News

Gov. Kasich Announces Dave Lucas as Ohio Poet Laureate

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:39:16 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gov. John R. Kasich has named Dave Lucas of Cleveland Heights as Ohio’s poet laureate. Lucas, whose two-year term began January 1, succeeds the state’s first poet laureate, Dr. Amit Majmudar.

“Our state’s poet laureate has an opportunity to engage Ohioans of every age in unique and challenging ways,” said Kasich. “I’m confident Mr. Lucas will fulfill the special calling that comes with this honor, to help us look at our world from a new perspective and I wish him the best in his new role.”

“I am grateful, humbled, and eager for the opportunity to serve as the Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio, and to celebrate poetry wherever we may find it—in books, on stage, and on screens; and in the metaphors that help us to understand our world and each other,” said Lucas.

During his time as poet laureate, Lucas said he wants to help Ohioans use poetry to understand and enhance their lives. He is planning a multimedia project involving people from diverse places and backgrounds allowing them to experience a variety of opinions about poetry.

As a native Ohioan, born in Cleveland, Lucas earned his B.A. (English) at John Carroll University, M.F.A. (Creative Writing) at the University of Virginia, and M.A. and Ph.D. (English Language and Literature) at the University of Michigan. He has been an instructor at Case Western Reserve University; the Cleveland Clinic Program in Medical Humanities, Lerner College of Medicine; the John Carroll Young Writers Workshop; and Sweet Briar/James Madison University.

His achievements have included: The Reva and David Logan Foundation, For Your Gift grant award; the Cleveland Arts Prize, Emerging Artist in Literature; and a Creative Workforce Fellowship from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture in Greater Cleveland. His work, Weather, was awarded the 2012 Ohioana Book Award in Poetry. His poems are anthologized in The Bedford Introduction to Literature and Best New Poets 2005, among other publications.

Legislation creating the position of the state’s official poet was passed in 2014. Lucas was recommended for the position by the Ohio Poet Laureate Selection Committee, following an extensive statewide nomination and review process. Members of the selection committee were:

Ginger Warner, Ohio Arts Council board chair and selection committee chair
Caprice Bragg, Ohio Arts Council board member
Juan Cespedes, Ohio Arts Council board member
Jon D. Holt, Ohio Arts Council board member
Bill White, Ohio Arts Council board member
Eric H. Kearney, former state senator
Sandra Lim, poet

###

Photo courtesy of Dave Lucas

Ohio Arts Council Announces Committee Meeting

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:58:10 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – November 22, 2017

Members of the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) Awards Committee will meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 30. The meeting will take place at the OAC office on the 33^rd floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower, located at 30 E. Broad St. in downtown Columbus.

The next full OAC board meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 24. A specific time and any additional committee meetings that day will be announced in the future.

ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Connect with the OAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.

###

Ohio Arts Council Executive Director Donna S. Collins Elected to National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Board of Directors

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 10:55:38 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – November 6, 2017

Ohio Arts Council (OAC) Executive Director Donna S. Collins has been elected to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) Board of Directors.

As part of a rigorous national nomination process, state arts agencies elected Collins and other exemplary leaders at the NASAA 2017 Leadership Institute in Portland, Oregon, in October. Collins will serve a three-year term.

“It is an honor to serve on the NASAA Board partnering with other national leaders dedicated to advancing the arts,” Collins said. “Together we work to make our nation stronger through the many cultural, economic, and educational benefits the arts bring to every state and territory.”

The board includes representatives from 20 states and U.S. jurisdictions who come together to encourage state and federal support for the arts and to broaden opportunities for arts participation across America in geographically, artistically, culturally, and economically diverse settings.

"We are delighted to welcome Donna to the NASAA board," said NASAA President and Chief Executive Officer Pam Breaux. "She is an experienced leader who brings with her keen policy acumen, dedication to serving the public, and a genuine passion for the arts. We are excited to work with Donna and we welcome her expertise and guidance."

Collins became executive director of the OAC in 2014. Prior to leading the OAC, she served as the executive director of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE) since 1998 and as the executive director of the Ohio Citizens for the Arts (OCA) since 2001. During her tenure, both the OAAE and OCA were recognized statewide and nationally for their success at increasing services to constituents, creating policy, and generating more funds for the arts.

Collins brought to the OAC more than 20 years of experience in leading statewide nonprofit organizations, demonstrating consistent success and solid results that impact policy, education, economic development, and arts and culture.

A proven leader in the field of arts education and arts advocacy, she has worked with the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) on the Network Leadership Committee and as a consultant to state alliances across the nation. She also served as an Americans for the Arts state captain and a State Arts Action Network chair and member, as well as chair of the Arts Education Council.

Collins currently serves on NASAA's Development Committee and has also served on the Awards and Dues Task Forces. She has received the Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award from Americans for the Arts; Distinguished Fellow and Arts Administration Awards by the Ohio Art Education Association; VSA Ohio's Fran Bay Award; executive director recognition from the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network in 2003, 2008, 2011, and 2014; and induction into the Ohio Educational Theatre Association's Hall of Fame.

NASAA Chair Benjamin Brown said the NASAA 2018 board “continues to be representative of an exceptionally strong and committed membership.”

"I am eager to work with Donna and this team of outstanding leaders in coming months,” he said. “Together, we will strengthen state arts agencies and elevate the many cultural, educational, civic, and economic benefits they provide to citizens."

For more information about NASAA’s 2018 Board of Directors, visit nasaa-arts.org/about- nasaa/board-of-directors.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF STATE ARTS AGENCIES
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies is the nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that unites, represents, and serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Founded in 1968, NASAA represents their individual and collective interests, empowers their work through knowledge, and advances the arts as an essential public benefit. To learn more about NASAA and state arts agencies, visit nasaa-arts.org.

###

Photo Credit: Ohio Arts Council
Article by Amanda Etchison, Communications Strategist

Ohio Arts Council Awarded Art Education Honors

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 09:33:01 GMT

OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins and OAC Board Member Susan Allan Block Accepted the Distinguished Organization for Art Education Award at the Ohio Art Education Association Professional Development Conference

TOLEDO, Ohio – November 3, 2017

The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) has been named the recipient of a statewide award honoring art education efforts throughout the state.

As part of the Ohio Art Education Association’s (OAEA) annual award program, the OAC was selected as the state award winner through a juried vote of all regional winners of the 2017 Distinguished Organization for Art Education Award.

OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins and OAC Board Member Susan Allan Block accepted the award on behalf of the OAC at the 2017 OAEA Conference at a Nov. 2 ceremony in Toledo.

“Every child in Ohio, from pre-k to grade 12, deserves an education that includes the arts. At the Ohio Arts Council, we believe our investment in arts education is a priority,” Collins said.

A statewide service organization, the OAEA aims to build a community for visual art educators by promoting professional growth and leadership. The Distinguished Organization for Art Education Award is given to business organizations in each region of Ohio that demonstrate a high level of support for arts education throughout the state of Ohio. A statewide recipient is selected from this pool of regional winners.

“The Ohio Arts Council is a steadfast champion for arts education,” said Jarrod Hartzler, immediate past president of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education. “Their work positively impacts what is good for students and provides resources for teachers and principals to supplement the good work arts educators are already doing in schools. The OAC is second to none across the nation.”

In FY 2016 and FY 2017, the OAC awarded $4 million in arts learning grants through its TeachArtsOhio, Arts Partnership, Poetry Out Loud, and Big Yellow School Bus programs.

The OAC was nominated for the OAEA award by Dr. Janet Fedorenko, retired principal of Hanby Arts Magnet School in Westerville.

In her nomination support letter, written on behalf of the Tri-County Educational Service Center in Wooster, Dr. Michelle Muro, a fine arts consultant, described arts education programming that was funded by the OAC.

“We are indebted to the Ohio Arts Council for hearing our requests, working with us to promote arts education to serve a broader range of students, and providing students and teachers with resources that make the arts important in the realm of a complete education,” she said.

Sara Danner Hebdo, an art teacher at Rosemore Middle School, also described the impact the TeachArtsOhio program had on her students through her letter of support.

“The experience of having a teaching artist in my classroom one day a week has had a profound impact on my students and myself as an educator,” she said.

Collins expressed gratitude for the award, and praised work done throughout the state to support arts education initiatives.

“The Ohio Arts Council is so appreciative of the nomination and award from OAEA. To us, the award is a signal that our Board and staff are doing a good job by investing in arts education, students, and teachers through our state and federal budget appropriations,” she said. “The Ohio Art Education Association is an example of a statewide organization that focuses on students, lifelong learning, and enhancing education at all levels.”

For more information about the OAC’s Arts Learning programs, visit oac.ohio.gov/grants#4435-arts-learning.

ABOUT THE OHIO ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
The OAEA is a statewide service organization operated by an executive committee and board of directors, consisting of elected representatives from nine regions and eight divisions. These volunteers serve in a variety of capacities on the local, regional, and state levels. Other members represent the Distinguished Fellows, Ohio Art Education Foundation, and Committee Chairs.

###

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Donna S. Collins
Article by Kayla Draper, 2017-18 Social Media and Events Fellow

Ohio Arts Council Announces Future Board, Committee Meetings

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:34:39 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Future meeting dates for the full Ohio Arts Council (OAC) board have been set through July 2018.