Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) announced Wednesday $11.6 million will be distributed to area arts organizations next year.
There are 249 recipients sharing the revenue from Cuyahoga County’s cigarette tax. Some of the grantees, which includes Ideastream Public Media, will use their funding for general operating support. Others are getting special projects funded. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Executive Director Jill Paulsen says 11 local groups are getting funds from a new grant program called Cultural Heritage.
“It’s our new approach to trying to support historically marginalized organizations to get them the flexible dollars they need to serve the public,” Paulsen said.
That includes the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, the Slovenian Museum and the Duffy Liturgical Dance Studio.
As cigarette-tax revenues continue to decline, Paulsen said local arts leaders are looking to work with state, county and new city leadership to develop additional funding streams. This past year saw the creation of the Cleveland-based advocacy organization Assembly for the Arts that’s looking to make the case to governmental leaders that the arts are more than just an entertaining diversion for many people.
“We’re trying to spread the message that this is about creative jobs, jobs that pay wages, that pay taxes and that make sure that people have food on their table,” Paulsen said. “So, we’re trying and we’re working together with Assembly, and a whole coalition of folks statewide, too.
Search the grantees below by typing in a name of an organization or scanning through the list.
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