The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is an agency serving the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

History

Established in 1965, its mission is to "foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage." Each year it awards grants to arts organizations and individuals throughout the state. Its headquarters are in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. Since 2003, it has awarded the Ohio Heritage Award each year, an award modeled on the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

. In January 2021, Susan Allan Block, wife of the owner of

Block Communications Block Communications Inc. (also known as Blade Communications) is an American privately held holding company of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City when ...

, resigned from the Ohio Arts Council after she posted vulgar comments about Vice President-elect

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...

and support for the

2021 storming of the United States Capitol On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...

Programs and Operations

The
State Arts Plan 2015-2017
' was created in response to the needs of everyday Ohioans. Informed by focus groups, one-on-one interviews, site visits to organizations and communities, and a statewide survey of all 88 counties—the ''State Arts Plan ''serves as the foundation for the agency's future. Four actions areas: INVEST, ENGAGE, INNOVATE and LEAD underpin the plan, guiding program prioritization and resource deployment. The Council operates the Riffe Gallery in the lobby of the Vern Riffe Center for Government & the Arts at 77 S. High Street, near the

Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse is the state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus. The capitol houses the Ohio General Assembly, consisting of the H ...

References

External links

Ohio Arts Council official site
Arts councils of the United States Art in Ohio State agencies of Ohio Government agencies established in 1965 1965 establishments in Ohio {{Ohio-stub