Florida and Ohio: America 250 Initiatives

Communities across the nation are planning special America 250 events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. As part of this national effort, state arts agencies are launching creative initiatives that celebrate American history and democracy through the arts. Here we feature programs from Florida and Ohio.

Florida

Florida Landscape, by Mary Ann Carroll, a Florida Artists Hall of Fame inductee. Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of State

The Florida Department of State serves as a coordinating agency for America 250 Florida activities. As a branch of that department, the Florida Division of Arts and Culture is supporting civic, educational and cultural programming around the semiquincentennial.

The celebration got underway with 250 Years of Florida Art, a special exhibition at the state capitol. It showcased Florida’s landscape and natural beauty in a wide range of artistic styles spanning many decades. Artworks were selected from the Risner Fine Art Collection. The exhibition was a collaboration between the Division of Arts and Culture, the Division of Historical Resources, the Museum of Florida History, and Florida’s Semiquincentennial Advisory Commission.

Funds are also being provided for community based celebrations. The Florida Legislature appropriated $1 million in state funding for grants to help local organizations celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the service of veterans and Florida’s contributions to the United States. The Division of Arts and Culture administered the grant program, which was open to nonprofits, city/county governments, school districts, and colleges and universities. Twenty-six organizations ultimately received nonmatching awards ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Funds also were allocated to the state university system, state parks and state heritage sites. Activities will include public performances, community art projects, exhibitions, public lectures and production of educational materials.

The Florida Veterans’ History Program is another initiative managed by the Division of Arts and Culture that ties into Florida’s America 250 themes. This oral history project, part of the Florida Folklife Program portfolio, preserves stories and reflections from Florida veterans, highlighting their lasting legacies and impact. It is dedicated to Maj. John Leroy Haynes, a Marine Corps officer and ardent advocate for veterans. In addition to recording interviews with veterans and family members, the project collects diaries, photographs and other materials that tell the story of Floridians who served in the armed forces.

Ohio

Tuscarawas County’s Shine On Ohio, Shine On, by muralist Sarah Dugger. Photo courtesy of the Ohio Arts Council

The Ohio Arts Council is featuring Murals Across Ohio as one of its America 250-Ohio initiatives. This project uses public art to honor the people, places and stories that make Ohio communities special. The murals highlight the work of talented artists while marking significant moments in Ohio history. All Ohio communities can apply to have their murals recognized. In addition to fostering civic pride for residents, mural promotions will encourage tourism and inspire visitors to discover new neighborhoods and communities.

The Arts Council is helping the Ohio Statehouse, the Capitol Square Foundation and America 250-Ohio to create a new Ohio Women’s Monument. This will be the first monument to honor women on the Ohio Statehouse grounds, and it will salute the many contributions women have made to Ohio and the nation. The project coincides with both America 250 and the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. It is supported solely through private fundraising efforts. To build excitement about the monument—and grow public awareness about the creative process—the Arts Council is using social media to chronicle artist Brenda Councill’s work from conception through the foundry to the unveiling.

The arts council is advising the Ohio Supreme Court on arts installations planned as part of its year-long Story of America program. A series of newly commissioned bas-reliefs in the court’s grand concourse will add to an existing collection that portrays Ohioans who have served in important federal leadership positions (such as presidents, Supreme Court justices and House speakers). Permanent exhibitions in the court’s public education center will also be expanded, including a new portrait of Ohio’s Florence Allen, the first woman to serve on a state supreme court. The Ohio Arts Council sits on the Ohio Judicial Center Foundation and Ohio Judicial Center Commission and helps to guide the acquisition, display and maintenance of an extensive art collection at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center.

In addition to these programs, the Ohio Arts Council board chair is a member of the state’s America 250-Ohio Commission, and the Arts Council’s executive director cochairs America 250-Ohio’s Signature Events Committee, which is infusing the arts into numerous additional activities and state festivities, including an Ohio Creativity Trail and Ohio Goes to the Movies.

To find out more about state arts agencies and America 250, contact NASAA.