Inspiring a Vibrant Future
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. The 2024 Merit Awards will launch in October.
Four awards were given in 2023 and will also be awarded in 2024: one $3000 award, one $2500 award, one $2000 award, and one $1500 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 2023 Merit Award panelists included Jordan Wong, an artist based in Cleveland, who produces large scale installations and public artwork for the city as well as national museums; Goode Wyche III, a visionary arts and cultural professional based in Detroit who is dedicated to serving the community by facilitating the presentation of unsurpassed artistic experiences for audiences; and Cierra Rembert, a visual artist, arts administrator and curator based in Cleveland, who currently serves as the Artist Initiative Coordinator at SPACES.
The Merit Award program is generously supported by the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and The Chapman Family.