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The Oklahoma Arts Council’s role as the official state government agency for the arts and its leadership position in service to thousands of Oklahomans in the arts and cultural sector statewide have been critical during COVID-19. The Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board and the agency’s staff have been responsible for administering vital federal aid made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the National Endowment for the Arts and Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt. Hundreds of arts and cultural organizations in every part of the state have received urgently needed financial support as a result of the more than $3.4 million in CARES Act funding administered by the Oklahoma Arts Council. The support has been essential to bolstering a sector that will play an important role in the state's recovery from the pandemic. Because of the inherent nature of the arts in bringing people together, when the pandemic began in March 2020, arts and cultural programs were among the first events canceled, resulting in significant losses in revenue. Arts and cultural programs will be among the last to safely and fully resume. Financial support provided to the sector has saved untold jobs and stabilized countless organizations.

Read about the impact of COVID-19 in our state in "COVID-19 and the Creative Economy in Oklahoma," a publication of Americans for the Arts.

Throughout the pandemic, the Oklahoma Arts Council has fulfilled through a variety of actions its leadership obligations on behalf of the State of Oklahoma. Actions have included:

Grants

• Administered through the Oklahoma Arts and Cultural Industry Relief Grant (FY21) program $3 million in CARES Act funding allocated to the arts and cultural sector by Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt

• Administered through the Oklahoma CARES Grant (FY20) program more than $400,000 in CARES Act funding for nonprofit arts organizations made available by the National Endowment for the Arts

• Adapted agency grant criteria to reflect the evolving environment in which organizations were compelled to operate during COVID-19. Criteria was revised to allow for support of virtual programming. Match requirements were reduced, deadlines were extended, and the number of grants for which organizations were eligible in certain categories was increased

Programs

• Restructured the 2021 Leadership Arts program so it could be held on a virtual platform

Convenings (Virtual)

• Convened leaders in the state’s arts and cultural sector on Zoom on a bi-weekly basis to address evolving pandemic-related issues

• Convened arts and cultural sector communication staff on Zoom on a bi-weekly basis to exchange essential information

• Convened hundreds of Oklahoma Arts Council grantee organizations on Zoom to facilitate communication and assess constituent needs

• Convened performing arts presenting organizations on Zoom to address their specific needs

• Convened public art administrators and artists who work in public art, using monthly Zoom meetings to assess pandemic related needs and share expertise

• Presented Table Talks: Timely Conversations with Oklahoma's Arts Community as an open online forum for those wishing to exchange ideas, offer expertise, and participate in authentic discussion.

News and Information

• Created the Oklahoma Arts Emergency Resource Page as a clearinghouse of nearly 70 national, regional, and local COVID-19 related grants and resources available to artists and arts organizations

• Employed the agency’s newsletter, social media, and other communication channels to deliver critical timely information to the sector about available COVID-19 related grants and resources

• Provided Oklahoma cultural district stakeholders curated pandemic-related information and resources through Cultural District Roundup emails

• Authored and published Operating During COVID-19: Considerations for Oklahoma Nonprofit Arts Organizations

• Authored and published Virtual Content, Digital Engagement, and Distance Learning Considerations

• Partnered with the Oklahoma Film & Music Office as part of the Oklahoma Entertainment Communications Task Force

Educational Resources

• Created Oklahoma Online Fine Arts Curriculum in partnership with local teaching artists to make standards-based arts education curriculum available for the distance learning needs of students, parents, and teachers. Commissioned and compensated local teaching artists for their work.

• Partnered with the Oklahoma Museums Association (OMA) in the creation of OMA's Wellbeing Resources