The Ohio Arts Council has approved $587,902 in grant funding to support 182 artists, arts and cultural organizations, students, educators and public arts programming across the state. Nearly three dozen of those grants, worth about $120,000, will benefit communities in Greater Cincinnati.
The OAC’s board approved the grants at its meeting on Oct. 18.
This is the second round of funding approved by OAC during fiscal year 2024, building on more than $21 million in grants in July. The state agency expects to award nearly $51.1 million over the next two years.
“The investments announced today build on our work to leverage the OAC’s historic funding level in support of Ohio’s arts and culture sector,” OAC Executive Director Donna Collins said in a statement on Thursday. “Speaking on behalf of our board, we are so grateful that Ohio’s elected officials recognize the great return on investment produced by the arts leaders in our state.”
The Ohio Arts Council funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
The agency awarded this round of grants in three general areas: artist programs, project support and arts learning. Awards ranged in value from $500 to $5,000 in general. One organization – the Oak Hill Area Chamber of Commerce in Jackson County – received $10,000.
Thirty-four of the grants going to Butler, Clermont and Hamilton counties are for individual creatives. OAC awarded them through either the Artists with Disabilities Access Program or the Artist Opportunities pool of funds.
The region’s other 18 grants are going to organizations through the Capacity Building and ArtsRISE support programs.
Capacity Building grants are for organizations working to engage outside expertise to improve business practices or add new knowledge and skills that forward organizations’ missions. Meanwhile the ArtsRISE program supports institutions working to expand access to their activities to more diverse participants.
Those recipients range from Fitton Center for Creative Arts and the Filipino American Association of Southern Ohio to Cindependent Film Festival and Price Hill Will.
Other grant programs include the Fund Every County and the Big Yellow School Bus program. Southwest Ohio didn’t receive funds in either of those programs.
The full list of recipients are below.
ArtsRISE
- Make Music Cincinnati, Loveland – $5,000
- Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Hamilton – $5,000
- Inspiration Studios, Inc., Hamilton – $5,000
- Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, Hamilton – $5,000
- Filipino American Association of Southern Ohio, Fairfield – $2,250
- Cincinnati Juneteenth Committee/Kennedy Heights Community Council, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Cindependent Film Festival, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Fotofocus Cincinnati, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Girls Rock Cincinnati, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Jhankar, Inc., Cincinnati – $4,000
- Joy Brasileira, Inc., Cincinnati – $5,000
- Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Inc., Cincinnati – $5,000
- Price Hill Will, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Stop the Stigma Productions, Cincinnati – $4,700
- Visionaries and Voices, Cincinnati – $5,000
Capacity Building
- Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati – $5,000
- Price Hill Will, Cincinnati – $4,995
Artist Opportunities
- Angelique Archer, Cincinnati – $500
- Anna Kipervaser, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Ariadne Antipa, Cincinnati – $2,400
- Kelly Kroener, Cincinnati – $2,464
- Kimberly Lazzeri, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Michael Coppage, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Noel Maghathe, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Padma Chebrolu, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Rebecca Nava, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Wenbin Lyu, Cincinnati – $500
- Shino Yanagawa, Norwood – $2,500
Artists with Disabilities Access Program
- Lisa Merida-Paytes, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Sherry McCamley, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Steven Lansky, Cincinnati – $2,500
- Daniel Hoeweler, St. Bernard – $500
- Aaron Pergram, Hamilton – $2,500