ARTIST EXPRESS

The OAC recognizes that schools and organizations considering a residency or an arts learning program have different needs and experience levels. The Artist Express program was created to provide an opportunity for schools or community organizations to collaborate with an artist for one, two or three days in order to explore an arts discipline or to see what it might be like to host an artist for the first time. Applicants should exhibit an interest in the work of a particular artist from the Arts Learning Artist Directory that supports collaborative learning and also have a basic level of readiness for the artist’s visit.

Application Deadline: Applications are due no later than six weeks prior to the date of the proposed artist visit. Funds are limited and will be awarded on a rolling basis as long as funds are available.

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

View a list of Artist Express FAQs.

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

The Artist Express program supports one-, two- or three-day artist visits for schools, arts organizations and other community organizations. The program is for applicants who have never hosted an OAC artist in residence or for experienced residency sponsors who want to expand learning opportunities through an art discipline that is new for the site. The Artist Express program is designed to broaden access to the arts and stimulate exploration of an art discipline with an experienced professional artist. Sponsors must select an approved professional artist from the Arts Learning Artist Directory located on the OAC website.

To learn more about conducting a longer artist residency, please refer to the Artist in Residence section of the Guidelines.

Allowable Expenses
Artist Express funds are to be used for artist fees. Please refer to the Funding Restrictions section of the OAC Guidelines for a list of activities the OAC cannot fund. In addition to these restrictions, OAC funding cannot be awarded to:

• Activities that are designed in preparation for or in conjunction with competitions or performances that are not accompanied by hands-on art-making activities.

Grant Awards
The current fee for an artist in the Artist Express program is $300 per day. Grants will be awarded for either $250 (one day), $500 (two days) or $750 (three days). The sponsor is responsible for the remaining $50, $100 or $150 per day as well as the artist’s lunch and supplies. For visits with more than one artist, the sponsor must contact the OAC’s Arts Learning coordinator to discuss the appropriate funding amount.

WHO MAY APPLY

Eligible organizations include—but are not limited to—public, private, charter or parochial schools (pre-kindergarten through secondary schools) and other community organizations or social service organizations that provide arts programming. All organizations that apply to this program must have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent. Applicants may receive only one Artist Express grant per year.

Criminal Background Checks
The OAC does not have the statutory authority to require criminal background checks of the artists participating in the Arts Learning Artist Directory. However, schools and some organizations are required by the Ohio Revised Code or by internal policies and administrative procedures to conduct such checks. Arts Learning Artist Directory artists may be required to submit to a criminal background check in order to work in schools or other organizations.

HOW TO APPLY

Schools and organizations that wish to apply for an Artist Express grant must contact a member of the OAC’s Arts Learning coordinator to initiate the application process.

Application Basics
The application must be activated in the OAC’s OnLine Grant Application system (OLGA) by the Arts Learning coordinator before an applicant can access it. After the application is activated, the applicant will receive an e-mail with detailed instructions on how to navigate the application process. No paper applications are accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to the primary contact listed in the application) when your application is received.

Support Materials
To complete an application for this program, applicants must print out and submit a hard copy signature page from OLGA. This signature page must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. seven calendar days following the electronic submission of the application in OLGA. We require an original signature, so faxed and electronic copies cannot be accepted. This signature page must be received before the application can be reviewed. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your primary contact person) when the signature page is received. For assistance with OLGA, call the help desk at 614/728-4449 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or e-mail olgahelpdesk@oac.state.oh.us.

Grant application deadline	At least 6 weeks prior to the artist visit
Signature page	7 calendar days after the electronic application is submitted
Grant award announcement	4-5 weeks prior to visit
Signed grant agreement	1 week prior to visit
Grant activity	Start and end dates between July 1 and July 30
Payment to artist by sponsor	Final day of visit
Final report deadline	30 days after conclusion of visit
Grant funding sent to sponsor	3-6 weeks after receipt of sponsor's final report

Evaluation
OAC staff members evaluate and score Artist Express grant applications based on how well the organization meets the review criteria. The score, along with a funding recommendation, is presented to the OAC executive director and deputy director for further review and approval. Program coordinators will report comments about the application to organizations if requested.

The review process is competitive; not all applications are funded.

• Applicant values the creative process and collaborative learning;
• Applicant is prepared to provide space and time for the artist visit;
• Staff/teachers and administrators are supportive of the activity;
• Sufficient supplies are available for the art form;
• Applicant demonstrates the ability to develop and manage resources and other assets appropriately.