Artist Opportunities -- Ohio Arts Council

GRANT AWARDS: Grants are awarded to individual artists at both the emerging artist level ($500) and professional artist level (up to $2,500) with no cash match required. Individuals may submit one application per year. Artist Opportunities grantees can anticipate receiving their full request.

Note: For the purposes of this program, emerging artists are individuals who have consistently worked in their chosen art form for more than three years, have demonstrated strong artistic potential, and want to develop their careers. Professional artists are individuals who devote a major portion of their time to creating, practicing, performing, or teaching their chosen artform and receive some type of monetary support from this endeavor.

ELIGIBILITY: All applying artists must:
• Be an Ohio resident (the OAC defines an Ohio resident as someone who spends at least eight months of the year living and working in Ohio), and, if awarded funding, remain a resident during the grant period.
• Have exhibited, performed, or published work as an artist within the past three years.
• Be at least 18 years of age. Students attending high school or students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees at the time of application may not apply.

Note: Applicants may not receive both an Artists with Disabilities Access Program grant and an Artist Opportunities grant in the same fiscal year. Artists who have received an Individual Excellence Award (in any discipline) are ineligible to apply for an Artist Opportunities award for five years.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS: The Artist Opportunities program provides support to individual artists to:
• introduce their work to new audiences and raise their artistic profile through exhibitions, performances, or screenings.
• develop a new artistic skill through participation in domestic activities such as conferences, artist residencies, workshops, fellowships, master classes, or apprenticeships.
• advance their career through activities like production of marketing materials, website development, equipment purchases (not to exceed $1,500), materials, services, or rental fees for equipment or facilities.

The opportunity should represent a new or further development or professional endeavor. It should not duplicate previous work or experiences.