Marion County arts programs get a funding boost from state grants

The Ohio Arts Council awarded 11 grants to Marion County arts organizations and programs as part of an allocation of 935 grants statewide.

The Marion County grants are:

• Marion Voices Folklife & Oral History/Caledonia - $18,740 ArtsNEXT grant
• Marion Voice Folklife & Oral History/Caledonia - $6,000 sustainability grant
• Terradise Nature Center - $18,740 ArtsNEXT grant
• Terradise Nature Center - $3,865 sustainability grant
• Caledonia Farmer's Market - $3,913 ArtsNEXT grant
• Palace Cultural Arts Association/Marion - $11,001 Ohio Artists on Tour grant
• Palace Cultural Arts Association/Marion - $40,764 sustainability grant
• George Washington Elementary/Marion City Schools - $13,300 TeachARTSOhio grant
• Grant Middle School/Marion City Schools - $42,000 TeachARTSOhio grant
• Marion St. Mary School - $42,000 TeachARTSOhio grant
• Tri-Rivers Career Center - $25,000 TeachARTSOhio grant

ArtsNEXT are competitive grants that provide funding for innovative and experimental projects. Sustainability grants support ongoing arts and cultural activities in all genres. Ohio Artists on Tour provides awards in the form of fee support to institutions that present Ohio-based performing artists. TeachArtsOhio brings schools and community organizations together with teaching artists. Engagements can range from 10 days to a full school year.

In all, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) board approved $22,704,702 in grants. This marks the largest single round of grant awards distributed to OAC funding applicants in the agency’s history, directly funding arts programming in all 88 Ohio counties.

The grants stem from the state’s 2024-2025 operating budget, which included a record-high state appropriation of nearly $51.1 million for the OAC over the two-year period.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Marion County arts programs get a funding boost from state grants