At its December 11 board meeting ArtsinStark’s Board of Directors approved $1,189,000 in grants to 66 organizations and individual artists across Stark County. Grants were awarded in four categories: Major Arts Organizations (7), Special Projects, (19) SmArts (22), and 20/20 Vision (18). “This roughly $1.2 million is all raised through the Annual Arts Campaign each spring” says ArtsinStark board chair Brian Zimmerman, “In fact, 75% of the dollars we raise each year go across Stark County to change lives through the arts.”
| Majors Arts Grants | Amount | Description |
| Canton Ballet | $130,500 | To host 10 performances of 3 major productions, do |
| school presentations, and offer hundreds of classes | ||
| to more than 300 students. | ||
| Canton Museum of Art | $256,800 | To host 10 exhibits, 2 major art shows, and 60 |
| community events, classes and outreach programs | ||
| for more than 30,000 participants. | ||
| Canton Symphony | $329,300 | To host 7 classical concerts, 3 pops concerts, and a |
| range of intimate musical performances and | ||
| interactive programs for young audiences. | ||
| Massillon Museum | $64,800 | To host 6 Main Gallery exhibits, various permanent |
| collection and Studio M exhibits, 5 intimate concerts | ||
| and numerous community lectures and workshops. | ||
| Palace Theatre | $44,800 | To provide over 100 movies and art films, live |
| concerts, dance performances and special events at | ||
| its historic theatre. | ||
| Players Guild Theatre | $191,800 | To present 8 major shows, touring productions for |
| K-12, along with classes and workshops. | ||
| Voices of Canton | $43,500 | To host 12 concerts by the adult chorus, and provide |
| educational outreach to schools. | ||
| $1,061,500 |
The first category is Major Arts Organization Grants which go to the seven major arts organizations. “These big arts organizations attract more than 150,000 people a year,” says committee chair Duncan Darby, “and much of that audience is tourists whose economic impact is growing every year.”
The second category is Special Project Grants which go this year to 19 smaller arts organizations, non-profits, and individual artists and totals $33,000. The Alliance for Children & Families got a grant to create artwork in new homes for families who were formerly homeless. The North Canton Public Library received funds for a new “artwalk” as part of the annual Main Street Festival. Spring Hill Historic Home in Massillon was awarded dollars to present a live theatre series. “Over the last 14 years we’ve awarded more than $2 million in 900 Special Project Grants to every single community in Stark County,” says committee chair Vicki Conley, “and the impact on families and kids has been amazing.”
| Special Project Grants | ||||
| Organization/Artist | Award | City | New Project | |
| 1 | Alliance Area Preservation Society | $ 1,000 | Alliance | To create signage and brochure for downtown historic district |
| 2 | Alliance for Children & Families | $ 3,500 | Alliance | To create artwork in new homes of families formerly homeless |
| 3 | Aultman Hospital | $ 3,500 | Canton | To provide a music therapy program for patients |
| 4 | Bluecoats | $ 3,500 | Co-Wide | To hold summer clinics for high school marching band students |
| 5 | J.R. Coleman Sr. Outreach Services | $ 2,600 | Canton | To host an intergenerational program for seniors and preschoolers |
| 6 | Domestic Violence Project | $ 2,400 | Canton | To provide jewelry making classes to victims of domestic violence |
| 7 | Early Childhood Education Alliance | $ 1,000 | Alliance | To hold an art demo and lesson with author Jamey Christoph |
| 8 | Early Childhood Resource Center | $ 1,000 | Canton | To host a painting workshop with artist Kat Francis |
| 9 | Goodwill Industries | $ 1,000 | Canton | To present a monthly lunchtime concert series |
| 10 | Kent State Univ – Stark | $ 1,657 | Co-Wide | To produce Black History Arts lecture & music events |
| 11 | Martin Center | $ 2,750 | Canton | To present spoken word poet Donte Clark |
| 12 | Massillon Public Library | $ 1,000 | Massillon | To conduct family stories workshop as part of The Big Read |
| 13 | McWhorter, Jack | $ 1,000 | Co-Wide | To conduct a student mural project focused on watersheds |
| 14 | North Canton Public Library | $ 1,000 | N. Canton | To provide an art walk during the Main Street Festival |
| 15 | Resch, Barb | $ 1,000 | Canton | To publish and distribute free books to schools & libraries |
| 16 | Robinson, Chrystal | $ 1,000 | Alliance | To provide live entertainment at Historic Main Street festival |
| 17 | Spring Hill Historic Home | $ 2,093 | Massillon | To present a live theatre series in collaboration with community |
| 18 | Timberlake, Brenda | $ 1,000 | Canton | To provide painting classes for a domestic violence shelter |
| 19 | YMCA, Paul & Carol David | $ 1,000 | Jackson Twp | To design an art themed little free library |
| $ 33,000 |
SmArts Grants are the third category. They go to school systems that want to partner with ArtsinStark to supercharge learning. “We’ve put 250 SmArts projects for 30,000 kids in every one of the 17 public school districts in Stark County and all the Catholic Middle and Elementary Schools,” says committee chair Livvy Mull. The chart below shows all the SmArts Grants processed to date with more still coming.
| Partnership Grants | Project | Amount | ||
| 1 | Alliance City Schools | To teach language arts to 3rd graders by producing a poetry café performance. | 1 | $ 2,500 |
| 2 | Canton City Schools | To provide 12 varied residencies in elementary and middle schools. | 1 | $ 22,000 |
| 3 | Canton Local Schools | To support an in-house performing arts residency. | $ 2,500 | |
| 4 | Fairless Local Schools | To strengthen language arts through a district wide family art competition. | $ 2,500 | |
| 5 | Holy Cross Academy | To provide arts focused learning in all elementary and middle schools. | 1 | $ 5,000 |
| 6 | Jackson Local Schools | To support 1st grade writing skills through the art of storytelling. | $ 1,000 | |
| 7 | Lake Local Schools | To support in-house visual arts team. | $ 2,500 | |
| 8 | Louisville City Schools | To create outdoor art with 2nd graders to learn mapping skills. | 1 | $ 2,500 |
| 9 | Massillon City Schools | To use varied art forms to teach math, and science to 3rd & 4th graders. | 1 | $ 4,000 |
| 10 | Minerva Local Schools | To teach 5th graders science concepts through various arts disciplines. | 1 | $ 2,500 |
| 11 | Osnaburg Local Schools | To provide a variety of residencies for all 1st-3rd grade students. | $ 2,500 | |
| 12 | Plain Local Schools | To teach 3rd and 4th language arts through producing an art installation. | 1 | $ 2,500 |
| 13 | Sandy Valley Local Schools | To host multiple residencies for all 1st-5th grade students in school. | $ 2,500 | |
| 14 | Stark County ESC | To work with artist Kris Kiko-Cozy to reach a variety of academic goals. | $ 2,500 | |
| $ 57,000 | ||||
| Mini Grants | Project | Amount | ||
| 15 | Heritage Christian | To learn Greek history by creating clay story pots with 1st-6th graders. | $ 750 | |
| 16 | Marlington Local Schools | To provide storytelling performance for both elementary buildings. | $ 750 | |
| 17 | North Canton City Schools | To create an in-house project with art teacher Candice Hall. | $ 750 | |
| 19 | Perry Local Schools | To strengthen 2nd grade language arts skills through theater. | $ 750 | |
| 20 | Tuslaw Local Schools | To use theater to teach language arts to 2nd graders. | $ 750 | |
| $ 3,750 | ||||
| Special Grants | Project | Amount | ||
| 21 | Pathways | To provide visual art and music residencies for youth at summer camp. | 2 | $ 4,000 |
| 22 | Enrichment | To provide visual arts residencies for youth at summer camp. | $ 1,000 | |
| $ 5,000 | ||||
| Notes: | ||||
| 1) Combination of new dollars and dollars remaining from previous years | $ 65,750 | |||
| 2) Because on different fiscal years, represents only portion of what is being spent for total 12 months | ||||
The fourth category is 20/20 Vision Grants. In 2012 ArtsinStark completed a countywide arts and economic development plan called 20/20 Vision. “One of the focuses was revitalizing downtowns,” says ArtsinStark CEO Robb Hankins. Halloweenfest in Louisville got funding to host a one-day event around the grand opening of the new UnHitched Brewery and the upcoming “Umbrella Alley.” Another grant went to Jupiter Studios in Alliance to host an OddMall Fest in their downtown. The North Canton Playhouse received funding to present a series of acting workshops for young people. The chart below represents 20/20 Vision grants allocated to date, with aggregate projects indicating a number of grants were made to support a larger effort.
| 20/20 Vision Grants 2020 | ||||
| # | Org/Artist | City | Project | Amt |
| 1 | Ahh Gallery* | Louisville | To provide live music at openings | $ 300 |
| 2 | American Legion Post #44 | Canton | To produce 4th of July celebration | $ 500 |
| 3 | Art at Airport * | County | To host multiple exhibits at airport | $ 1,300 |
| 4 | Artful Living & Learning | County | To support artists at early learning centers | $ 5,000 |
| 5 | Artist Career Workshop* | County | To assist artists to market themselves | $ 1,133 |
| 6 | Carmany, Tim | Canton | To implement an Artist career marketing grant | $ 1,000 |
| 7 | Halloween Fest* | Louisville | To produce October streetfest downtown | $ 6,693 |
| 8 | Ford, Julie | Canton | To implement an Artist career marketing grant | $ 1,000 |
| 9 | Jupiter Studios | Alliance | To host Oddmall fest downtown | $ 1,000 |
| 10 | North Canton Playhouse | North Canton | To host acting workshops for young people | $ 2,500 |
| 11 | Phillips, Scot | Canton | To implement an Artist career marketing grant | $ 1,000 |
| 12 | Stark Cty Fatherhood Coalition | Canton | To host arts workshops for families | $ 500 |
| 13 | Stark Econ Developmt Board | County | To help artist small businesses | $ 500 |
| 14 | Thompson, Alaska | Canton | To produce Fusion fashion show | $ 2,000 |
| 15 | Various Artists* | Canton | To feature live musicians at AiS board meetings | $ 200 |
| 16 | Waalkes, Michele* | Minerva | To repair public artwork in Minerva/Alliance | $ 1,843 |
| 17 | Walker, Clint | Canton | To produce sculpture of letters “Art” | $ 400 |
| 18 | Williams, Kelly | County | To host Hip Hop workshop and concert | $ 1,500 |
| $ 28,369 |
ArtsinStark uses the arts to create smarter kids, new jobs, and healthier communities. We are a 50 year old private, non-profit organization that gives out grants, owns and manages the Cultural Center, and runs the Annual Arts Campaign — and much more (Canton Arts District, First Fridays, SmArts Program, the Genius Project, 20/20 Vision, the ELEVEN, and the Canton Music Block). Our annual budget is $3 million. What we don’t earn, we raise each spring through the Annual Arts Campaign. In May 2019 we raised $1.66 million to become the only united arts fund drive in America to ever make goal for 14 years in a row. More at www.ArtsinStark.com.
