artist painting

Accelerator Grants

Inspiring a Vibrant Toledo

All applications are now closed for the season.

Overview

The Arts Commission values the many artists across disciplines who are part of Toledo's vibrant creative community. The Accelerator Grant is a competitive program offering financial support with a quick turnaround for local artists to advance their creative projects and their careers. Eligible categories of support for this program include equipment, supplies, professional development, and project support. Grant amounts are not to exceed $1500.

2024 Accelerator Grant Cycles

The 2024 Accelerator Grant Program Dates:

Cycle 1 - Opens April 22. Application deadline: May 20

Cycle 2 - Opens May 21. Application deadline: June 24

Cycle 3 - Opens June 25. Application deadline: July 22

Cycle 4 - Opens July 23. Application deadline: August 26

Cycle 5 - Opens August 27. Application deadline: September 23

Applicants are encouraged to apply to all cycles until they receive a grant award.

Contact Information

For all inquiries about Accelerator Grants, please contact Andrea Price, Artist Services Manager, at APrice@theartscommission.org.

Financial support for local artists.

2023 Grant Recipients - September

Alexandria Leatherbarry

Visual, Photography
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Janelle Teitlebaum Lorenzen

Visual, Mixed Media
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Lindsay Scypta

Visual, Ceramics
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Michael Belazis

Music, Indie Folk Music
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2023 Grant Recipients - August

Domenic Pennetta

Visual
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Jane Anderson

Music, Trumpet
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Haylie Robinson

Film, Documentary
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Brandon Williams

Music, Hip Hop
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2023 Grant Recipients - July

Shawn Messenger

Visual, Glass
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Emerson DeAngelo

Visual, Mixed Media
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Poonam Saini

Dance
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Tim Stover

Visual, Glass
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Noah Stephens

Visual, Photography
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Anthony Wright

Film
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Manuela Murphy

Multidisciplinary
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2023 Grant Recipients - June

Mary Gaynier

Multidisciplinary
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Ruxandra Nagy

Visual, Textile
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Gail Christofferson

Visual, Mosaic Glass
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Kimberly Djo

Visual, African Drums and Dance
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2023 Grant Recipients - May

Megan Aherne

Theater

Nick Amrhein

Photography, Director
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Bryan Bonfiglio

Musician

Erin Keaton

Painting, Visual Arts
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Jason Quick

Musician
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2022 Grant Recipients - September

Chloe Wagenhauser

Musician
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Cyd Gottlieb

Multidisciplinary
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Jennifer Marcson

Multidisciplinary
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2022 Grant Recipients - August

Aliyah Hicks

Multidisciplinary Singer/Songwriter
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Emily Horst

Ceramics
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Joel Trzcinski - Bliss Nova

Musician
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Shanelle Smith

Multidisciplinary
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2022 Grant Recipients - July

Benjamin Stalets

Musician, Songwriter
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Christina Humble

Multimedia Artist
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Mariah Maddox

Photography
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Natasha Overton

Ceramics
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2022 Grant Recipients - June

Megan Davis

Musician

Connor Degnan

Gallery owner, Muralist
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Marisa Dickens

Performing Artist
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Shawanda Johnson

Dance Studio Owner, Performance Artist
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Robin Jones

Hip-Hop & Spoken Word Artist
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2022 Grant Recipients - May

Brenda Singletary

Mixed Media
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Jeremy Gray

Gallery Owner, Artist
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Sarah Cohen

Musician, Songwriter
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Julie Schnell Madden

Ceramics
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2021 Grant Recipients - September

Rebekah Alviani

Photography
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Timothy Spurchise

Glassblowing & Metalworking
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artist working

Beth Genson

Encaustic
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David Bush

Poetry
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Oradella Wilson

Performance

2021 Grant Recipients - August

artist portrait

Amber LeFever Soboleski

Painting
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Chuchen Song

Glass
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Dan Denton

Poetry
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Kai Newby

Photography
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Kristin Kowalski

Ceramics
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Michael-Anthony Boyd

Fashion
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2021 Grant Recipients - July

Kathryn Henzler

Musician, Composer
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Robert Vanitvelt

Painting
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Travis Geiman

Musician
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2021 Grant Recipients - June

Theo Brooks

Glass
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artist portrait

Timothy Stover

Glass
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Simone Spruce

Artist, Activist, Educator
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Kayla Williams

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2021 Grant Recipients - May

Shannon Eis

Sculpture
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Joni Johnson

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Sara Kear

Illustration and Jewelry
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Keegan O'Brien

Glass
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2020 Grant Recipients - September

Lee Fearnside

Printmaking
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Dominick Gray

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Harley King

Larry Mack

Glass
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Janine Ody-Miller

Glass
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Paul Verdell

Painting
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2020 Grant Recipients - June

Alyssa Brutlag

Dancer
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Morag Hastie

Writer
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Jonie McIntire

Poetry
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Shawn Messenger

Glass
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Felissa Parker-Green

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artist portrait

Eric Thomas

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2019 Grant Recipients - May

Matthew Cook

Mercé Culp

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Erin Garber-Pearson

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Natalie Lanese

Mixed Media
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William Gruber

Artist glassblowing

Rebecca Szparagowski

Glass
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Paul Verdell

Painting
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2019 Grant Recipients - June

James Dickerson

Photography
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Alex Goetz

Filmmaking and Photography
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Lindsay Scypta

Ceramics
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Steve Steel

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artist portrait

Ian Welch

Printmaking
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artist portrait

Marilyn Yakumithis

Jewelry
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2019 Grant Recipients - July

Jennifer Bak

Visual & Kinetic Artist
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El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico

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Emilio Gonzalez

Loraine Lynn

Mixed Media
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2019 Grant Recipients - August

artist portrait

Daniel and Joel Trzcinski

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artist portrait

Mariah Hicks

Artist Portrait

Nate Hicks

artist with mic

Jodie Summers

artist portrait

Marilyn Yakumithis

Jewelry
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2019 Grant Recipients - September

Josh Byers

Painting, Sculpture
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Artist Portrait

Jacob Jones

Bradley Scherzer

Murals
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José Treviño

2018 Grant Recipients - May

artist portrait

Malissa Kuznicki

Jewelry
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Artist Painting

Aaron Pickens

Painting
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artist portrait

Daniel and Joel Trzcinski

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Children's Theatre Workshop

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2018 Grant Recipients - June

Natalie Lanese

Mixed Media
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artist portrait

Timothy Stover

Glass
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Stephen Williams

2018 Grant Recipients - July

Glynis Fuentes

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Zac Weinberg

Sculpture
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Michelle Paine

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Joanna Manousis

Glass
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Kerry Kirkpatrick

Digital
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2018 Grant Recipients - August

artist shop

William Foraker

Loraine Lynn

Mixed Media
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Lou Krueger

Glass and Photography
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artist working

Beth Genson

Encaustic
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2018 Grant Recipients - September

Reina Mystique

Music Production
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Bradley Scherzer

Murals
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artist portrait

Travis Sanderson

Michael Belazis

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Artist Portrait

Jennifer Muse

Glass and Sculpture

2017 Grant Recipients - May

artist portrait

Alan Iwamura

Glass
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Jonie McIntire

Poetry
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artist portrait

Ian Welch

Printmaking
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avatars

Kate Kokonecki, Kelly Thompson and Jon Zenz

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James Dickerson

Photography
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2017 Grant Recipients - June

Corry Fitchpatric

artist portrait

Amber LeFever Soboleski

Painting
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Joanna Manousis

Glass
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Rachel McCartney

Jaci Riley

Jewelry
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artist portrait

Adam L. Sanzenbacher

Metal

Lindsay Scypta

Ceramics
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2017 Grant Recipients - July

David Cuatlacuatl

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Loraine Lynn

Mixed Media
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artist portrait

Adrianne Lee

Lisa Soltis

Boonie Patch Co.

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2017 Grant Recipients - August

artist portrait

Timothy Stover

Glass
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Brien Strancar

Glass
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Lauren Fowler

Glass and Porcelain
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artist photo

Bianca Garza

Photography
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2017 Grant Recipients - September

Malcolm Cunningham

Ken Dushane

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Noel Welch

2017 Grant Recipients - October

Anne Dearth

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Albert Leland

Sandra Rivers-Gill

Writer
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Imani Lateef

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2017 Grant Recipients - November

Gail Christofferson

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artist photo

Ben Cohen

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Emily Rippe Desmond

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artist portrait

Yusuf Lateef

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Mike Stevens

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2017 Grant Recipients - December

Julie Draeger

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Elsa Furia

James Serda