INTRODUCTION

Dear Constituents:

Welcome to the Ohio Arts Council Guidelines for the 2012-2013 biennium. Over the past few months, the arts council staff has worked diligently to update all aspects of the Guidelines, paying particular attention to streamlining the application process and identifying new avenues for supporting the creative efforts of arts and cultural organizations. This led to some exciting changes not only for our grant programs, but also for the long-term strategic vision of the OAC.

During a time of unprecedented change in our state's economy, one thing is certain--the arts continue to play a crucial role in Ohio's economic development and are essential to restoring t he state to prosperity. In fact, utilizing the creative sector to restore Ohio's economic prosperity is a defining concept of our agency's new strategic plan.

The two-year, extensive planning process kicked off in 2008 with listening tours in 14 large and small communities throughout Ohio. During these tours, we talked to elected officials, community leaders, artists, arts administrators and everyday Ohioans in order to find out what they value about the arts and how the OAC can play a more effective role in their communities. We also gathered input from stakeholder groups and conducted a statewide survey on Ohioans' opinions of the arts, culture and entertainment. We discovered a number of interesting things, including the great interest of citizens across the state in seeing the OAC help Ohio's local communities develop their creative sectors, both nonprofit and for-profit.

Building on what we learned during the planning process, the OAC is placing an increased emphasis on the funding of creative economic development initiatives. This is reflected most notably in our Project Support program, which now offers Creative Economy Project grants for the support of long-term economic or community development initiatives through the arts. From revitalizing neighborhoods to attracting and retaining a talented workforce, we want to see the arts as one of the driving forces in economic development and improving communities throughout Ohio.

I invite you to use these Guidelines as a roadmap on your way to applying for OAC funding. If you are a returning applicant, you will notice that many changes are minor and address issues of readability or clarity. Other changes, however, are more substantive, such as the expansion of the Artist in Residence program to allow two-year grants for experienced residency sponsors and the sunsetting of the Capacity Building program. Be sure to read the Guidelines carefully to see if your program has been modified.

If you have questions before, during or even after you have applied for funding, please contact us at any time. We are here to help you and to serve as partners in your long-term success. The OAC firmly believes that, through our partnership, we can use the arts to help revitalize our state and create vibrant communities that make Ohio a desirable place to live, learn, work and visit.

Julie S. Henahan, Executive Director, Ohio Arts Council
Jeffrey A. Rich, Board Chair, Ohio Arts Council
Jacquelyn Nance, Immediate Past Chair, Ohio Arts Council