COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Arts Council board of trustees approved 25 grants totaling $2,591,544 in Operating Support: Phase Three, as well as five Project Support grants totaling $40,023 and three Big Ideas grants totaling $10,000.
These grants are made possible through funds the Arts Council receives from the city of Columbus, through the hotel/motel bed tax and the arts and culture fee, and from Franklin County.
“As we finish out this difficult year, it’s important we continue supporting the arts in Columbus, from individual artists fleshing out creative ideas, to bold new projects from arts organizations, to our larger institutions,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the Arts Council. “Despite cuts to arts funding due to COVID-19, we’re committed to our signature grant programs, and are forging ahead into 2021, doing our best to meet the demands on our programs despite the unknown pace of economic recovery from the pandemic. We’re grateful to the City of Columbus and Franklin County for their continued support of the arts.”
OPERATING SUPPORT
As part of the Arts Council’s pandemic response, the Operating Support application deadline and the 2020 Operating Support process was modified to allocate awards in three phases. This enabled organizations to assess the impact of Ohio’s Stay-at-Home orders, focus on virtual programming and work on forecast scenarios. Phase One grants were approved in June for a total of $1,498,772 and Phase Two in September, also for $1,498,772. Prior to Phases Two and Three, organizations submitted updated financials, planning documents and surveys about reopening, staffing, equity work and other details.
Operating Support funds are available to established arts and culture organizations with an average three-year adjusted audited revenue of at least $150,000, that are well-managed, have significant impact and broad community engagement. Award amounts are contingent upon funds available.
For Phase Three of Operating Support grants, the Arts Council awarded $2,591,544 to the following 25 organizations:
| Actors Theatre | $20,154 |
| Ballet Metropolitan, Inc. | $186,592 |
| CAPA | $189,126 |
| CATCO | $88,335 |
| Chamber Music Columbus | $13,934 |
| Columbus Children’s Choir | $22,934 |
| Columbus Children’s Theatre | $82,642 |
| Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus | $31,699 |
| Columbus Landmarks Foundation | $26,690 |
| Columbus Museum of Art | $185,227 |
| Columbus Symphony Orchestra | $193,026 |
| COSI | $191,076 |
| Franklin Park Conservatory | $181,327 |
| Gateway Film Center | $122,762 |
| Glass Axis | $40,444 |
| Jazz Arts Group | $117,341 |
| King Arts Complex | $76,203 |
| Ohio Designer Craftsmen | $68,210 |
| Ohio History Connection/Ohio Historical Society | $113,044 |
| Opera Columbus | $94,746 |
| ProMusica | $109,899 |
| Shadowbox Live | $165,729 |
| Short North Stage | $61,531 |
| Thurber House | $44,898 |
| Wexner Center for the Arts | $163,975 |
TOTAL: $2,591,544
For 2020, total Operating Support awards were $5,589,088. In 2019, Operating Support grants totaling $5,312,563 were awarded to 25 organizations. This included funding from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners awarded in the fall of 2019.
The 2021 Operating Support deadline is May 1. No new applicants will be accepted in 2021 unless previously approved by the Arts Council.
PROJECT SUPPORT
The Arts Council board also approved five Project Support: Round Three grants totaling $40,023.
This included Urban Strings Columbus’ effort to honor and celebrate the legacy of artist Aminah Robinson by performing concerts composed and arranged by African American musicians. Held in conjunction with the Columbus Museum of Art’s exhibition Raggin’ On, musicians from Urban Strings will perform a concert with guest musicians from the Columbus Symphony, New Albany High School Chamber Orchestra and select string musicians from area ensembles.
For round three of Project Support grants, the Arts Council awarded $40,023 to the following five organizations:
| OhioDance | 2021 OhioDance Festival | $17,900 |
| Southeast, Inc. | Fresh A.I.R. Gallery Exhibition Season | $3,973 |
| Urban Cultural Arts Foundation | Art in the Hood – 2021 Exhibition Season | $6,000 |
| Urban Strings Columbus | Raggin On – Honoring Aminah Robinson | $6,000 |
| We Amplify Voices | Bridges of Love: Album Release Event + Panel | $6,150 |
TOTAL: $40,023
Together with the first two rounds of grants in March and July, a total of $543,393 was awarded in Project Support for 2020.
BIG IDEAS
New to 2020, Big Ideas grants are intended to uplift artist ideas and projects that bring all art forms out into the community. The Arts Council approved three Big Ideas grants totaling $10,000 in December.
This included Utpola Borah’s project exploring South Asian performing arts traditions in Ohio. Because the state is home to a large community from the Indian sub-continent, such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Borah hopes to present traditional folk forms of these diaspora communities through performances across the city.
For this round, the Arts Council board of trustees awarded three Big Ideas grants totaling $10,000:
| Micaela Gonzalez-Gammon | Moving Into Our Future | $3,500 |
| Regina Zehner | Verge.fm | $3,500 |
| Utpola Borah | South Asian Performing Arts Traditions in Ohio | $3,000 |
Total: $10,000
Together with the first two rounds awarded in February and July, a total of $49,000 was awarded in Big Ideas grants for 2020.
For more information on community funding, including guidelines and upcoming deadlines, go to gcac.org or contact Alison Barret, director of Grants & Services at (614) 221-8406 or abarret@gcac.org.
Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners and the Ohio Arts Council.
For translations of this release and other pages, please see the dropdown menu at the top right corner of gcac.org.
# # #
CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
