• Award recipients may not apply for the next two consecutive deadlines.
• Award recipients may not submit the same work with future applications. Resubmission of the same work will disqualify the applicant from the review process.

What the OAC Needs

• A completed Individual Creativity Excellence Awards application must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on the September 1 deadline. At that time, the system locks and no further changes can be made to the application.
• Include with your support materials a signed copy of the completed application. Retain a copy for your records. For those applicants who have uploaded images, only a signed application is required.
• NEW: For artists applying in the areas of visual arts, crafts, photography, design, interdisciplinary and media installations in the category of media arts, digital images must be uploaded to OLGA within seven calendar days after the deadline date (by 5 p.m.).
• For choreography, music composition, media arts, design arts, interdisciplinary and literature send the required support materials (listed below). These must be received in the OAC office within seven calendar days after the deadline date (by 5 p.m.). If the support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. You will be notified via your online account when materials are received.

Specific Support Material Requirements by Discipline

• Choreographers
  The panel will review a minimum of five and maximum of 10 minutes of the sample in their first review. The panel will look at work in the order it is listed on the application. Work more than five years old will not be accepted. The OAC requires:
  • Two complete works on 1/2" videocassette (VHS) or DVD; each work must be on a separate cassette or disc.
  • One 10-minute sample consisting of sample sections of each of the two submitted works.
  • Screening notes may be added to aid the audio/visual person in showing your support materials.

NOTE: At least five minutes and up to 10 minutes will be shown in the initial review round. Total time viewed is up to the discretion of the panel and may in some cases be less than 10 minutes. Keep this in mind as you select and cue materials for the sample.


• Craftspersons, Photographers and Visual Artists
  Submit a minimum of nine but not more than 12, digital images of at least nine different works. See Preparing and Uploading Images, below, for instructions on attaching your image to your OLGA application. Discs with images will not be accepted. Images must be uploaded to OLGA. Work more than three years old will not be accepted.
  
  
• Designers/Illustrators/Book Artists
  Submit a minimum of nine but not more than 12, digital images of at least nine different works. See Preparing and Uploading Images, below, for instructions on attaching your image to your OLGA application. Discs with images will not be accepted. Images must be uploaded to OLGA. Work more than three years old will not be accepted.
  Additionally, designers may submit either work that has been produced or constructed or drawings or proposals for work that has not been produced. Illustrators may submit the publication in which the work has been included. In addition to the support materials listed in this section, architects, designers, landscape architects and urban-metropolitan designers may submit clearly identified blueprints, specs or maquettes. Clothing and costume designers may include illustrations and drawings along with fabric swatches. CD ROMs/DVDs also will be accepted that show schematics.
  
  
• Interdisciplinary and Performance Artists
  Submit at least two but no more than three works, which may be a combination of digital images (no more than 12), ½" videotapes (VHS), audio tapes, CD-ROMs, DVDs, manuscripts and scenarios. If movement is an important part of a piece, include a videotape, CD-ROM or DVD. You must also include screening notes with all audio-visual materials. Work must have been created in the past three years. If sending digital images please see section Preparing and Uploading Your Digital Images for submission instructions.
  
  
• Media Artists
  The media arts category is for artists working in film, video, audio, media installations and new technologies (computer-based work) that have primary responsibility for the finished product and are the originators of the artistic concepts of the pieces.
  
  
• Required Medium-Specific Support Materials
  • Audio artists
    
  • At least two but no more than three complete works, each on a separate audio cassette tape, CD or CD ROM. The work must have been completed within the past three years.
  • A 10-minute sample, to include an excerpt from each work submitted.
  • Filmmakers
    
  • Two works, one from the past three years, the others from the past five years. Each work must be on ½" videotape (VHS) or DVD.
  • A 10-minute sample, to include an excerpt from each work submitted.
  • Media Installation Artists
    One or two works with a combination of digital images, ½" videotape (VHS), CD-ROMs, DVDs and diagrams that best document the work. The work must have been completed within the past five years. If sending digital images please see section Preparing and Uploading Your Digital Images, below, for submission instructions.
  • Video Artists
    
    • Two works on ½" videotape (VHS), CD-ROMs or DVDs. The work must have been completed within the past five years.
    • A 10-minute sample, to include an excerpt from each work submitted.
    
    
    NOTE: At least five minutes and up to 10 minutes of the sample will be shown in the initial review round. Total time viewed is up to the discretion of the panel and may in some cases be less than 10 minutes. Keep this in mind as you select and cue your sample.
    
    

Preparing and Uploading Your Digital Images

It is essential that the digital images of your artwork are of the highest professional quality. The standards that apply to traditional slide documentation also apply to the digital image format.

The OAC's Online Grants Application System (OLGA) uses ZAPP™ technology which makes use of the sRGB color space. While saving your images in the sRGB color space isn't essential, you will have a more consistent result to what panelists will ultimately view. As with slides, what the panelists will see will be affected by environmental factors such as ambient light and throw distance of the projectors.

Image Specifications for OLGA

To apply to the Excellence Award deadline through OLGA, please size your images to the following dimensions using a photo imaging sofware such as Photoshop:

Dimensions: 

1920 pixels horizontal /1920 pixels vertical

File Format:

Baseline JPG (do not use progressive JPG format)

Compression : 

The image file size must be less than 1.8 MBs. To determine your file size please view the properties of your image file size while it is closed and not in Photoshop. Larger is not necessarily better. Please consult a professional vendor to determine if compression for your artwork is needed. PLEASE DO NOT SAVE YOUR JPG AS A PROGRESSIVE JPG FILE. Progressive JPGs will be read by the Web site. However the large format images used during the jury will not display properly if the files are saved as progressive files.

Please size your image to be 1920 pixels on both edges. If your image is not square, please mask your image with black to bring your image to 1920x1920 pixels. No other size will be accepted for panel use. If your image is vertical, please format with black vertical bands on the left and right. If your image is horizontal, please format with black horizontal bands on the top and the bottom. Please view more detailed instructions on how to format your digital images and specifications here.

Upload instructions for OLGA

Specifics on how to upload your images to the OLGA will be available through the OLGA application and at the Individual Creativity Program page on our Web site.
• Creative Writers
  The following information is for all writing categories. Refer to the specific discipline area for more information about submitting manuscripts.
  
  NOTE: Manuscripts submitted in Creative Writing categories will not be returned to applicants.
• Submit four copies of a typed manuscript, rather than the published work. Photocopies from publications will not be accepted. All manuscripts must be clear and legible.
• Use type no smaller than 11 points, and leave at least a 1" margin at the top, bottom and each side.
• Collate and staple poems and manuscripts into sets; bind plays and scripts.
• Put your name and address on a cover page of each collated set of materials. Your name may not appear anywhere else in the manuscript.
• List the contents on a second title page. All submissions should be ordered sequentially.
  
  NOTE: Writers concerned only with doing research on art history are not eligible to apply.
• Fiction and Nonfiction Writers
  Submit four copies of one recent work or a series of smaller works. The work must be a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 pages on single-sided 8½" x 11" sheets, double spaced. Work must have been completed within the past three years.
• Poets
  Submit four sets of the same poems. The work must be a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 pages of poetry on single-sided, 8½" x 11" sheets, single or double spaced, no more than one poem to a page. Work must have been completed within the past three years.
• Playwrights and Screenwriters
  Submit four copies of each script. There is no page limit in this discipline. The work must be one complete play or two complete one-act plays on single-sided, 8½" x 11" sheets, single or double spaced. If the play is a musical theater piece, submit one copy each of the libretto, score, book and audio sample. Scripts must have been completed within the past five years.
• Critics
  Submit four copies of each manuscript. The work must be a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 50 pages of work on single-sided, 8½" x 11" sheets, double spaced. The category of criticism supports critical writing that investigates, evaluates or analyzes modern and contemporary art activity, including the visual arts, photography, crafts, dance, music, theater, literature, design arts and illustration, media arts and the traditional arts. Work must have been completed within the past five years. Writers whose concern is solely historical are not eligible to apply in this category.
• Music Composers
  These awards are for the composition of music, not performance. Submit a score with each piece, and include a lead sheet for jazz compositions, popular and traditional forms. A computer rendering must be included for computer-generated work. The OAC requires:
  • Two complete works on separate audiocassettes or CDs. Mark the recordings #1 or #2 to correspond to the listing on the application. On each recording list the title, date composed and total playing time. No work should be more than three years old.
  • One audiocassette or CD with a 10-minute sample recording that consists of samples from each work submitted.
  
  
  • A score or lead sheet. Your name should appear only on the outside cover of each score or lead sheet. Indicate exactly where the material on the sample begins and ends, or list tracks.
    
    NOTE: At least five minutes and up to 10 minutes of the sample will be listened to in the initial review round. Total time viewed is up to the discretion of the panel and may in some cases be less than 10 minutes. Keep this in mind as you select and cue your sample.

• 1—Work is not competitive
• 2—Work merits further consideration
• 3—Work is exemplary

• Creative and inventive use of the medium
• Innovation in style and/or concept
• Technical proficiency or craftsmanship
• Relationship of the work to the field, regionally and nationally
• Consistency of the body of work
• Relevance and quality of audio-visual materials

• An artist held art workshops every Saturday afternoon for nine months for clients undergoing treatment for drug and alcohol addictions. The program provided clients who were exiting the criminal justice system and entering a 90-day drug and alcohol recovery program the opportunity to learn creative channels of communication through the visual arts. Many of the clients were unable to read and so making art became their universal language. The workshops included drawing, printmaking, book arts and other methods of art making and culminated in an exhibition at a public gallery of the clients’ artwork.
• A film and video artist spent 18 months teaching production skills to 9 students from a GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual) community center in order to conceive, shoot and edit a documentary about their experiences coming out and staying out in high school. The goal of the project was to help GLBT youth articulate their experiences and share them with high school students across Ohio in an effort to create safer, more supportive learning environments for all students. Panel discussions were scheduled in conjunction with the screening of the film to engage the audience with the young filmmakers and to discuss the issues illuminated by the documentary.
• An artist worked with the residents of an inner city neighborhood to create a public park garden project. The neighborhood had suffered from combined effects of economic hardships and shifting populations and was bordered by an industrial site. Adults, youth and children from various segments of the community played an active role in shaping the various garden elements which included earthworks, plantings and sculptures. The artist held meetings, workshops and events to get community feedback and involvement in the development of the garden park. The strategy encouraged collaboration between residents and also helped to create the perception of the park as a positive gathering place for other events.
• A music composition and performance project encouraged children to experience the magic of the changing seasons through an exploration of the ancient seasonal ragas of India. The artist conducted workshops over a nine month period for area children to learn, explore and create raga based music pertaining to the seasons of summer, autumn, winter and spring & monsoons respectively. The children experienced the ancient musical traditions of India that are intertwined with nature. The experiences created during the workshops formed the basis of a grand collaborative performance which featured three groups including two children’s choirs and a college conservatory chamber orchestra. The final performance was premiered in a World Music Series presented by a major university music department.

• Projects that involve the community in the artmaking experience.
• Projects that primarily use Ohio artists
• Projects that take place in underserved areas

• artist’s fees
• artist’s materials
• assistant’s fees
• audio or videotape
• binding
• computer software
• contracted services
• copying
• discs
• dubbing
• editing
• engineering
• equipment rental
• facility rental
• film stock
• foundry fees
• framing
• implementation fees
• in-state travel
• lighting
• location fees
• online editing
• printing
• production fees
• project documentation
• rehearsal space
• shipping
• typesetting

• Projects that do not include the creation or presentation of new work.
• Projects that do not contain a community-based planning component and community participation in the implementation or presentation.
• Any equipment purchase of more than $500.
• Project requests for documentation only of existing work.
• Projects whose primary emphasis is research.
• Projects whose primary presentation or production will occur outside of Ohio.
• Projects proposed by students or anyone enrolled in a degree-granting program.
• Projects that are primarily promotional.
• Projects that are for profit.
• Projects in which artistic directors set work in their own companies.

• You may request funds to support a variety of artistic projects that result in the creation of new work through partnering with a community organization or group.
• You must detail the planning and/or implementation phases of the project. You may request funds for expenses related to planning or implementing the activity, or both as long as the project is completed within the one-year time frame.

• A completed Individual Creativity Artists and Communities application must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on the January 15 deadline. At that time, the system locks and no further changes can be made to the application.
• One set of required support materials (listed below) must be received in the OAC office seven calendar days after the deadline date. If the support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. You will be notified via your online account when materials are received.
• Include with your support materials an Assurances/ Signature/ Support Materials Checklist. This document will appear on your computer immediately after your application is submitted. It must be signed by the artist who submits the application.

• Documentation of commitment from the community, which may include financial or in-kind support or letters of commitment.
• Letters of commitment from collaborating venues for any exhibition, installation, screening, reading, musical performance, dance performance, or other component.
• Letters of inkind and financial support (public and private sources).
• Samples of past work, which could include exhibition catalogs, programs, reviews, brochures, newsletters, invitations, and other print materials from completed projects (see “Work Samples" below).
• Educational materials, such as teacher preparation packets, student study guides, curricula, and brochures of educational offerings, if appropriate to the project content.
• Sample evaluation form
• Biographies for all key artists involved in the project.
• Distribution plan for projects that include the production of a film, CD, CD-ROM, DVD, videotape, artist book, exhibition catalog or other publications.
• Project timeline.

• A maximum of 12 numbered, plastic-mounted slides. Send only clear, well-lit slides in plastic slide mounts. Do not send cardboard mounts, which may bend and jam in the projector, damaging the slides. Do not send glass slides. Slides that jam in the projector will be removed and not shown. Do not put tape or labels on slide mounts. Use permanent ink to label the slides directly on the plastic mounts. Label each slide with artist name, number, title of work, date the work was completed and a red dot to indicate lower left corner. Number each slide clearly, e.g. 1, 2, 3, in the order they are to be viewed.
• No more than three total ½" videotapes (VHS), audio cassettes, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and CDs. Cue tapes or list tracks. Label work with the artist’s name, title of work and date completed. A minimum of five and maximum of 15 minutes of the combined sample recordings will be reviewed by the panel during the prescreening session. Include screening notes that describe each work sample. Indicate all artists involved in the work and label appropriately.
• At least two samples of a writer’s previously published work or work samples.

NOTE: At least five minutes and up to 10 minutes of any video, CD-ROM or DVD will be shown in the initial review round. Total time viewed is up to the discretion of the panel and may in some cases be less than 10 minutes. Keep this in mind as you select and cue materials. Choose the best samples for the application.

• Qualified artists are involved and have the knowledge and skills to complete the project.
• Activities demonstrate appropriate artistic interests for the community being served.

• Application
• Biographies of key personnel, including collaborating artists, involved in the project
• Reviews, brochures, catalogs, newsletters, invitations, and other print materials from completed projects
• Letters of support from past projects
• Audio-visual support materials

• Project demonstrates mutually rewarding goals, balancing artistic interest with community expectations.
• Realistic timeline documents all phases of the project.
• Diversity issues are considered when developing project.
• There are comprehensive publicity, promotional, project and distribution plans, if applicable.
• Community resources and personnel are identified and committed.
• Educational component is detailed in plan.
• Project demonstrates the public value of the arts in the community.
• Planned activities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Community participates in the making of art.
• Project occurs in geographic area with limited cultural resources.
• Project has identified and minimized barriers to cultural participation, e.g., location, pricing and scheduling.

• Application
• Letters of support that document cooperation and planning with community/li>
• Letters of commitment from collaborating venues
• Plans

• Evaluation strategies are appropriate for the participants and the activity.
• Evaluation of educational component is appropriate to details of the plan.
• Educational activities provide new or deeper arts experience.

• Application
• Educational materials (if applicable)
• Evaluation form

• Budget is accurate and realistic for the project and correlates to the application narrative.
• Applicant has broad base of income including support from community organizations and other public and private sources.
• Match is realistic and attainable.

• Application
• Letters of financial and inkind support

What the OAC Needs

• A completed Individual Creativity Traditional Arts Apprenticeship application must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on the January 15 deadline. At that time, the system locks and no further changes can be made to the application.
• One set of required support materials (listed below) must be received in the OAC office within seven calendar days of the deadline date. If the support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. You will be notified via e-mail when materials are received.
• Include with your support materials an Assurances/ Signature/ Support Materials Checklist. This document will appear on your computer immediately after your application is submitted. It must be signed by the master artist.

• Résumés and biographies of master artist and apprentice(s).
• Audio-visual support materials for master artist as listed by discipline below.
• Video, audiocassette, compact disc, set of slides or photographs if the apprentice has finished work or work in progress.
• Brochures, newspaper and magazine articles, exhibition catalogs, programs, letters of support.

• Craftspersons and Visual Artists
  Send CD-ROM, DVD or not more than 12, 35 mm slides, mounted in plastic, of past work or projects. See Preparing Slides, below, for instructions on identifying and labeling slides. All materials should be duplicates; do not send originals.
  
  Preparing Slides: Send only clear, well-lit slides in plastic slide mounts. Do not send cardboard mounts, which may bend and jam in the projector, damaging the slides. Do not send glass slides. Slides that jam in the projector will be removed and not shown. Do not put tape or labels on slide mounts. Use permanent ink to label the slides directly on the plastic mounts.
  
  
  Label each slide with artist name, number, title of work, date the work was completed, red dot to indicate lower left corner. Number each slide clearly, e.g. 1, 2, 3, in the order they are to be viewed.
  
• Dancers, Musicians and Storytellers
  
  • Master artist should submit a 10-minute sample tape, CD-ROM or DVD consisting of five-minute sections of two completed works. If the apprentice has work, include a sample in a tape, CD-ROM or DVD up to five minutes in length.
  • Include screening notes with title of work, date it was performed, and total length. If the master and apprentice appear with other people, give a description of the applicants to help the panel identity them. For example, “The master is playing lead banjo."

• Master artist authentically represents the art form and tradition.
• Master has learned his/her skills from a particular ethnic, occupational, or regional group or from community or family traditions.
• Master has achieved a high level of artistry and is recognized as a master artist by his/her community and peers.
• Master shares art form with general community (teaches classes, sells works or appears at community events).
• Match between master artist and apprentice is appropriate.
• Apprentice has some foundation in the art form.
• Apprentice is of the same ethnic or cultural origin of the master.
• Apprentice shows commitment to learning the art form.

• Application
• Resume and bio of master artist and apprentice(s)
• Audio-visual support materials of master artist
• Audio-visual support materials of apprentice(s)
• Letters of support
• Brochures, newspaper and magazine articles, exhibition catalogs or programs.

• Apprenticeship plan has established goals for skills to be learned.
• Work plan is adequate to meet goals.
• Plan calls for intensive individual study, not simply lessons or class instruction.

• Application

• Application budget is accurate and feasible for implementation of individual study program.
• Application budget supports narrative, with all expenditures accounted for.
• Master artist fees are at least half of the requested amount.

• Application