Historic $23.3M in arts grants approved by Ohio Arts Council Board
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) board approved $23,340,516 in grants to support Ohio artists, nonprofits, arts and cultural organizations, students and educators, and public arts programming at its July 30 meeting.
This marks the largest single round of grant awards distributed to OAC funding applicants in the agency’s history.
The 965 grants approved at the meeting constitute the OAC’s first and broadest funding round for state fiscal year 2026.
The investment marks a significant step in the OAC’s ongoing commitment to directly fund arts programming in all 88 Ohio counties —something it has done for the last 10 fiscal years.
These grants stem from the state’s 2026-2027 operating budget, which included a record-high state appropriation of nearly $53.5 million for the OAC over the two-year period.
Local grant recipients include:
• Adams County Arts Council in West Union received a $4,095 Sustainability grant.
• Art on the Square/Community Action Commission of Fayette County in Washington Court House received an $812 ArtSTART grant.
• Chatfield Edge (formerly Chatfield College) in St. Martin (Brown County) received a $565 Sustainability grant.
• Chillicothe STEM Preschool/Chillicothe City Schools in Ross County received a $40,600 TeachArtsOhio grant.
• Downtown Chillicothe received a $3,892 ArtSTART grant.
• Fayette County Community Band, Inc. in Washington Court House received a $3,023 ArtSTART grant.
• Jasper Elementary School/Scioto Valley Local
School District in Piketon (Pike County) received a $17,500 TeachArtsOhio grant.
• Murphy Theatre Community Center, Inc. in Wilmington (Clinton County) received a $21,939 Sustainability grant.
• Pump House Center for the Arts in Chillicothe received a $6,500 Sustainability grant.
• Ripley RISE/Ripley Economic Development, Inc. in Brown County received an $8,706 ArtsNEXT grant.
• Scarecrow Festival in Washington Court House received a $3,356 ArtSTART grant.
• Scioto Society, Inc. in Chillicothe received a $44,072 Sustainability grant.
Download/view a PDF of grants at https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/v1753712256/oac.ohio.gov/pdfs/….
"This year, the Ohio Arts Council honors 60 years of public investment thanks to the long-term vision shared by many governors and legislative leaders,” said Donna S. Collins, Executive Director, Ohio Arts Council. “Through today’s meaningful, impactful investment, we are proud to increase access to the arts in communities across Ohio to the benefit of Ohio residents and visitors. The arts directly contribute to making our state a place of innovation, vitality, and cultural importance. On behalf of our board, we thank Governor Mike DeWine and members of the Ohio General Assembly for their enduring and unwavering support of Ohio’s arts and cultural sector.”
OAC grant funding was awarded in the following areas:
Operating Support
Sustainability supports ongoing arts and cultural activities in all genres. Awards support the state's arts and cultural ecosystem, providing stable and consistent funding to organizations regardless of budget size. This flexible and reliable funding supports a wide range of the state's arts providers as they make high-quality artistic experiences available to residents and visitors, positioning Ohio as a national leader in creativity, artistry, and cultural assets.
558 grants totaling $18,119,370.
Statewide Arts Service Organizations (SASO) are qualifying organizations that provide statewide professional services to arts and cultural organizations. These organizations serve as critical partners to the OAC’s work as they, along with their members or constituents, support our mission to strengthen Ohio communities through the arts through unique and valuable contributions.
5 grants totaling $299,226.
Project Support
ArtSTART provides flexible, accessible funding to help organizations complete short-term projects addressing a wide variety of goals and objectives. Most awards support the programming of new or emerging organizations, including first-time OAC applicants, as well as new or established organizations in areas not served by other arts providers.
124 grants totaling $437,640.
ArtsNEXT provides competitive funding for innovative and experimental projects. Awards support big ideas that push boundaries, engage participants in unexpected ways, pilot new solutions to challenging problems, improve program design with calculated risk-taking, or result in the creation of new work. These forward-looking projects help define Ohio as an exciting, cutting-edge place to make, consume, and experience the arts.
43 grants totaling $700,000.
Ohio Artists on Tour enables Ohio organizations to tap into the creative potential of artists to enrich their programming and the vitality of their communities. This program provides awards in the form of support to institutions that present Ohio-based performing artists.
34 grants totaling $191,263.
Arts Learning
Arts Partnership supports arts education projects that address the needs of individual learners and their communities. Grant recipients engage in collaborative planning with partners, emphasize in-depth study of the arts, and use arts learning outcomes and standards-based arts education practices.
80 grants totaling $972,066.
TeachArtsOhio brings schools together with teaching artists to share engaging, personal, high-quality arts learning experiences. Residencies can vary from short introductory exposures lasting as few as 10 days to in-depth immersive experiences spanning a full school year. Creative and experienced teaching artists offer learners the opportunity to participate in a unique creative process, bridge cultural differences, develop fresh ways of learning through the arts, and realize lasting benefits from contact and collaboration with professional artists who work professionally with school-aged children and youth.
102 grants totaling $2,556,400.
Artist Programs
Traditional Arts Apprenticeships provide support for mentor artists to work with apprentices to build understanding and proficiency in folk and traditional art forms. By supporting exemplary practitioners working with dedicated apprentices, the program allows for concentrated study and cultural transmission. These awards support the teaching and sharing of important cultural traditions and enrich the lives of Ohioans.
19 grants totaling $64,551.
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 Instagram, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.