The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Providing leadership and voice for the arts to transform people and communities.
The Ohio Arts Council was created in 1965 to foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage. With funds from the Ohio Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, the OAC provides financial assistance to artists and arts organizations. The Council accomplishes this charge in two primary methods; first, through the various grant funding programs that the Council operates to provide support to artists and to make arts activities available to a broad segment of Ohio's public; and secondly, by providing services that help to enhance the growth of the arts.
The Ohio Arts Council's Essentials Plan is a strategic plan for the coming months. It lays out a way forward for the agency through four pillars: INVEST, ENGAGE, INNOVATE, and LEAD, which guide program prioritization and resource deployment. The Essentials Plan positions the OAC to remain relevant, responsive, and nimble as the state’s artists and arts organizations face new and unexpected challenges to their stability, resiliency, and resolve.
Released in December 2022, the Ohio Arts Council's FY 2021 Annual Report reflects the collective success of government and its citizens to come together to fund and support quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Along with our constituents and authorizers, this report celebrates and demonstrates the agency's historic statewide arts engagement, serving Ohioans in all 88 counties.
Biennial and Annual Report Archives
FY 2021 Annual Report FY 2020 Annual Report FY 2018-19 Biennial Report FY 2016-17 Biennial Report
Grant Overview NEW! Discover the types of funding we offer.
Budget Overview NEW! Learn about our agency and why public funding matters.
Budget Testimony Read the Ohio Arts Council's budget testimony for the FY 2024-2025 Biennial Operating Budget, presented to members of the Ohio General Assembly.
Policies Read our policies on privacy, public records, and more.
Accessibility View our accessibility policy and resources.
Public Information Request Make a public information request here.
Download the complete Essentials Plan 2021.