New Grant Program Offers Funding for Arts Programs Serving Oklahoma Military Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OKLAHOMA CITY (January 15, 2020) – A new pilot grant program of the Oklahoma Arts Council can help organizations statewide serve military-connected individuals in their communities through the arts. Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support learning-based and audience-based arts programs serving active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, veterans, and immediate family and caregivers. New and existing classes, workshops, professional development, performances, exhibitions, festivals and more can be supported.
Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits; city, county, and tribal governments; colleges and universities; and, public libraries. Nonprofit military and veteran support organizations are encouraged to apply.
“In 2015, the Oklahoma Arts Council launched the Oklahoma Arts and the Military Initiative, and part of the vision for the initiative was to inspire and equip organizations and artists in our state to serve veterans, active-duty service members, and others in Oklahoma who have ties to the military,” said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples. “Nearly 10 percent of Oklahomans have a connection to the military. This pilot grant program will benefit a sizable community of Oklahomans who deserve our support and whose service to our country merits our service to them through the arts.”
Applications for Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants are due March 1. New and ongoing programs may be eligible for funding; however, programs cannot end before the submission of an application. Activities that can be supported must take place between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.
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
Launched in 2015, the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Oklahoma Arts and the Military 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 aim of initiative is to 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. 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.
About the Oklahoma Arts Council
The 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. More information is available at arts.ok.gov.