Arts Council awards grant to VWAPAF

COLUMBUS – The Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation (VWPAF), which operates the Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, has received a Sustainability Program grant of $12,806 from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC).

The OAC has awarded 379 grants totaling $5,920,294 to support arts organizations, arts programs and artists across Ohio. For FY2012, the OAC received 408 grant requests totaling $13,876,254.

Organizations that receive OAC funds are required to match state tax dollars with additional public and private funds. In general, for every state tax dollar invested, $84 is raised in matching funds by recipient organizations.

The Sustainability Program provides two-year grants for organizational operating support. This program supports Ohio organizations that plan and conduct ongoing arts programs for either a full year of programming or a recurring single project or activity. The program supports organizations that offer broad-based arts programming in any discipline (i.e., performing arts, literature, traditional arts, visual arts, etc.) that is produced and presented by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, other nonprofit or government entities, and colleges or universities that offer arts programming.

A total of $3,254,525 was awarded to 38 of Ohio’s major arts institutions with budgets of more than $1.5 million, while the OAC board approved 225 grants totaling $2,114,253 for organizations with budgets of less than $1.5 million.