September 1, 2026
Individual Excellence Awards
Ohio Arts Council · Direct application
$5,000
Eligibility
Location
Ohio
Major
Visual Performing Arts
Education level
Continuing or nontraditional
About this scholarship
Ohio resident artists age 18 or older with at least one year of state residency may apply for $5,000 merit awards recognizing outstanding past work. Degree-seeking students at the September deadline are ineligible.
Literary and performing categories rotate in alternating years. Awards are unrestricted and may fund experimentation, skill development, or career advancement (not academic degree costs).
FY27 applications open June 1, 2026 and close September 1, 2026 at 5 p.m. through the ARTIE online system. FY26 awarded 77 artists $375,000 total.
The Ohio Arts Council is the state arts agency administering Individual Excellence Awards since the program's inception.