The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) periodically conducts surveys exploring public perceptions of the arts in Ohio communities. Apart from being a requirement of OAC’s enabling statute, such surveys are a vehicle for welcoming broad citizen input into the work of the agency. Used in combination with other feedback loops (like grantee reports, program evaluations and…
Recognizing the importance of creative expression by artists of all abilities as essential to community life, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) offers the Artists with Disabilities Access Grant Program (ADAP). The program is designed to remove obstacles that may hinder artists with disabilities from fully participating in and contributing to Ohio’s diverse arts scene. The…
The isolating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the importance of the arts as a vehicle for restoring human connections, building social capital and helping communities heal after difficult experiences. State arts agencies are encouraging this kind of public engagement by supporting projects that embed the arts in civic practice to contribute to the…
ArtsNEXT is a forward-thinking funding program of the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) designed to incentivize innovation and experimentation in Ohio’s arts ecosystem. With grants of $5,000-$20,000, the program funds projects that pilot new solutions to challenging problems, engage the public in new ways or otherwise push boundaries that make Ohio an exciting, cutting-edge place to…
A perennial goal of state arts agencies is to improve their engagement with and support of underserved communities. Geographic isolation, economic distress and other factors can be roadblocks for some constituents, especially those in rural areas. Recognizing the long-term impacts of such impediments, some state arts agencies have developed programs that focus especially on reaching…
Gabe Turner, right, participating in a theater and autism workshop with Samantha Lyle, a speech therapist from Helping Hands Center, and Cary Johnston, the creative director of Shopworks Theatre Company. Photo courtesy of Kim Turner The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) began its Arts & Autism Initiative in 2012 after a constituent…
Each issue of the Ohio Arts Council’s (OAC) bimonthly newsletter, ArtsOhio, highlights a state legislator and his or her personal experiences with the arts. Since 1999, the Legislative Spotlight column has helped constituents see how state legislators connect to the arts on both a policy and an individual level. The column directs Ohio citizens to…
The Indiana Arts Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Ohio Arts Council are organizing a two-day colloquium in April for constituents from their tri-state area. Embracing Community Change through the Arts will focus on strategies for building diversity in arts organizations, with a special focus on engaging increasing numbers of…
Systematic contact with legislators is a key ingredient of successful arts advocacy. Because January is the month in which many state legislatures will reconvene and begin working on fiscal year 2013 budgets, this edition of State to State is dedicated to toolkits produced by state arts agencies to help their grantees: thank legislators for their…
State arts agencies are continually finding fresh ways to package information about the value of their agencies and to articulate the return on investment they provide to the state. Some recent additions to the portfolio of case-making tools used by state arts agencies include: How Does Public Funding for the Arts Impact Oklahoma? This compact…
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