COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) announced today the inaugural recipients of its new Capital Expense grant program. The program is designed to ensure that sustainable arts and cultural organizations are able to construct and maintain capital assets vital to their mission.
As 2023 was the first year for Capital Expense grants, applications were opened to existing Operating Support and General Support grantees of GCAC. Twelve organizations submitted letters of intent, which were reviewed by a committee of past board members and GCAC staff, before being invited to submit a full application. Nine organizations completed full applications, which were then reviewed and scored by a community panel of jurors. The Capital Expense grant jury presented the following eight applications for funding totaling $1,155,265.
| Organization | Project Description | Award |
| BalletMet | Dance floor replacement | $175,000 |
| CAPA | Central Presbyterian Church renovation | $175,000 |
| Columbus Children’s Choir | Rehearsal and office space renovation | $75,000 |
| Columbus Museum of Art | Freight elevator update | $172,788 |
| COSI | Cooling tower replacement | $175,000 |
| Franklin Park Conservatory | Immersive interactive permanent installations | $140,673 |
| Ohio History Connection | Collections Care Center – Fine Arts Storage | $159,704 |
| Shadowbox Live | Up Front performance space renovation | $82,100 |
“Offering Capital Expense grants is a major step forward for GCAC in funding and supporting Columbus artists and cultural institutions,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of GCAC. “These funds are made possible by the city of Columbus’ Facility Stabilization Fund, meaning these grants are a direct result of the Arts & Culture Fee applied to events at Nationwide Arena. The impact of these grants will be felt for years to come, from upgrading performance and practice spaces to building new infrastructure, supplying vital storage and transportation, and creating interactive installations for the public.”
“BalletMet is so grateful to receive a GCAC Capital Expense grant to help replace our dance floors,” said Sue Porter, executive director of BalletMet. “World class dance flooring is vital to our dancers’ and students’ ability to create and practice their art. Our new floors will allow BalletMet to continue to build on its mission to entertain, engage and educate through dance. Thank you GCAC and our community for all of your support.”
The jurors for the 2023 Capital Expense program were:
- Don Anderson, Elford
- Randy Arndt, Ice Miller, retired
- Lori Bongiorno, MA Design
- Miranda Kridler, Columbus College of Art & Design
- Jennifer Rittler, Moody Nolan
For more information on community funding, including guidelines and upcoming deadlines, go to gcac.org or contact the Grants & Community Engagement team at grants@gcac.org or (614) 224-2606.
Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners, the Ohio Arts Council and The Ohio State University.
For translations of this release and other pages, please see the dropdown menu at the top right corner of gcac.org.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
