ArtsWave’s Black and Brown Artist Grant
funded by City of Cincinnati and other partners

UPDATES FOR FY25: 

1. Artists may apply for $5,000 or $10,000 for a project

2. Artists must propose a project that can Showcase in July 2025

3. Artists must participate in artist cohort, including attendance at scheduled meetings and adhering to deadlines throughout the grant period

4. Grants due: November 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm

Purpose

ArtsWave’s Black and Brown Artist Grant for individual artists will provide financial support for artists in the Greater Cincinnati Region to continue to explore the themes of our times and to further their artistic development.  Artists must present a project idea that can be showcased in July 2025 and participate in artist cohort activities throughout the development of their project.

Projects should use the arts to explore the themes of Truth and Innovation to build upon the current artistic commentary of health and race and to connect it with historical events and visions of a more equitable future. There are two categories of projects, $5,000 or $10,000, and projects must be designed with the showcase in mind to not only further artist development but also share the important themes of the times with the community through a group showcase in July 2025.  Projects may involve some aspect of collaboration with neighborhood or community groups or partners, but that cannot be the extent of the project.

Additionally, projects should connect with one or more goals as outlined in ArtsWave’s Blueprint for Collective Action (see Appendix A): 1) to deepen roots in our community; 2) to bridge cultural divides; 3) to promote learning and understanding; 4) to put Cincinnati on the map; or 5) to enliven neighborhoods.

NOTE: There are multiple sessions for assisting artists in completing an application. Please note the KEY DATES Section below.

Who May Apply 

Applicants for a Black and Brown Artist Grant are:

• An individual artist (either working as a sole proprietor or under an organized LLC as the sole member of the LLC), or teaching artist, working in any artistic discipline*
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• 18 years of age or older
• Full-time resident in one of the 15  counties** served by ArtsWave, prior to January 1, 2024 and at the time of the grant award;
• Have reported taxable income related to your work as an individual artist or teaching artist in your most      recently filed tax return; and/or have a verifiable body of work through digital work samples or website.

IMPORTANT: Started during the FY22 grant cycle, an artist may receive funding for two (2) consecutive years and then will be required to take one (1) year off before applying for the Black and Brown Artists grant program again. For example, if you received a grant for the last two consecutive years (FY2023 and FY2024), you are not eligible again to apply until FY2026

*For the purpose of this program, artistic disciplines include Dance, Music, Opera/Musical Theatre, Theatre, Visual Arts, Design & Textile Arts, Crafts, Photography, Media Arts, Literature, Folk/Traditional Arts, Performing Arts, Spoken Word or Interdisciplinary Arts.

**The 15 counties include Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA, which includes the following counties: Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio Counties in Indiana. 

Proposal and Documentation Requirements:

1. Application narrative including project description and how your proposed project relates to the theme of Truth and Innovation
2. Project Budget, including reasoning for applying for $5,000 or $10,000) and Project Timeline (projects must be completed by June 1, 2025)
3. Any plans for project presentation, installation or display for the general public beyond the planned joint Grantee showcase 
4. Artist Statement and artistic work samples (digital format)
5. Proof of residency (deed, lease, utility bill or other documentation)
6. Completed W9 and Vendor Survey
7. Agreement to participate in Artist Cohort, led by Michael Thompson
8. Optional: Completed Cincinnati Artist Census

Funding Amounts

Grant awards will be made in one of two categories: Up to $5,000 or up to $10,000. Proposed projects may be funded in part or in whole, and applicant should address in their narrative if partial funding is not feasible to complete the proposed project. Seventy-five percent of the award will be paid when grant is awarded; the remaining 25% will be paid upon completion of an interim report due March 1, 2025. 

Other Benefits Offered to Grant Recipients

• A grant overview will take place on Zoom on October 15, 2024 at 12:00 pm
• Early application review due by Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm
• Application drop-in sessions on Zoom on October 24 and 29 at noon. Sign in briefly to ask a question      about your application.
• Monthly networking and progress meetings starting January 2025 with ArtsWave staff and consultants; there will be 5 REQUIRED meetings, each held the second Monday of each month (January-May)
• Summer 2025 Showcase in July 2025

Eligible Expenses

Expenses must be directly associated with the funded activity and include:

• Artist Fee (self-compensation)
• Fees paid to other artists or collaborative partners as part of this project
• Materials/Supplies
• Online tools/services
• Marketing 
• Community engagement activities
• Other expenses directly associated with the funded activity

Ineligible Expenses:

• Refinance or repayment of existing debt
• Expenses related to gambling or gaming activities
• Expenses related to the purveyance of “adult” materials (i.e., pornographic, lewd, prurient, obscene, etc.)
• Activities, services, products or materials involving nude or semi-nude performances or the sale of sexual aids or devices
• Real estate investment business expenses
• Religious-affiliated organization expenses
• Any expenses that give rise to or support any other activity constituting a nuisance
• Capital purchases
• Any expenses supporting any illegal activity

Criteria for Evaluating Proposals

Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of community volunteers and awarded by the ArtsWave Board of Directors using the following criteria:

• Project must align with the Truth and Innovation theme. Topics include, but are not limited to: 

o Social justice (e.g. equal rights; reproductive rights; trans rights; healthcare for all)

o Black Lives Matter

o Indigenous Sovereignty 

o Healing and Accountability

o Tradition vs Innovation

o Written History vs Oral History

o Environmental Justice

• Projects should leverage the power of the arts in one or more ways as outlined in ArtsWave’s Blueprint for Collective Action: 1) to deepen roots in our community; 2) to bridge cultural divides; 3) to promote learning and understanding; 4) to put Cincinnati on the map; or 5) to enliven neighborhoods
• Track record of artistic work shows skill and potential;
• Project will advance artists work and career in the arts
• Project budget and timeline are reasonable and sufficient to execute the project

Important Information for Grant Recipients 

· Grant awards are competitive and contingent on available funds and the range of proposals received

· This funding opportunity does not require a match

· Groups/ensembles/partnerships must identify a lead applicant. If awarded, the lead applicant will be responsible for entering into an agreement and receiving the funds to disperse to the other members

· Applicants must complete a W9 with data reflecting the appropriate individual/entity for tax purposes. Please consult with your accountant or a tax advisor to determine if the grant is taxable income in your specific situation.

· If an artist has established their artistic practice as an LLC or other business entity and the artist is the sole owner/proprietor of the business, then the artist may choose to enter their business entity into an agreement with ArtsWave.

· Grant awards will be paid in two parts: 75% of award payable upon execution of contract between ArtsWave and Artist and 25% of award payable upon receipt of an interim report due March 1, 2025.

· Grantees are required to acknowledge, with name and logos, grant support provided by ArtsWave and the City of Cincinnati and any other funding partners in connection with the project. This may include, but is not limited to, acknowledgment on promotional or press materials (print and digital/online), at the physical installation site, and/or at public engagement events. This also includes submitting event information to Cincy A&E (online and apps arts calendar).

· This grant does not constitute a purchase agreement for any artwork produced. The artist retains ownership of work produced with the support of ArtsWave.

Key Dates

· Applications Open September 30 , 2024

· Grant Information Session October 15, 2024 at 12:00 pm on Zoom

         REGISTER: FY25 Black and Brown Artist Grant Overview

· Drop-in Support Session 1  October 24, 2024 at 12:00 pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86143670343?pwd=QUeMttI3SulnyvWOTxEYHSA2Y3vkgO.1&from=addon

· Drop-in Support Session 2 October 29, 2024 at 12:00 pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87656638702?pwd=jpCm7bWIxu6bvesnhyaU3RfXIo1Yvi.1&from=addon

· Application Review Submit your application by October 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm for review, so you can edit before the deadline (OPTIONAL)

· Application DEADLINE  NOVEMBER 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm

· Award Announcement No earlier than December 6, 2024

· Monthly Meetings 2nd Monday of each month TBD*

· Interim Report DUE March 1, 2025 at 5:00 pm

· Projects must be completed June 1, 2025

· Showcase July 2025 [to be confirmed]

*Monthly Meeting Schedule:

· January 13, 2025, at 4:00 pm

· February 10,2025, at 4:00 pm

· March 10, 2025, at 4:00 pm

· April 14, 2025, at 4:00 pm

· May 12, 2025, at 4:00 pm

Contact ArtsWave

Additional application questions may be directed to Ray Gargano, VP of Community Investments, at ray.gargano@artswave.org, or Lori Burkhardt, Grant Programs Manager, at lori.burkhardt@artswave.org.

Need to bring some entertainment to an event or a creative break during a long meeting? Schedule a performance from one of the Cincinnati region's top artists!
Performances can range from an evening of live, in-person entertainment to a quick 5-10 minute virtual drop-in. All art forms are available to fit you and your team. Some examples include...

• At a retirement party, the lyrics to a popular song are rewritten about the person retiring, then sung by a professional who pops in to the meeting (virtually or in-person) to share in the fun.
• A company has someone in leadership who loves classical music, so to surprise that person, an instrumentalist visits the office or joins a call to perform a piece.
• A jazz band provides ambient music for a lunch event.
• A local actor performs a stirring monologue to get the team ready for a major project that's about to begin.

For a list of available artists, check out the Artist Roster.

The rate for each 5-10 minute virtual performance is $125, with most of that fee going directly to the artist. The suggested rates for live, in-person performances are as follows:

• Soloists: $150/hour
• Duos: $300/hour
• Trios: $375/hour
• Quartet+: $125 per performer/hour

 
* Please note, a $25 processing fee will be added to all in-person performances. Rates are subject to change based on artist/ availability. 

While many arts organizations make their primary home in Cincinnati’s downtown core, they are also active with programming in communities throughout the region. ArtsWave helps facilitate this through our music series with CVG.

Through this program, ArtsWave partners with CVG Airport to host music performances throughout the year. The goal of this program is to show the traveling public a warm welcome while introducing them to Greater Cincinnati's arts and cultural organizations and artists. *New for 2024: Performances will take place weekly, each Thursday from 3-4 p.m. This allows more artists to participate!

This partnership helps support ArtsWave's mission to "put Cincinnati on the map" for cultural tourism, talent attraction and new business development. Please use this form to apply to participate in this program.