Local organizations awarded 'arts grants'

Jul. 26—COLUMBUS — The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) board recently approved $18,479,247 in grants to support Ohio artists, arts and cultural organizations, students, educators, and public arts programming when it met on July 21 for its summer board meeting.

Included as award recipients were the French Art Colony in Gallipolis and the annual Harvest Moon Pow Wow traditionally held in Gallipolis City Park in the fall.

According to a news release from the OAC, the FAC was approved for a grant in the amount of $6,960 for continuing programming regarding "arts activities."

The 14th annual Harvest Moon Pow Wow, featuring Native American drum group Thunder Boyz, living history re-enactor Dan Cuttler and MC Danny Two Eagles, received $3,435. More on this year's event as information is released.

OAC grant funding was awarded in several areas, including, but not limited, to:

Operating Support

Sustainability supports ongoing arts and cultural activities in all genres. Awards support the largest and most administratively sophisticated organizations in the state's arts and culture ecosystem. This four-year funding supports a wide range of the state's arts providers that are positioning Ohio as a national leader in creativity, artistry, and cultural wealth — 298 grants totaling $14,382,577. The FAC grant fell under this classification.

Arts Access supports ongoing arts and cultural activities in all genres that broaden opportunities for the general public to participate in the arts. This flexible two-year funding provides general operating support for small organizations — 51 grants totaling $179,829. The Harvest Moon Pow Wow fell under this classification.

The news release further stated, this marks the largest amount of grant dollars distributed to constituents applying to OAC funding programs in the agency's history. The 746 grants approved at the meeting constitute the initial and major state fiscal year 2022 funding round for the OAC.

Among the 56 grant recipients in Southeast Ohio were artists and arts organizations in not only Gallia County but in Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Guernsey, Hocking, Jackson, Monroe, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas, and Washington counties.

"These grants are a significant step toward the fulfillment of the agency's ongoing commitment to directly fund arts programming in all 88 Ohio counties, something it has been able to do for the last six fiscal years," the news released stated. "The OAC's commitment to providing statewide support of the arts has renewed importance following the announcement of a record-setting state appropriation of $40 million for the OAC's 2022-23 operating budget."

The news release continued:

Thanks to Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly's approval of the agency's historic $40 million biennial appropriation in state funds, the OAC will achieve a number of firsts through this FY 2022 funding round:

This will mark the largest amount of funding the OAC has ever invested 1) into operating support for small organizations, via Arts Access; 2) into arts and cultural projects for newer organizations, via ArtSTART; and 3) into innovative arts projects, via ArtsNEXT.

All operating support awards for large and mid-sized arts organizations via Sustainability will exceed or equal the prior fiscal year.

Awards for the Fund Every County program will increase by $235,000, continuing to ensure greater access and geographic equity in the arts, reaching more Ohioans.

The amount invested into projects for culturally diverse organizations, via Building Cultural Diversity, will double compared to four years ago.

The amount invested into in-school residencies for teaching artists in PK-12 schools throughout Ohio will quadruple compared to four years ago, funding $1.4 million via TeachArtsOhio compared to $340,000 in FY 2018.

Of those applying for OAC grants, 17 percent were new applicants to the agency and received funding.

"We are very grateful to Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, and members of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate for their continued support of public funding for the arts. This investment will fuel the spirit of innovative resilience that defines Ohio's arts and cultural sector," Donna S. Collins, executive director, Ohio Arts Council, said. "Throughout the past year and a half, we have been reminded time and time again that the arts are better when we work together. These grants will support the restoration of arts programming in communities across Ohio, the hiring and rehiring of arts professionals, and the renewed work and livelihoods of artists and arts educators."

Information provided by OAC.