Welcome to the Artist in Residence Program

At the Ohio Arts Council, we believe that learning in the arts is an enduring human story. And, it is a story that should belong to all people.

With those ideas in mind, the Office of Arts Learning Office was created. We have three grant categories -- Artist Express, Artist in Residence, and Arts Partnership -- that support passionate and disciplined engagement in the arts for learners of all ages. We hope that as a result of our work, Ohio's schools, senior centers and community gathering places of all kinds will be creative places where people from diverse backgrounds and cultures find expanded opportunities to learn in, through and with the arts.

Below are two recent examples of OAC funded residencies:

• A museum and cultural center sponsored a three-week visual arts residency for art students at an Ohio high school.  Studentgs explored themes consistent with Renaissance Art, created installation sculptures based on these themes, learned to work with materials unfamiliar to them and collaborated with each other to create something new.

• An early childhood program hosted an Ohio professional dance company in a two-week dance residency that engaged four- and five-year-old students.  Class sessions incorporated movement, games and activities that seamlessly wove gross motor skills, creativity, imagination, problem-solving and teamwork into a transformative experience for preschoolers.

The Artist in Residence program is continually evolving to meet your needs and interests. Here are a few highlights of recent developments:

• Artist residencies may occur in all settings with learners of all ages.
• All artist residencies have the same match requirement — the OAC supports 2/3 of the artist fee and the sponsor or applying organization covers the balance or 1/3 of the fee.
• The Arts Learning Resource database is a valuable starting place for assistance in locating information about a wide variety of arts education organizations and materials.
• A picture is worth a thousand words. We are building a library of video clips of residency artists which illustrate key concepts related to designing and implementing a residency.
• There is a FAQ section for general questions about the Arts Learning program, as well as for both its grant categories.

Join us and contribute to the human story that is uniquely expressed through the arts by participating in an Arts Learning artist residency! We hope our handbook and resources support your work and allow for richer experiences in the arts.