Grants Available to Help Organizations Provide Arts Programs for Military Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OKLAHOMA CITY (August 12, 2020) – Organizations interested in offering art programs for Oklahoma’s military community may be able to receive funding from the Oklahoma Arts Council to support their efforts. The state agency’s Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants program can provide up to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations, local and tribal governments, universities, and public libraries for eligible arts programming including classes, workshops, professional development, performances, exhibitions, and more. Military and veteran support organizations are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted August 15 through September 15.
Expenses toward which grant funding can be used include artist fees, consultant fees, art supplies, marketing expenses, and other approved costs. Online and virtual programming can also be supported as the Oklahoma Arts Council responds to needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities must take place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
To assist interested applicants, a webinar hosted by the Oklahoma Arts Council on Tuesday, August 18, at 2:00 p.m., will provide an overview of the grant program, a review of the application, and an opportunity to ask questions. The webinar will also feature guest speakers whose arts programs for military-connected Oklahomans have previously been supported through the grant. A registration link is available at arts.ok.gov.
“Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants can empower organizations to tap the transformative qualities of the arts to serve active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, veterans, and immediate family and caregivers,” said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples. “Meaningful needs within the military community can be met through engagement with the literary, performing, and visual arts. Following the lead of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative, our agency is proud to offer this to organizations wishing to serve military-connected Oklahomans.”
Applications and guidelines are available at arts.ok.gov. For more information, contact Oklahoma Arts Council Arts Education Director Jennifer Allen-Barron at (405) 521-2036 or jennifer.allen-barron@arts.ok.gov.
Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants are made possible in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
About the Oklahoma Arts and the Military Initiative
Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants are part of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Oklahoma Arts and the Military Initiative. Launched in 2015, the initiative is a strategic effort directed at meeting the needs of Oklahoma’s military community through the arts. With the military community representing nearly 10 percent of the state's residents, the initiative will enable the Oklahoma Arts Council to effectively extend the reach of its programs and services to a meaningful segment of the population while impacting a group that has specific needs meriting focus and support. In addition to the grant program, results of the initiative include the administration of pilot arts programs at veteran centers in Norman and Lawton; publication of two anthologies of veterans’ creative writing; publication of the catalogue “Engaging Veterans through Creative Expression;” and, the convening of two statewide arts and military summits.
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About the Oklahoma Arts CouncilThe Oklahoma Arts Council is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts. The agency’s mission is to lead in the advancement of Oklahoma’s thriving arts industry. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides approximately 350 grants to nearly 200 organizations in communities statewide each year, organizes professional development opportunities for the state's arts and cultural industry, and manages the art collections at the Oklahoma state Capitol. Additional information is available at arts.ok.gov.