Unruly Arts receives a grant from the American Rescue Act (ARPA) for Local Arts and Culture Organizations and Artists.

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, in partnership with the Lucas County Commissioners and the City of Toledo, is pleased to announce that Unruly Arts is included in the first round of organizational and artist grants from the Toledo-Lucas County Rescue Plan Grant program.

In 2021, as the disproportionately negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts ecosystem deepened, The Arts Commission worked with the Toledo Area Cultural Leaders to advocate for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward the rescue and recovery of the sector.

In response to this crisis, The Lucas County Board of Commissioners, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and Toledo City Council joined together in partnership to approve $6 million in ARPA funds to support a multi-year grant program for the recovery of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and artists in Toledo and Lucas County.

“All of us working in the arts are so deeply grateful to our elected officials for including us in this recovery effort,” said Marc Folk, President and CEO of The Arts Commission. “This funding will assist nearly every nonprofit arts and culture organization in Toledo and Lucas County and more than 100 local artists. Our region is widely known as an arts and culture destination and this investment will accelerate our ability to rebound. Simply put, our recovery would have taken years longer without this critical support.” 

Nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists were eligible to apply to a competitive process based on their demonstrated practice, need, and location within Toledo and/or Lucas County.

37 organizations and 101 artists were approved in this first round of funding for a total of $1,699,000.

We are so very grateful to our Elected Officials for seeing the value that Art has to offer to everyone.