Act specific to the NEA awards states that funds are to be distributed in direct grants "which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn."

The Ohio Arts Council submitted its application to the NEA on March 13 for funds to support an Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grant program, outlining a plan to quickly disburse the funds to Ohio arts organizations with special attention to georaphic equity and underserved populations.  The funds must be used for salary support, full or partial, for one or more positions that are critical to an organization's artistic and educational mission; and/or fees for previously engaged artists and/or contractual personnel.  The OAC has a Web page with additional information and resources to assist organizations interested in applying for an Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grant, including a FAQ and OAC staff contacts for each region.  Grant guidelines and scoring criteria will be posted on April 17, the same day the application opens.  The grant deadline will be June 15, 2009.


UPPER ARLINGTON SENIOR WINS STATE POETRY OUT LOUD CONTEST

MidoMailDogThe Ohio Arts Council presented Ohio’s fourth annual Poetry Out Loud state competition Saturday, March 14 at the Matesich Theatre at Ohio Dominican University. Upper Arlington High School student Mido Aly was selected as the representative from Ohio and will advance to the national finals April 26-28, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

Three final winners were selected. Leah Walkowski from Columbus Alternative High School placed second. Lynsay Strahorn from Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton placed third. In all, 27 students from around Ohio participated in the finals with nearly 5,000 students from schools around Ohio participating in the Poetry Out Loud school finals. 

Mido Aly received $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. His school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up, Leah Walkowski, received $200, with $200 for her school library, and the second runner-up, Lynsay Strahorn, received $100 with $50 for her school library. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals.

Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

Poetry Out Loud is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council.


 

 
SUSTAINABILITY PANEL MEETINGS TO BE HELD
APRIL 15-16
Panel Meetings for Sustainability (under $1.5 million) will be held April 15-16 at the Holiday Inn in Worthington.  The Sustainability program provides general operating support to arts and cultural organizations that make an important contribution to the health and vitality of Ohio communities. A rigorous application and review process assures citizens and legislators that Sustainability grantees will use public funds resourcefully and responsibly.

For more information on the panel meetings visit the Ohio Arts Council’s event page and for more information on the Sustainability program visit the OAC’s Web site.

DON’T MISS VISUAL DIALOGUES AT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL’S RIFFE GALLERY

MorgensternDon’t miss Visual Dialogues at The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery.  The exhibition will be on view until April 12.  Curated by Nicholas Hill, this exhibition represents the artwork produced during exchanges between 11 German and Ohio artists who shared the distinctive experience of participating in printmaking residencies at Zygote Press in Cleveland and Grafikwerkstatt in Dresden, Germany. The Ohio Arts Council hosted the German artists in Cleveland and the City of Dresden sponsored the Ohio artists in Dresden.

Artists in the show include: Larry Winston Collins, Oxford; Angela Hampel, Dresden; Jean Kirsten, Dresden; Volker Leinkeit, Dresden; Jana Morgenstern, Dresden; Claudio Orso-Giacone, Oberlin; Detlef Schweiger, Dresden; Wendy Collin Sorin, Cleveland Heights; Susan Squires, Cleveland Heights; Joan Tallan, Reynoldsburg; and Barbel Voigt, Dresden.

For more information about the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery visit the Riffe Gallery’s Web site.

Jana Morgenstern, untitled, 2006, oil on paper, 27 1/2 x 19 1/2"

LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT
PhillipsMailDogName:  Rep. Debbie Phillips, (D) 92nd District, Athens

Hometown: Athens

Years in Office: First term

Committees: Alternative Energy (Vice-Chair), Health, Education, Insurance, Economic Development

Education: bachelor’s degree, Ohio University

Recent Honors: Friend of Public Education (Ohio Federation of Teachers); Public Policy Award (Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council)

Age, Marital Status, Children: 39, married, two children

Favorite arts or cultural pastime: reading, pottery, beadwork, dance

Last Good Book Read: “Three Women” by Marge Piercy

Most Memorable Arts Experience: Taking charge of the ceramics studio while the professor was out of town.

AMAM AWARDED $1.25 MILLION GRANT FROM MELLON FOUNDATION
 
Oberlin College’s Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) received a $1.25 million endowment challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand and enhance the use of the Museum’s collections in teaching, learning, and research at the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music.  The grant-supported initiative will provide new opportunities for faculty to develop courses that draw on the AMAM’s outstanding art collections, and for faculty and students to collaborate with Museum staff on teaching exhibitions and research.
 
OHIO STATEHOUSE HOSTS STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

StatehouseArtShowMailDogThe Ohio Statehouse will showcase 50 works of art by students in grades K-12 from Ohio’s public schools as part of a month long celebration of arts education.  The free student art exhibit will be on view in the Ohio Statehouse Map Room from April 1-25, 2009.  The Ohio Art Education Association has joined with the Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation and the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education to recognize the talents, creativity and innovation of students who receive high quality arts education instruction as part of their academic experience in school.  Participants in the exhibition were selected by arts educators in each of the Ohio Art Education Association’s regions which span the state.

For more information about the Statehouse student art exhibit and the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio contact the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education at 614/224-1060 or visit OCA’s Web site.

www.arts.govwww.ArtsinOhio.comwww.oac.state.oh.us