COLUMBUS, Ohio – The board of trustees of the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) approved a second round of 27 Project Support grants totaling $299,402. Project Support grants provide funding for a broad range of arts and cultural projects, events and programs.
“We’re finishing the year strong with another robust round of Project Support grantees,” said McKenzi Swinehart, grants and community engagement director. “From dance and theater performances to arts hops and cultural festivals, these projects are bringing superb arts experiences to Columbus audiences.”
This second round for 2023 includes seven first-time applicants and six individual artists who received funding for their projects. First-time applicants include the University District Organization for the Pearl Jam block party, Sarah Ramey for an intergenerational dance concert and Ademola Ogunyemi for the BRIGHTBLACK multi-media showcase of BIPOC artists. Returning applicants include cultural festivals like the Central Ohio Bengali Cultural Association’s Columbus Milieu, Leticia Vazquez-Smith for the 2023 Day of the Dead Columbus Festival and OhioDance for its annual festival. Project Support is also going toward performing arts seasons for Oyo Dance Company, Vaud-Villilties Productions, Sunday at Central, MadLab and Xclaim.
| Applicant Name | Project Title | Amount |
| A Tribe For Jazz | 2023-2024 Performing Arts Series – A Focus on Gender Equity and Artist Diversity | $6,000 |
| Ademola Ogunyemi | BRIGHTBLACK | $5,000 |
| Alexandra Anthony | OTE Art Walk, Fall Series | $14,000 |
| Central Ohio Bengali Cultural Association | Columbus Milieu (Festival of Columbus) | $7,000 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | Beeler Gallery: A Look at Ohio Artists | $15,000 |
| Columbus Folk Music Society Incorporated | Americana/Folk Concert Series | $5,000 |
| Columbus Jewish Community Center | JCC Jewish Cultural Arts Programming | $22,500 |
| Converging Arts Columbus | Echoes of Tradition | $7,500 |
| Franklinton Arts District | Franklinton Arts District Monthly Programming and Annual Arts Festival | $18,000 |
| Hixon Dance | Hixon Dance 17th Season | $19,900 |
| Imagine Productions of Columbus, Inc. | 2023-2024 Artistic Season | $12,000 |
| Julie Whitney-Scott | 12th Columbus Black Theatre Festival | $6,300 |
| Katina Jennings | The Prodigal Revisited: Jugha’s Journey | $8,100 |
| Leticia Vazquez-Smith | Day of the Dead Columbus Festival 2023 | $13,700 |
| Lynette Grace | A Crime of Forgiveness (stage play) | $1,790 |
| MadLab | MadLab Season and Venue Support 2023-2024 | $26,000 |
| OhioDance | 2024 OhioDance Festival | $22,612 |
| Oyo Dance Company | Oyo Dance Company Season 2023-2024 | $9,100 |
| Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative | Impressions of Columbus | $5,200 |
| Ricarrdo Valentine | Black on Earth | $6,700 |
| Sarah Ramey | Age to Age Intergenerational Dance Concert | $8,000 |
| Southeast, Inc. | Fresh A.I.R. Gallery Exhibitions | $9,800 |
| Sunday at Central | 2023/24 Concert Season | $6,200 |
| University District Organization, Inc. | The Pearl Jam | $6,000 |
| Vaud-Villities Productions, Inc. | Vaud-Villities 2023-2024 Show Season | $20,000 |
| We Amplify Voices | The Artist Inside: Behind the Song | $11,000 |
| Xclaim | 2023-2024 Season, “Uplift” | $7,000 |
TOTAL: $299,402
This concludes the Project Support program for 2023. For the first round in March, 36 projects received $411,300. In total, $710,702 was awarded to 63 projects in Project Support this year. Of those 63 projects in 2023, 22 were first-time applicants and 12 were artist-led.
For more information on community funding, including guidelines and upcoming deadlines, go to gcac.org or contact the Grants & Community Engagement team at grants@gcac.org or (614) 224-2606.
Artists interested in learning about GCAC’s programs are encouraged to sign-up for the GCAC Alerts newsletter mailing list. This newsletter is shared with artists twice a month and includes information on grant opportunities and art-specific career opportunities in Columbus, as well as support for artists outside of GCAC. To opt-in, please visit gcac.org/workshops-and-resources/opportunities-for-artists.
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, the Ohio Arts Council and The Ohio State University.
For translations of this release and other pages, please see the dropdown menu at the top right corner of gcac.org.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
