The Ohio Arts Council approved 75 Individual Excellence Awards totaling $375,000 on January 29, 2025. Each of the 75 artists receives a $5,000 award. The OAC received nearly 600 applications in this funding cycle, covering crafts, design, interdisciplinary work, media arts, photography, and visual arts.

The program supports artists across Ohio in experimenting with their art forms, developing skills, and advancing their careers. Awards are recommended through an anonymous panel review focused on the quality of past artistic work. Recipients in the 2025 cycle came from cities including Athens, Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Findlay, Gambier, Maumee, Newark, Oberlin, Toledo, and Yellow Springs. A complete list of recipients is available at oac.ohio.gov. OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins said the recipients “demonstrate that artists can build thriving and sustained careers here in the Buckeye State.”

Source: https://oac.ohio.gov/home/news-and-events/all-news/iea-fy-2025