FACTS ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is a state agency that provides voice and leadership through the arts to enrich lives and build vibrant, creative communities. With funds from the Ohio Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, the OAC provides financial assistance to artists, arts organizations, schools and other entities engaged in cultural programming to strengthen Ohio culturally, educationally and economically. The OAC Board is composed of 15 voting members appointed by the governor and four non-voting members, two each from the Ohio Senate and the House of Representatives. The Council Board is responsible for final approval of funding requests. All OAC Board meetings are open to the public. The executive director and OAC staff members assist artists, schools and organizations by guiding them through the application process and by working with panel consultants to arrive at the funding recommendations presented to the OAC Board. Susan Saxbe was named chair of the OAC Board in August 2007. Barbara S. Robinson, who served as chair of the OAC Board for 13 years, is currently chair emeritus. Julie S. Henahan is the fifth executive director of the agency, hired by the OAC board in September 2006. Henahan is a long-tenured member of the OAC staff with more than 24 years experience as an arts administrator. Henahan also served as interim executive director following the retirement of long-tenured executive director, Wayne P. Lawson, as well as deputy direction and grants office director of the OAC. OHIO ARTS COUNCIL BUDGET The Ohio Arts Council receives biennial appropriations from the Ohio General Assembly and annual funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). FY2008 funding from the NEA totaled $817,000. The FY2008/2009 biennial appropriation was $24,976,322 as passed in June 2007. This represented an 11.1 percent increase from the FY2006/2007 biennial budget of $22,476,322. However, the Ohio Arts Council’s 2008/2009 biennium budget was reduced by 10 percent in April 2008 due to state budget reductions. The original appropriation of $24,976,322 was reduced by a total of $2,497,632 for a new appropriation of $22,478,690 for the biennium. In September, the OAC was instructed to apply an additional 4.75 percent reduction to the FY2009 budget. This reduced the FY2009 budget appropriation of $11,213,161 by a total of $532,625 for a new appropriation of $10,680,566. The adjusted FY2008/2009 biennial budget of $21,946,065 represents funding near FY1994/1995 budget levels. The OAC budget is less than one twentieth of one percent (.05%) of the total state budget of $51.1 billion. The OAC ranks 35th in per capita funding for fiscal year 2008 among the 50 states and six territories. Ohio's current per capita spending is $.93. In fiscal year 2008 the OAC awarded $9,340,668 to artists, schools and organizations producing or presenting arts programming. The OAC received $17,954,367 in requests for support. The OAC was able to grant 52 percent of the dollars requested. The OAC received 1263 applications and was able to fund 607 or 48 percent.
NEA FUNDING The OAC receives federal support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The OAC received $971,500 from the National Endowment for the Arts for the OAC fiscal year 2009 (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009). NEA funding is 7.5 percent of the OAC FY2009 budget. NEA funding to the OAC has increased 36 percent ($377,500) since fiscal year 1998 (Ohio Arts Council fiscal year) but has suffered an overall nine percent decrease since its peak funding of $1,077,300 in 1994. NEA Basic State Grant FY2009: $689,800 (OAC fiscal year: July 1, 2008—June 30, 2009) NEA Basic State Grant FY2008: $429,700 (OAC fiscal year: July 1, 2007—June 30, 2008) Other NEA Grants to OAC FY2009: $281,700 (OAC fiscal year: July 1, 2008—June 30, 2009) Other NEA Grants to OAC FY2008: $387,300 (OAC fiscal year: July 1, 2007—June 30, 2008) NEA Grants to state recipients other than the OAC: FY2008: $881,000 (NEA fiscal year: November 1, 2007 – October 31, 2008) FY2007: $694,500 (NEA fiscal year: November 1, 2006 – October 31, 2007) FY2006: $660,000 (NEA fiscal year: November 1, 2005 – October 31, 2006) IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC FUNDING One of the most important features of OAC funding is that most grants are awarded on a matching basis. That means arts council dollars (public dollars) must be matched on a 1:1 basis by other resources, public or private, raised by recipient organizations. By requiring a match the OAC is encouraging recipient organizations to leverage their OAC funds to generate new sources of income to broaden their bases of financial support. In reality, OAC grants are matched by private dollars on an average of 45 dollars to every one OAC dollar. OAC funding stimulates private giving and local economies. The OAC offers support through a wide range of programs for organizations and individuals, including Arts Access, Arts Learning, Capacity Building, Individual Creativity, Arts Innovation and the International Partnership program. The OAC also provides essential operating support for Ohio arts institutions through its Sustainability program. The OAC operates the Riffe Gallery in Columbus and sponsors the annual Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio. The OAC also administers Ohio’s Percent for Art program and the ArtsinOhio.com statewide arts and cultural events calendar.
M/OAC PIO/info packet materials/OACFACT updated September 28, 2008