Oklahoma Arts Council Launches Grant Program Serving Rural Counties

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 26, 2022) – Organizations in 36 rural Oklahoma counties can apply to receive up to $5,000 in funding through a new Oklahoma Arts Council grant program. The state agency has announced the launch of Rural Arts Opportunity Grants to boost arts programming and cultural infrastructure in select areas of the state.

“Rural Arts Opportunity Grants are a strategic investment by our agency in response to needs in areas of the state where arts and cultural opportunities and resources are limited, and in some cases, disappearing,” Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said. “These are areas of Oklahoma where funding is often scarce, so our intentional commitment through this new grant program will have a particularly significant impact.”

Organizations eligible for funding include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of local government, federally recognized tribal nations, and public libraries. Funding can support capacity building and professional development activities, and learning-based or audience-based arts programs. Expenses ranging from artistic and administrative payroll to consulting contracts, program-related marketing, and more, can be paid through the grants.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Projects can be new or ongoing but cannot end before the submission of an application.

Details about the grant program and a list of eligible counties are available at arts.ok.gov. For more information, contact Thomas Tran at (405) 521-2041 or thomas.tran@arts.ok.gov.

Opportunity Counties are:

Alfalfa
Atoka
Beaver
Blaine
Caddo
Choctaw
Cimarron
Coal
Craig
Dewey
Ellis
Garvin
Grant
Harmon
Harper
Haskell
Jefferson
Johnston
Latimer
Love
Major
Marshall
Mayes
McClain
Murray
Noble
Nowata
Okmulgee
Osage
Pawnee
Pittsburg
Pushmataha
Roger Mills
Sequoyah
Wagoner
Washita

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About the Oklahoma Arts Council
The Oklahoma Arts Council is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts. The agency’s mission is to lead, cultivate, and amplify the transformative power of the arts for all Oklahomans and their communities. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides hundreds of grants to organizations and schools statewide each year, organizes professional development opportunities for the state's arts and cultural industry, and manages the art collections at the Oklahoma state Capitol. Additional information is available at arts.ok.gov.