Accelerator Grants

APPLICATIONS CLOSED FOR 2026

2026 Program 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 for local Emerging and Hobbyist artists to advance their creative projects and pursue artistic growth. Eligible categories of support for this program are limited to Materials + Supplies, Equipment, Professional Development, and Project Support. Grant request amounts are not to exceed $1,000.

The Arts Commission's work is made possible through support from the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and other generous supporters.

Questions?

For all inquiries about Accelerator Grants, please contact Liz Bayan (Artist Services & Subgranting Manager) at LBayan@theartscommission.org.

2026 Accelerator Grant Cycles

Cycle 1—May 26–June 16 | Cycle 2—August 3–25

2026 Application Guidelines

Grant Guidelines PDF

Award Recognition

Grant awardees are required to acknowledge our generous funders. Find out how by clicking the button!

Award Recognition Requirements

Photo credit: Jen Beachy; Artwork by Mary Gaynier.

Financial support for local artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you mean by Hobbyist or Emerging artist?

For the purposes of this program, applicants may identify as a Hobbyist artist if one of the following applies:

Making art is not your profession or career.

It's something fun you do in your spare time.

You make things purely for self-fulfillment or self-satisfaction or for the love of making things.

For the purposes of this program, applicants may identify as an Emerging artist if one of the following applies:

You have 0-10 years of experience as a working artist regardless of age or education.

You are actively working to grow your creative career with things like exhibitions, performances, honors or awards, publications, artist lectures/presentations, etc.

You are someone who’s made a career change or recently decided to prioritize your art above everything else.

I am a nonprofit organization. Am I eligible to apply?

Nonprofit organizations are NOT eligible for this opportunity at this time.

I do not live within 30 miles of downtown Toledo. Will that be a problem?

All applications are screened for eligibility before the Grant Panel reviews. If you do not live or have a creative studio within that 30 mile radius, you are not eligible for this opportunity. Check with your local community to see what artist grants might be available to you.

2026 Grant Recipients - Cycle 1

Somica Alexander

Multidisciplinary

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Megan Yasu Davis

Music

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Emma Freeman

Film

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Brianna Gluszak

Glass

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Lee Harms

Glass

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Laura Hinkle

Visual

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Eli Kan

Glass

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Joshua Keidan

Improv

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Justin Longacre

Music

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Jelani Maliik

Music

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Kayla Renee McCraney

Music

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Cody Mohr

Glass

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Yvette Perry

Multidisciplinary

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Ben Stalets

Music

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Sarah J. Vanni

Painting

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2025 Grant Recipients - Cycle 2

Hannah Bowlus

Glass

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Catherine Clements

Multidisciplinary

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Ian Dawson

Glass

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Connor Degnan

Multidisciplinary

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James Dickerson

Photography

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Jax Foster

Oil Painting

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Laura Rose Graham

Multidisciplinary

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Sandy Hartke

Glass

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Nate Hicks

Music

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Ana King

Ceramics

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Jennifer Marcson

Jewelry

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Larry Meyer

Multidisciplinary

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Kamrun Naher Mim

Multidisciplinary

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2025 Grant Recipients - Cycle 1

Au’Ree Antoinette

Photography

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Ryan Bunch

Literary

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Chiefalone

Music

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Sarah Cohen (The Antivillains)

Music

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Deb Davis

Alternative Printmaking

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Emerson DeAngelo

Multidisciplinary/Ceramics/Printmaking

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Khrystyne Dewey

Graphite + Watercolor Drawing

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Ann Filipiak

Oil and Pastel Painting

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Zombea Kujichagulia

Multidisciplinary

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Julia LaBay

Multidisciplinary

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Camille Marie

Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor Painting

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Nikki D & The Sisters Of Thunder

Music

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Kathleen Pahl

Painting

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Alyssa Radtke

Glass + Sculpture

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2024 Grant Recipients - September

Debra Buchanan

Oil Painting/Drawing

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Kerry Kirkpatrick

Digital Art

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Aaron Peters

Glass/Sculpture/Paper

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Joel Trzcinski

Music

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Connor Ward

Music

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2024 Grant Recipients - August

Erin Holden

Writing

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Mariah Maddox

Writing/Visual Storytelling

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Yvette Reyes

Mixed Media

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Gabrielle Schaub

Oil Painting and Mixed Media

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2024 Grant Recipients - July

Black Swamp Players

Theater Arts

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Jaci Riley

Jewelry

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Xuanyi Wang

Oil Painting

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Jillian Wohlfarth

Literary Arts

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2024 Grant Recipients - June

Cyd Gottlieb

Multidisciplinary

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Kayla Kirk

Ceramics, Clay

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Timothy Spurchise

Glass, Metal

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Ryan Thompson

Glass

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2024 Grant Recipients - May

Kelci Crawford

Illustration, Author

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Ellie Martin

Vocal Jazz Composition, Singer-Songwriter

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Brenda Singletary

Painting, Mixed Media

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Timothy Story

Sound Art, Composition, Music

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2023 Grant Recipients - September

Michael Belazis

Music, Indie Folk Music

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Alexandria Leatherbarry

Visual, Photography

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Lindsay Scypta

Visual, Ceramics

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Janelle Teitlebaum Lorenzen

Visual, Mixed Media

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2023 Grant Recipients - August

Jane Anderson

Music, Trumpet

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Domenic Pennetta

Visual

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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

Emerson DeAngelo

Visual, Mixed Media

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Shawn Messenger

Visual, Glass

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Manuela Murphy

Multidisciplinary

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Poonam Saini

Dance

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Noah Stephens

Visual, Photography

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Tim Stover

Visual, Glass

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Anthony Wright

Film

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2023 Grant Recipients - June

Gail Christofferson

Visual, Mosaic Glass

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Kimberly Djo

Visual, African Drums and Dance

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Mary Gaynier

Multidisciplinary

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Ruxandra Nagy

Visual, Textile

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2023 Grant Recipients - May

Bryan Bonfiglio

Musician

Megan Aherne

Theater

Nick Amrhein

Photography, Director

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Erin Keaton

Painting, Visual Arts

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Jason Quick

Musician

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2022 Grant Recipients - September

Cyd Gottlieb

Multidisciplinary

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Jennifer Marcson

Multidisciplinary

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Chloe Wagenhauser

Musician

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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

Christina Humble

Multimedia Artist

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Mariah Maddox

Photography

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Natasha Overton

Ceramics

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Benjamin Stalets

Musician, Songwriter

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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

Sarah Cohen

Musician, Songwriter

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Jeremy Gray

Gallery Owner, Artist

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Julie Schnell Madden

Ceramics

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Brenda Singletary

Mixed Media

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2021 Grant Recipients - September

Rebekah Alviani

Photography

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David Bush

Poetry

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Beth Genson

Encaustic

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Timothy Spurchise

Glassblowing & Metalworking

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Oradella Wilson

Performance

2021 Grant Recipients - August

Michael-Anthony Boyd

Fashion

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Dan Denton

Poetry

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Kristin Kowalski

Ceramics

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Amber LeFever Soboleski

Painting

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Kai Newby

Photography

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Chuchen Song

Glass

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2021 Grant Recipients - July

Travis Geiman

Musician

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Kathryn Henzler

Musician, Composer

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Robert Vanitvelt

Painting

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2021 Grant Recipients - June

Theo Brooks

Glass

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Simone Spruce

Artist, Activist, Educator

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Timothy Stover

Glass

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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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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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William Gruber

Natalie Lanese

Mixed Media

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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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Ian Welch

Printmaking

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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

Mariah Hicks

Nate Hicks

Jodie Summers

Daniel and Joel Trzcinski

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Marilyn Yakumithis

Jewelry

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2019 Grant Recipients - September

Josh Byers

Painting, Sculpture

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Jacob Jones

Bradley Scherzer

Murals

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José Treviño

2018 Grant Recipients - May

Malissa Kuznicki

Jewelry

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Aaron Pickens

Painting

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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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Timothy Stover

Glass

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Stephen Williams

2018 Grant Recipients - July

Glynis Fuentes

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Kerry Kirkpatrick

Digital

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Joanna Manousis

Glass

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Michelle Paine

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Zac Weinberg

Sculpture

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2018 Grant Recipients - August

William Foraker

Beth Genson

Encaustic

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Lou Krueger

Glass and Photography

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Loraine Lynn

Mixed Media

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2018 Grant Recipients - September

Michael Belazis

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Reina Mystique

Music Production

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Bradley Scherzer

Murals

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Travis Sanderson

Jennifer Muse

Glass and Sculpture

2017 Grant Recipients - May

James Dickerson

Photography

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Alan Iwamura

Glass

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Kate Kokonecki, Kelly Thompson and Jon Zenz

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Jonie McIntire

Poetry

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Ian Welch

Printmaking

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2017 Grant Recipients - June

Corry Fitchpatric

Amber LeFever Soboleski

Painting

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Joanna Manousis

Glass

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Rachel McCartney

Jaci Riley

Jewelry

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Adam L. Sanzenbacher

Metal

Lindsay Scypta

Ceramics

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2017 Grant Recipients - July

Boonie Patch Co.

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David Cuatlacuatl

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Adrianne Lee

Loraine Lynn

Mixed Media

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Lisa Soltis

2017 Grant Recipients - August

Lauren Fowler

Glass and Porcelain

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Bianca Garza

Photography

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Timothy Stover

Glass

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Brien Strancar

Glass

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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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Imani Lateef

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Albert Leland

Sandra Rivers-Gill

Writer

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2017 Grant Recipients - November

Gail Christofferson

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Ben Cohen

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Yusuf Lateef

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Emily Rippe Desmond

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Mike Stevens

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2017 Grant Recipients - December

Julie Draeger

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Elsa Furia

James Serda

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The Arts Commission
1000 Adams Street
Toledo, Ohio 43604
419-254-ARTS (2787)

Office Hours

Monday through Friday
8:30am - 4:30pm

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Statement

Inclusion, diversity, equity and access are fundamentally important to our work at The Arts Commission. Our aim is to provide access and opportunity to art and culture for all in our community. It is our committed practice to stand alongside, listen and act based upon community needs. We have a responsibility to advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity and access. The Arts Commission will continue to deepen this practice as we move into the future.

The Arts Commission believes that the arts can provide the space to foster conversations that bring us together. The arts have long stood in the gap as a bridge between cultures. They have served as a place to support healing, as well as a place to develop and exchange compassion. We trust the arts in this role. By embracing our differences and celebrating our similarities we build a more vibrant, just, and inclusive society.

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All content on this site is presented in support of Toledo's creative community and is made available as such.

Accessibility

The Arts Commission strives to provide programming and events in an inclusive manner in accessible spaces and venues. Should you wish to visit or participate and need accommodation, please contact us at 419-254-2787.