Oklahoma Arts Council News
December 2024
Cornerstone Conversations Comes to Chickasha December 12
The last stop of 2024 for the Oklahoma Arts Council's Cornerstone Conversations series will take place in Chickasha. Residents in and around the Chickasha and southwest Oklahoma region are invited to the Chickasha Area Arts Council for an afternoon gathering where they can share ideas and cast a vision for the arts in their communities.
Presented in partnership with the Chickasha Community Theatre and Chickasha Area Art Council, the convening will include small group discussion, individual exercises, and the chance to provide written feedback. A networking break with light refreshments will also be included.
Input provided by Oklahomans during Cornerstone Conversations will be building blocks of the Oklahoma Arts Council's 2026-2030 strategic plan.
Cornerstone Conversations - Chickasha
Thursday, December 12
4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Chickasha Area Arts Council
521 W. Chickasha
RSVP by emailing Chandra Boyd, Deputy Director, at chandra.boyd@arts.ok.gov.
There is no cost to participate
More Conversations in 2025!
After three stops in fall 2024, the Oklahoma Arts Council will hit the ground running in 2025 with more Cornerstone Conversations being planned across the state. Dates and locations will be announced soon.
January Webinar to Focus on Accessible Learning Environments
he focus of a January Accessibility in the Arts webinar being offered by the Oklahoma Arts Council, Universal Design Learning (UDL) is a teaching framework that can open doors to creativity and learning for all students.
On January 16, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., the Oklahoma Arts Council will present, "Embracing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the Arts: Creating Accessible and Engaging Learning Environments,"a webinar that will explain how the principles of UDL can foster educational environments that acknowledge different learning needs and preferences.
Jennifer Pusateri of the University of Kentucky's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching will be the featured presenter, and a panel of Oklahoma teaching artists will discuss their work in relation to UDL.
Teaching artists, classroom educators, arts administrators, and others passionate about making arts education accessible are invited to join in for valuable insights and actional strategies. The webinar is offered at no cost.
Register for the webinar on our Accessibility in the Arts page.
Teaching Artists Can Apply for Arts Council Roster
Artists with experience or training in delivering arts instruction in school or community settings are invited to apply for the Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster. Maintained by the Oklahoma Arts Council, the roster is a resource used statewide by organizations and schools seeking qualified teaching artists for workshops, classes, camps, residencies, and more. Artists on the roster benefit from the seal of approval of the Oklahoma Arts Council as the official state arts agency. They also receive exposure through the agency's website and other marketing channels and are generally first to be considered when artist recommendations and inquiries are made to the Council.
A wide range of artistic disciplines are featured on the roster, including dance, drama/theatre, literary arts, music, traditional/folk arts, and visual arts. Artists must be residents of Oklahoma and able to show proficiency within their discipline.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. A panel of professional artists outside the agency review applications and make recommendations, which are then considered for approval by the Governor-appointed members of the Oklahoma Arts Council. To be considered for approval during the Council's March 2025 meeting, applications must be submitted no later than December 31, 2024.
Participate in National Virtual Creative Aging Institute
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is making its upcoming 2024 Creative Aging Institute widely available at no cost. Anyone interested in taking a deep dive into the benefits of lifelong learning in the arts for older Americans can register. Artists, arts administrators, health and social service personnel, and others are encouraged to participate.
Fees are being waved for the event to increase access to current trends and best practices in the creative aging field. The professional development opportunity is being offered online December 9-11. This is the fourth year NASAA has offered the virtual program.
Sessions will take place on Zoom on the following dates:
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Monday, December 9, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. CST
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Tuesday, December 10, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. CST
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Wednesday, December 11, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. CST
A full agenda with session details and speaker bios will be available soon. Register here.
Vision Arts 6 Grants Available in Tulsa
Vision Arts 6 grant funding is now available from the the City of Tulsa for eligible projects. Local nonprofit organizations and organizations sponsored by a nonprofit may request up to $50,000 in funding to support artist-led activities. There is no private match requirement.
Approved by voters in 2016 as part of an economic development initiative, Vision Arts 6 is administered by the city in partnership with City Design Studio and the Tulsa Arts Commission.
Program goals include promoting Tulsa's creative ecosystem, contributing to increased tourism, promoting Tulsa's arts and cultural assets as components of the city's identity, and strengthening economic development.
A mandatory virtual information session will take place December 14. Deadline to apply is December 22. For details about Vision Arts 6, visit cityoftulsa.org.
Yéigo Action Grants for Quick Financial Assistance
Available from First Peoples Fund, Yéigo Action Grants offer support for individual Native artists and culture bearers who are in need of quick financial assistance for an artistic opportunity, emergency situation, and/or sudden unanticipated expense related to their practice or business. The program offers grants of up to $2,500.
Yéigo Action Grants can provide support for a wide range of needs, including workshop and entry fees, professional development opportunities, emergency disaster relief, equipment and tool repair, unanticipated transportation needs for artistic work, medical expenses, and more.
Applicants must be enrolled members of a U.S. federally recognized tribe or be able to provide proof of ancestry as an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian.
The deadline to apply is the 10th of every month. Learn more here.
Apply for Creative Forces® Grants
Oklahoma organizations with at least three years of experience presenting or producing arts-based projects and/or programming for military communities are encouraged to learn about Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants.
A program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants provide up to $50,000 in funding in emerging and advanced tiers for qualifying projects that take place in community, healthcare, or virtual settings. A wide range of arts activities including visual, written, and performing arts activities can be supported. Nonprofit organizations and entities of state/local/tribal governments are eligible to apply.
n addition to funding, the program gives organizations opportunities to connect and learn from organizations that provide arts programming for military communities. Annual in-person convenings, one-on-one consultations, cohort workshops, and other opportunities are also included.
Deadline to apply is January 15.
Art Collections, Preservation the Focus of Save America's Treasures
Two types of projects relevant to arts and cultural organizations may qualify for Save America's Treasures funding from the National Park Service (NPS).
Administered by the NPS in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services, the grant program supports collections and preservation projects that help convey our nation's heritage to future generations. Collections projects involved works of art, artifacts and art objects, sculptures, documents, and more. Preservations projects involve brick and mortar work including conservation of historic structures.
Nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, federally recognized tribes, and educational institutions may apply.
Applications are due December 12. Learn more here.
Cities Can Apply for Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative
Cities with populations of 50,000 or more can apply for funding through Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative. The program supports arts-driven street redesigns that show promise for outsized impacts.
Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded, with technical assistance and evaluation support by consulting firms provided for projects. Goals of the program include making streets safer and more accessible, creating dynamic public spaces, and transforming roadway designs. Crosswalks, bike lanes, plazas, curb extensions, bus lanes, and more have been focal points of previously funded projects.
Each city may only submit one application. Project teams must be lead by a primary government agency. Partnerships with nonprofits, arts organizations, and artists are encouraged.
Deadline to apply is January 31, 2025.
Celebrating Staff Milestones
The staff of the Oklahoma Arts Council is the agency's most valued resource. Each member of the staff is committed to public service, cherishing the opportunity to meet needs of the sector and build a stronger Oklahoma through the arts.
Staff Anniversaries
December marks the 18th anniversary as a staff member of the Oklahoma Arts Council for Executive Director Amber Sharples. Since 2006, her public service in the arts has included many highlights. Originally brought in to manage the agency's responsibilities with the Capitol art, Sharples' first major project was the curation, installation, and 2007 opening of the museum-quality Capitol gallery housing the State Art Collection. She later served as assistant director before being elevated to executive director in 2013. Having guided the agency through a stretch of severe budget cuts and the pandemic, Sharples is now leading the agency and the sector to return stronger following the pandemic and stewarding the sector to its place of prominence in shaping Oklahoma in the years ahead.
Congratulations to Amber on celebrating 18 years with the agency!