Individual Artist Grant Programs and Services (formerly Individual Creativity) - Investing in the Future of Ohio's Artists

OAC Grant Programs:

The Ohio Arts Council offers grants to individual artists in two program areas: Individual Excellence Awards and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships.   You must read the Guidelines, specifically the legal and program requirements, before you apply to either of these programs.  To reach the specific program guidelines click on the program name above.  To apply to these programs use our Online Grants Application System, OLGA.

The FY2009 Individual Excellence Award application is now OPEN!!!  You must read the Guidelines (linked above) before making an application and then use our online grant system OLGA to apply.  For those of you that will be submitting digital images with your application they must be resized in the appropriate dimensions.  For help in resizing your images read this handy Powerpoint.  If you have questions about any part of this application please contact Kathy Signorino at kathy.signorino@oac.state.oh.us or 614/728-6140.  Remember the deadline is September 2, 2008 (because the 1st is a holiday).

Individual Artist Grants Programs and Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General grants process FAQ

The Ohio Arts Council is looking for people to serve on advisory panels to review grant applications. To nominate a panelist complete a Nomination for Panel Membership form or contact Karine Aswad at karine.aswad@oac.state.oh.us or 614/466-2613.

Other Services we provide for artists:

Another wonderful service available to all artists is our Artist Opportunities Database.  The Artist Opportunities Database is a searchable listing of opportunities for artists.  The online Artist Opportunities Database represents another step the Ohio Arts Council's Individual Artist Grants Programs and Services office is taking to support the work of artists.  This database provides a listing of local, statewide, national and international opportunities.  New opportunities are posted daily so visit often.

If you are a visual artist you may be interested in the Ohio Online Visual Artist Registry (OOVAR).  The Ohio Arts Council has developed this non-juried registry in partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.  This site is used by curators, exhibition planners, corporate art consultants, collectors and others.  The site is also used as an artist source by Ohio's Percent for Art selection committees. It is now time for the annual Ohio Online Visual Artist Registry exhibition.  The juried exhibition is open to any OOVAR participant.  Please read here for exhibition information and complete this entry form.  The deadline for submission of images or slides is August 8, 2008.

The Ohio Arts Council administers Ohio's Percent for Art Program. The Ohio Legislature recognized the state’s responsibility to foster culture and the arts and to encourage the development of artists and craftspeople. The result of this was Ohio’s Percent for Art legislation, which provides funds for the acquisition, commissioning and installation of works of art for new or renovated public buildings with appropriations of more than $4 million. One percent of the total appropriation will be allocated for art work.  To learn more about Ohio's Percent for Art Program click here.   

If you are a writer you may be interested in the Ohio Creative Writers Directory.?The directory includes listings of poets, fiction writers, critics, playwrights, screenwriters and nonfiction writers.?The directory is used by libraries, schools, community programmers and writers who want to learn about each other and literary activities around the state.

In 2003 the Ohio Arts Council in partnership with the Ohio Folk Arts Network created the Ohio Heritage Fellowships.?The awards honor Ohio folk artists who are the finest and most influential masters of their particular art forms and traditions. To nominate someone for this fellowship or to see past winners please visit the Ohio Heritage Fellowships page.

The Ohio Appalachian Artist Directory is a searchable listing of artists that live and work in or near Ohio's Appalachian region. The Directory is managed by the Ohio Arts Council and its purpose is to increase access to and communication among Ohio's many Appalachian artists and arts organizations, and to help strengthen the role the arts play in the communities of Appalachian Ohio. 

The Ohio Arts Council is committed to making the arts accessible to all Ohioans. Accessible buildings or spaces, programs and creative opportunities enrich the artistic experiences of all and enhance a community?s cultural climate. To ensure that Ohio remains a leader in cultural access, the OAC provides funding for artistic development for artists with disabilities. The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) is designed to help artists with disabilities move to a higher level of artistic development.

The Artist in Residence Program through the Arts Learning Office enables young people, educators and community members to participate in the creative process with professional artists from all arts disciplines. 

As a performing artist you may be interested in the Ohio Artists on Tour Directory, a roster of eligible artists that are presented by organizations that receive OAC organizational support. To apply to this program use the Web-based online submission form located at www.oac.state.oh.us/programs/OhioArtistsOnTour/OhioArtistsOnTour.asp

Resources:

Creative Capital Artists Toolbox
A resource-bank for artists, with an annotated collection of career-resource sites. Includes useful industry sites by the following categories: arts advocacy, arts organization management, career and life management, fellowships and grants, festivals, tours, and residencies, legal and financial issues and technology.

Artists Health Insurance Resource Center
A by-state listing of resources for health insurance for artists and other individuals. Administered through The Actors Fund, the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) provides the arts community with the information necessary to make informed choices about individual and small business group health insurance options available in each state.

The New York Foundation for the Arts provides a free national information resource for artists in all disciplines and for everyone who supports them in any way.  This has a searchable national directory of awards, funding, services and other resources for artists in all disciplines.

If you have any ideas or suggestions on ways to improve this site as a means of distributing information to our constituents, please write to our Webmaster. We are always looking for new ways to help inform and support Ohio artists.