The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 37 grants totaling $615,000 to Ohio, the NEA announced in a media release earlier today. As part of its first round of funding for federal fiscal year 2023, the NEA said it has recommended 1,569 arts grants nationwide totaling more than $34 million.
“Together, these grants show the NEA’s support nationwide for strengthening our arts and cultural ecosystems, providing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contributing to the health of our communities and our economy,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., in the release. “I encourage everyone to explore these projects and the ways they help provide inspiration, understanding, and opportunities for us to live more artful lives.”
Most of the Ohio awards were distributed through the NEA’s Arts Projects program, which the NEA media release states is the federal agency’s largest program and covers a wide range of projects in 15 artistic disciplines and fields.
Seven Ohio nonprofit organizations received Challenge America grants, with each award totaling $10,000. These grants were “awarded in all artistic disciplines to reach historically underserved communities that have rich and dynamic cultural identities,” according to the release.
Additionally, two Ohioans were awarded Literary Fellowships. Connor Yeck of Cincinnati is the recipient of a highly competitive $25,000 Creative Writing fellowship in poetry, which enables recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel and career development. Teresa Villa-Ignacio of Cleveland Heights is the recipient of a $10,000 Translation Projects fellowship, which supports the translation of literary prose, poetry and drama from around the world into English.
“On behalf of the Ohio Arts Council, we send our gratitude to the National Endowment for the Arts for their continued recognition of the strength and quality of Ohio arts organizations and artists,” said OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins. “Congratulations to all award recipients. Your hard work and creativity uplift communities across the state, provide life-changing experiences for people of all ages, and help to power our state’s economy.
A list organized by city of organizations and individuals receiving NEA funding follows:
Chagrin Falls
- Chagrin Documentary Film Festival | Grants for Arts Projects—Media Arts ($15,000)
Cincinnati
- American Sign Museum | Challenge America ($10,000)
- Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati | Grants for Art Projects—Theater ($15,000)
- Cincinnati May Festival | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($20,000)
- Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | Grants for Arts Projects—Theater ($15,000)
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($35,000)
- Kennedy Heights Art Center | Challenge America ($10,000)
- Price Hill Will | Challenge America ($10,000)
- Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($10,000)
- Connor Yeck | Literature Fellowships: Creative Writing—Literary Arts ($25,000)
Cleveland
- Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($30,000)
- Center for Arts-Inspired Learning | Grants for Arts Projects—Arts Education ($20,000)
- DANCECleveland | Grants for Arts Projects—Dance ($15,000)
- Cleveland Play House | Grants for Arts Projects—Theater ($10,000)
- Tri-C Foundation (on behalf of Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland) | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($15,000)
- East Cleveland Farmers Market Preservation Society | Challenge America ($10,000)
- Rainey Institute | Grants for Arts Projects—Arts Education ($15,000)
- Foluke Cultural Arts | Challenge America ($10,000)
- GroundWorks Dancetheatre | Grants for Arts Projects—Dance ($10,000)
- Karamu House | Grants for Arts Projects—Theater ($30,000)
- The Cleveland Orchestra | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($40,000)
- Zygote Press, Inc. | Grants for Arts Projects—Visual Arts ($30,000)
Cleveland Heights
- Teresa Villa-Ignacio | Literature Fellowship: Translation Projects—Literary Arts ($10,000)
Columbus
- BalletMet | Grants for Arts Projects—Dance ($10,000)
- Central Community House of Columbus | Challenge America ($10,000)
- Marion Voices Folklife + Oral History | Grants for Arts Projects—Folk & Traditional Arts ($15,000)
- Maroon Arts Group | Grants for Arts Projects—Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works ($30,000)
- OhioDance | Grants for Arts Projects—Dance ($10,000)
- Opera Columbus | Grants for Arts Projects—Opera ($20,000)
- Opera Project Columbus Incorporated | Grants for Arts Projects—Opera ($10,000)
- Wexner Center for the Arts | Grants for Arts Projects—Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works ($10,000)
Gambier
- Kenyon Review | Grants for Arts Projects—Literary Arts ($10,000)
Gates Mills
- Encore Chamber Music Institute | Grants for Arts Projects—Music ($10,000)
Kent
- Kent State University Kent Campus | Grants for Arts Projects—Design ($30,000)
Nelsonville
- Stuart’s Opera House | Grants for Arts Projects—Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works ($10,000)
Sidney
- Gateway Arts Council | Challenge America ($10,000)
Springfield
- Westcott House Foundation | Grants for Arts Projects—Design ($20,000)