A still from the State of the Arts Report CD-ROM. The Ohio Arts
Council's State of the Arts Report will be made public in the fall.
STATE OF THE ARTS REPORT (CON'T)
information to make fact-based policy
decisions about the future of the arts in Ohio.
The second phase of the State of the Arts Report, made possible by a
multi-year grant from the Wallace-Readeršs Digest Funds, will focus on
using the findings to place the arts at the heart of communities. The
grant is part of a new State Arts Partnerships for Cultural Participation
(START) initiative. The Ohio Arts Council will work with regional partners
to diversify, broaden and deepen the role of the arts in local
communities.
For the last decade, the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds have invested in
cultural groups across the country, working to make the arts a part of
peoplešs everyday lives. "Our START initiative will not only shed
light on how important state arts agencies are to the cultural life of our
country, but will showcase 13 exemplary agencies, which have shown
dedicated leadership in connecting people to the arts," said M.
Christine DeVita, president of the Funds. "We are proud to work
closely with the Ohio Arts Council."
The OAC is one of 13 state arts councils selected for the program and will
receive one of the two largest grants, $1.1 million over three years. The
funds will be used to evaluate and revise agency programs. The OAC will
continue to conduct research, disseminate the findings of current reports,
expand and enhance grant programs and provide technical assistance to arts
groups to increase public access to high quality cultural experiences. The
implementation of the State of the Arts Report through the
Wallace-Reader's
Digest Funds will enable the Ohio Arts Council to make more efficient use
of state tax dollars to bring vitality to Ohio's communities.
OHIO-ISRAEL CULTURAL AGREEMENT RENEWED
On May 23, Governor Bob Taft, Israeli
Consul General Giora Becher and OAC Board Chair Susan Sofia signed the
Ohio-Israel Cultural Cooperation Memorandum of Intent. The memorandum is a
five-year renewal of a cultural agreement signed in 1996, which supports
exchange projects between Ohio and Israel in dance, music, arts education
and the visual arts.
"The renewal of this agreement is a tremendous
opportunity for the Ohio Arts Council to increase opportunities for Ohio
artists and arts organizations abroad," said Wayne Lawson, OAC
executive director.
Since the original signing, projects have included
residencies for Ohio artists in Herzliya, Israel, an Ohio-Israel Film
Festival and, most recently, Aspirations: Toward a Future in the Middle
East, a photography exhibition at the OAC's Riffe Gallery featuring works
by Israeli and Palestinian artists. The memorandum helps to enrich the
lives of people in both Israel and Ohio by promoting a deeper
understanding of shared values through the arts, humanities and education.
The majority of universities have arts programs, events and exhibitions that are open to the public.
-OHIO ARTS COUNCIL'S
STATE OF THE ARTS REPORT
