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Columbus arts leaders outline funding mix, programs and the case for continued public support
Summary
Representatives from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and local cultural institutions described the arts’ workforce, education and economic contributions, outlined programs that expand access, and warned that federal support is uncertain while local revenue streams — notably a city ticket fee — remain central to arts funding.
Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and leaders from several Columbus cultural institutions told the Funding Review Advisory Committee on Oct. 26 that public funding and local programs are central to the region’s arts ecosystem and its economic footprint.
Katzenmeyer, speaking for the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), said "Central Ohio arts nonprofits generate $885,000,000 in local economic impact," and described a mix of public and private revenues that now supports grants, capital projects and programs for artists and audiences.
The presentations — which included Stephanie Matthews, executive director of A Tribe for Jazz; Frederick Burtley, president and CEO of COSI and CEO of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum; and Stacy Board, CEO of Shadowbox Live — emphasized three main themes: the arts’ role in education and human services, workforce development tied to on-the-job arts training, and the need to preserve and upgrade cultural facilities.
Katzenmeyer told the committee GCAC distributed about $23,000,000 in grants last year to 114 arts and culture organizations and 1,576 artists, and that GCAC…
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