Summerfair has chosen Manifest Gallery as the next recipient of its annual Big Give Award. Over the next four years, Manifest will receive an annual grant of $25,000 from Summerfair.
Manifest, founded in 2004, opens its galleries to the community for free, five days a week, including evenings. The nonprofit plans to convert its Manifest Drawing Center studio and darkroom at 3464 Central Pkwy into The Manifest Center for the Visual Arts over the next two years.
Jason Franz, Manifest’s chief operating officer, said this $100,000 gift will make it possible to renovate and preserve Manifest’s historic campus on Central Parkway. He noted that the funding will support the organization’s efforts to offer expanded art education opportunities, artist support and exhibitions featuring internationally recognized artists.
“Summerfair has supported Manifest and its individual artists for years,” said Jayne Utter, Summerfair’s managing director. “When we received an invitation to tour their new building, we jumped at the opportunity. What they shared with us was so exciting that we wanted to contribute to their building fund!”
Supporting local arts programs, artists since 1968
For over 50 years, Summerfair has aided young artists, individual artists and community-based arts organizations through awards, scholarships and exhibitions. Since 1968, Summerfair has awarded over $2 million.
“In recent years, we have increased the awards we give out,” said Utter. “After implementing these increases, we still felt we should be doing more.” That’s when Summerfair started its Big Give grant program.
“Instead of an application process, we decided to keep our ears open for opportunities,” Utter said. “This has worked out very well. As one opportunity ends, another always surfaces.”
Past Big Give recipients include the Art Academy of Cincinnati, ArtWorks and the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, which received funding for its new headquarters.
As part of this newest agreement, Summerfair will have naming rights to the Summerfair Arcade facing the sanctuary gardens at the Manifest complex.
“This is fitting,” Franz said of the naming rights, “because the arcade is one of the special architectural spaces planned at Manifest, where the interior and exterior will meet in dynamic interaction, framed by exquisite design, thoughtful green space, and supporting a variety of activities focused on learning or experiencing the visual arts.”
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