Ohio Arts Council Earns Second-Highest Statewide Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for Seventh Consecutive Year May 10, 2016 COLUMBUS, Ohio—For the seventh year in a row, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) has earned the second-highest state partnership agreement grant in the nation from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grant totals $983,200 and reflects a 3.3% increase from the prior fiscal year’s grant of $952,000. Awards are based on state population and the competitive nature of the work done by each state’s arts council. As in recent past years, only California's award exceeds Ohio's, while Ohio outpaced larger states including Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. “We are thrilled to receive the second-highest grant award from the NEA for the seventh consecutive year,” OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins stated. “It is a true testament to the creative expression and artistic excellence that flourishes in the state of Ohio.” Continuing temporary law in Ohio's state operating budget ensures that virtually all NEA funding is dedicated to grants for individuals and organizations. “Ohio’s federal grant from the NEA is a direct investment in our state’s economy and it will benefit artists, arts organizations, students, and the public at large,” Collins added. State partnership agreement grants allow the NEA to extend its reach to every community in America, translating national leadership into local, state, and regional benefit. “The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like the ones in Ohio offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.” In addition to the grant award to the OAC, the NEA announced additional grants totaling $425,000 for arts-related organizations throughout Ohio. Overall, Ohio will receive more than $1.4 million in NEA grants in the spring funding cycle. NEA grant recipients are listed below by city: Statewide · Ohio Arts Council: $983,200 Cincinnati Catacoustic Consort, Inc.: $10,000 Cincinnati Museum Association (aka Cincinnati Art Museum): $25,000 Cleveland Cleveland Museum of Art: $15,000 Cuyahoga Arts and Culture: $50,000 GroundWorks Dancetheatre: $20,000 Musical Arts Association (aka The Cleveland Orchestra): $25,000 Neighborhood Progress, Inc. (aka Cleveland Neighborhood Progress): $25,000 Professional Flair, Inc. (aka Dancing Wheels Company and School): $10,000 Columbus Greater Columbus Arts Council: $40,000 OhioDance: $10,000 Wexner Center Foundation (aka Wexner Center for the Arts): $25,000 Dayton · University of Dayton: $10,000 New Albany · Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts Corporation (aka McCoy Center for the Arts): $50,000 Youngstown · Youngstown State University: $100,000 Zanesfield · Mad River Theatre Works: $10,000 All total, the NEA will make 1,148 awards totaling more than $82.3 million nationwide in its spring funding round. For the complete NEA press release, click here. For the complete list of all NEA grants this funding round, click here. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring2016. ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts--both new and established--bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. 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. ###