Overview
The Arts Commission's Merit Award program recognizes outstanding local literary, performing, and visual artists, rewarding the many hours and personal resources each artist dedicates to their artform. Artists living within a 30 mile radius of Downtown Toledo may be eligible to apply.
Four awards were given in 2022: one $3000 award, two $1500 awards, and one $1000 award. Recipients are selected by a panel of renowned artists and cultural leaders from around the Midwest, with a range of expertise across artistic disciplines.
The 2022 review panel included Jessica Hong, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Toledo Museum of Art; Marcus Jackson, Poet, Photographer, and Teacher of MFA programs at Ohio State University and Queens University of Charlotte, based in Columbus, Ohio; and Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, Artist, Curator, DJ, and Organizer residing in Detroit, Michigan.
The Merit Award program is generously supported by ProMedica, the Ohio Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.