Arts Access Program

NOTE: Performing Arts Presenters
The process for applying for Fee Support has changed; please click here to learn more about how your organization can receive additional support to present artists from the OAC's Ohio Artists on Tour Directory.

• An annual festival conceived by a community to honor its artistic traditions through music, dance and visual arts exhibitions.
• A collaboration between a local art gallery and a historical society to produce an exhibition that illustrates the impact of immigration on the community.
• A new local arts council founded in response to community dialogue to provide leadership for local arts exhibitions, after-school arts classes and a monthly concert series.
• An organization that features Ohio artists in a summer performing arts series at a local park.

• Organization?s most recently completed fiscal year income is under $25,000. For non-arts organizations doing arts programming, this criterion is based on the organization?s arts programming budget, not the overall organizational budget.
  
  -OR-
  
• Organization is a first-time applicant to the OAC. The OAC defines a first-time applicant as an organization that has not received funding at least twice through an OAC panel process in the past five fiscal years.*

• A completed Arts Access application must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on the March 1 or September 1 deadline. At that time, the system locks and no further changes can be made to the application
• One set of required support materials (listed below) must be received in the OAC office within seven calendar days of the deadline date. In addition, a complete copy of the application must be submitted. All documents, including the signature form with an original signature, the support material checklist and one copy of the application must be submitted along with your support materials. If the support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. You will be notified via your online account when materials are received.
• Include with your support materials an Assurances/ Signature/ Support Materials Checklist. This document will appear on the your computer immediately after your application is submitted. It must be signed by your organization?s board president or an authorized official.

• Budget Breakout of Expenses and Income. This is akin to your worksheet on how you arrived at the figure shown on each budget line. Examples: 1) under Outside Fees- Artistic you indicate $10,000. Indicate fees for each artist; 2) Under "Foundation Support" you indicate $20,000. To which foundations and for how much are you applying? 3) How did you estimate Admissions?
• One-paragraph biographies of key artistic and administrative staff and outside personnel mentioned in the application, e.g. consultants, artists, curators, jurors.
• List of board members and their professional affiliations and lists of committees.
• If applicable, up to two examples of educational materials such as teacher preparation packets, student study guides, brochures of educational offerings and curricula.
• Letters of commitment from any organization mentioned in the application as a partner, e.g. social service agency, school district, local business, another arts organization.
• Up to three unsolicited letters of support from past participants; letters may not be more than three-years old.
• Sample evaluation tool.
• Maximum of five pieces, no more than two-years old, from the list below:
  • annual report
  • audience survey
  • exhibition catalogue
  • invitation
  • newsletter
  • press clippings
  • press release
  • critical review
  • program
  • season brochure
  • project timeline

Please note: all applicants submitting AV materials in this program are now required to complete a cover sheet describing the content of their AV submission. Please print out the following PDF and include it with your support materials. AV cover sheet (PDF 357k)

Because panelists score applications in the area of Artistic/Educational/Cultural Value, applicants are strongly encouraged to include audio-visual materials that best document their programming. The following guidelines are provided for preparing audio-visual materials. You may send:

• Up to, but not more than, 12, 35 mm slides, mounted in plastic of past or upcoming rogramming or projects. See Preparing Slides, below, for instructions on identifying and labeling slides. Slides should be duplicates; do not send originals.
  
  Preparing Slides: Send only clear, well-lit slides in plastic slide mounts. Do not send cardboard mounts, which may bend and jam in the projector, damaging the slides. Do not send glass slides. Slides that jam in the projector will be removed and not shown. Do not put tape or labels on slide mounts. Use permanent ink to label the slides directly on the plastic mounts.
  
  Label each slide with the name of your organization (artist name on the slide image) number, title of work, date the work was completed, red dot to indicate lower left corner. Number each slide clearly, e.g. 1, 2, 3, in the order they are to be viewed.
  
  
• Up to 12 photographs (digital photographs on a disk are also allowed). Label appropriately with information listed under slides.
• Up to two videotapes, CD-ROMs or DVDs (different works). Label each with the name of your organization and information about the work. Cue all materials as appropriate and include a separate sheet of screening notes that describe the sample work in detail, and indicate all artists involved in the work.


• Up to two CDs or audiocassettes (different works). Label with name of work, ensemble, date recorded and repertoire. Cue tapes or indicate appropriate tracks on a separate sheet of listening notes.

• Proposed activities demonstrate artistic, cultural and/or educational value for the community being served.
• Proposed activities advance the organization?s artistic vision.
• Qualified persons, including board, staff, and community members, are involved in the design and implementation of proposed activities.
• If applicable, K?12 in-school educational programming meets the Ohio Arts Academic Content Standards.
• Artistic programming contributes to community culture.

• Grant application
• OAC Final Report, if applicable (OAC staff will supply)
• OAC on-site report or evaluation (OAC staff will supply)
• Publicity materials, e.g. Web site, programs, press clippings
• Artists? biographies
• Audio-visual materials

• Applicant addresses the educational, economic and/or social needs of the community.
• Applicant understands and is responsive to the diverse interests and needs of the community.
• Applicant?s programming and facilities meet or exceed federal ADA requirements.
• Applicant has identified and minimized barriers to cultural participation, e.g. practical, experiential and perceptual.
• Applicant acts as an advocate for the public value of the arts in the community.
• Appropriate community participation takes place during program development and is based on community interaction
• Diversity is a priority in planning and programming

• Grant application
• OAC Final Report (OAC staff will supply)
• Board and committees lists
• Publicity materials that detail range of admission prices, operating hours or performance times and accessibility logos
• Educational materials
• Letters of commitment
• Letters of support

• Planning procedures are comprehensive and clearly described.
• Appropriate persons, including board, staff, artists and community members, are involved in planning, documentation and evaluation and have clearly defined roles.
• Evaluation strategies are appropriate for the participants and the activity; results are used to guide current and future planning and programming.
• An appropriate publicity/promotional plan is outlined.
• Applicant demonstrates ability to develop and manage resources appropriately.
• Appropriate persons, including staff, board and committee members, have clearly defined roles.
• If there is a deficit, applicant has a plan to reduce it and has outlined its effect on proposed activities
• Organization shows clearly defined strategies for achieving its mission.

• Grant application
• OAC Final Report, if applicable (OAC staff will supply)
• Audience surveys/sample evaluation tools
• Strategic plan
• Annual report

• Applicant demonstrates ability to complete the proposed project or programming.
• Budget is accurate and realistic for the organization or project and correlates to the applicant?s narrative.
• Broad base of financial support includes public and private sources.

• Grant application
• OAC Final Report (OAC staff will supply)
• Board and committee lists
• Administrative staff biographies
• Publicity materials
• Letters of support