Ohio Arts Council Approves 498 Grants Totaling $4,654,239
by Jaclyn Reynolds
On July 17, Governor Strickland approved the fiscal year 2010/2011 biennium budget for the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) at $13,188,578. Out of all state of Ohio agencies, the OAC received one of the largest percentage reductions for the biennium. This new funding represents a 38 percent reduction from the final 2008/2009 appropriation of $21.3 million and a 47 percent reduction from the original 2008/2009 appropriation of $24.9 million.
At a public meeting on June 29 the Council Board provisionally approved grants for fiscal year 2010, pending the finalization of the state budget by the legislature and the governor. The OAC will award 498 grants for a total of $4,654,239 to support arts organizations and arts programs across Ohio (compared to FY2009 awards of 480 grants totaling $7,876,540). The Board reviewed 535 grant requests totaling $14,699,093. Recommendations to the Board were made by advisory panels that reviewed applications throughout the spring. Organizations that receive OAC funds are required to match state tax dollars with additional public and private funds. In general, for every state tax dollar invested, $52 is raised in matching funds by recipient organizations. For more information specific to this round of grant announcements, download the following PDF file – a by-city list of grants awarded this round. Suburbs are listed separately. Sustainability Program The Sustainability Program provides two-year grants to organizations for annual arts programming or a recurring single project or activity. The program supports organizations that offer broad-based arts programming in any discipline (multiarts, performing arts, literature, traditional arts, visual arts) that is produced and presented by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, other nonprofit or government entities, and colleges or universities that offer arts programming. A total of $2,571,754 was awarded to 42 of Ohio’s major arts institutions with budgets of more than $1.5 million. The Council Board approved 249 Sustainability grants for a total of $1,528,590 for organizations with budgets of less than $1.5 million. Arts Access Seventy-eight (78) Arts Access grants were approved totaling $83,632. The Arts Access program provides funds for first-time applicants to the OAC, startup organizations, community-driven one-time projects and organizations with budgets under $30,000. Arts Innovation The Arts Innovation Program awarded 29 grants totaling $90,000. The program supports proposals from organizations that include special, one-time projects, development of new projects for new constituencies, experimental program designs and pioneering initiatives being offered for the first time. Arts Learning—Arts Partnerships Forty-nine (49) Arts Partnership grants were awarded totaling $291,663. The program provides one- or two-year grants to support activities that enhance the quality of and access to learning in the arts for learners of all ages, backgrounds, experience levels and abilities. Arts Learning—Artist in Residence The Artist in Residence Program (AIR) awarded 41 grants for a total of $73,600. AIR places accomplished, professional artists in a variety of educational and community settings. Individual Creativity—Traditional Arts Apprenticeships Ten (10) Traditional Arts Apprenticeships were approved totaling $15,000. The program provides support for a master artist and one or more apprentices to work together in an intensive individual study program that preserves traditional art forms of Ohio residents. Examples of traditional arts include, but are not limited to: Polish paper cutting, blues music, stone carving, Appalachian fiddling, embroidery, Laotian khene playing, icon painting, Irish step dancing, woodcarving, Chicano corridor singing, quilting, tamburitza music and polka. 2009 Grant Award Ratifications Ratifications are the Board’s final approval of funds allocated in various program areas since its February 26, 2009 meeting. The Board ratified 23 grants from 2009 totaling $34,762. These awards have not been announced previously. The 2009 ratifications included: • Eleven (11) Artists with Disabilities Access grants totaling $4,680 • One (1) Capacity Building grant for $3,532 • Eleven (11) Special-Organization grants for $26,550 2010 grant information will be searchable on the Ohio Arts Council Web site at www.oac.state.oh.us/search/grants/SearchGrants.asp by September 4, 2009. Grant applications were reviewed last winter and spring by panels of arts experts and Ohio Arts Council staff. The Council Board, consisting of 15 gubernatorial appointees and four nonvoting members from the Ohio legislature, makes final decisions based on panel recommendations. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.[top]