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Art Academy of Cincinnati leaders and alumni ask council to restore $250,000 in budget
Summary
Multiple alumni, faculty and leaders of the Art Academy of Cincinnati urged council during public comments to reinstate a $250,000 city funding request for scholarships, security and community programming; council did not vote on the request at the meeting.
Leaders, alumni and faculty from the Art Academy of Cincinnati told City Council during the public‑comment period that the institution needs $250,000 in city support to sustain scholarships, campus security and community arts programs.
"I respectfully request $250,000 for the Art Academy. I will go further and say, I beg of you," said Sarah Stoller, who identified herself as the Art Academy’s new academic dean and a graduate of its BFA program. Several other speakers — including the academy’s president and marketing and engagement staff — repeated the same dollar request and outlined how the funds would be used.
Speakers emphasized the school’s role in training creative workers and supporting youth programs. "We create problem solvers, entrepreneurs, and civic‑minded leaders," said Jill Gibboni, director of marketing at the Art Academy, who told council the institution provides scholarships, K‑12 programs and community education. Linnea Fitter, director of the academy’s Office of Engagement, noted the school’s history and local partnerships and asked council to "support the Art Academy … as a vital asset to Over‑the‑Rhine and our city."
Presenters said the academy, founded in 1869, has limited endowment support and cannot survive on tuition and donors alone. They described specific uses for the money, including campus security infrastructure, expanded community arts programming and scholarships that the speakers said fuel OTR’s economic activity.
Council did not vote on a specific $250,000 appropriation during the meeting. Several budget‑related ordinances and transfers were considered elsewhere on the agenda, but speakers representing the academy asked that the request be restored in the city’s final budget decisions.
The council and its budget committees will consider the broader city budget and supplemental transfers in follow‑up meetings; academy representatives said they will continue outreach to council offices.
