![Playhouse Square will receive the largest grant from the CAC next year, at $1.16 million, followed closely by the Cleveland Orchestra. [Atomazul / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/583887d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x557+0+0/resize/840x468!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2022%2F11%2F1135636551_1038835508.jpg)
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) announced Wednesday about $11.8 million in grants going to 273 area arts organizations next year. The agency distributes tax revenues from a county cigarette tax to benefit local arts and culture.
"This gives residents and listeners 273 more things to do next year,” said CAC Executive Director Jill Paulsen. “We define arts and culture very broadly. What some people might think about is dance and theater, going to a gallery… and after school arts education for your kids. For us, it's also nature and science. It's also arts activities that happen and are embedded within other types of nonprofits. It might not be an arts primary mission group, but it definitely has a slice of its work that is arts and culture.”
About $10.2 million in grants will go to 68 organizations - including Ideastream Public Media - for general operating support.
Another $1.3 million will fund special projects for 193 groups.
CAC’s Cultural Heritage Program, introduced last year, will grant close to $222,000 for projects at 12 organizations.
The grant amounts were determined based on number of employees and budget, and range from $1,056 for the Blazing River Freedom Band up to $1.16 million for Playhouse Square.
Paulsen said that as smoking declines in popularity, this source of funding could be reexamined.
“When CAC was created, it was a community-wide effort,” she said. “Everyone knew that the revenue source… was the solution for that moment and that it would decrease over time. So, what we say is, revenue is decreasing just as we anticipated and we're planning for it each year. Obviously, the goal is to work in coalition with the whole arts community and our colleagues at Assembly for the Arts to try to look at additional revenue sources.”
Last month, during the race for Cuyahoga County executive, Democrat Chris Ronayne voiced similar opinions on the future of arts funding. He won the race over Republican Lee Weingart on Tuesday.
A searchable list of 2023 grantees is below.
† Indicates a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)-led and serving organization
* Indicates a first-time grant recipient
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