ODDC - 2004 Arts Grants Announced by Council

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arts Grants Announced by Council

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
8 East Long Street, Suite 1200
Columbus, Ohio 43215

September 27, 2004
Contact: Leslie Paull
(614) 466-5205 or (800) 766-7426

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC) awarded Funding for the Arts grants to eight Ohio organizations:

Lawnview Industries- Art on Main, Urbana;
Christie Lane School & Workshop/ Huron County Board of MRDD- Artists Open Studio, Norwalk;
We Care Arts, Kettering;
Gallery Arts Center, Columbus;
Tuscarawas County BD of MR/DD- Joining the Arts Community, New Philadelphia;
Art Bridge Studio a Division of UCP, Columbus;
The Purple Cat, Youngstown;
Hocking County Board of MR/DD, Logan.

The ODDC awarded a total of $32,000 in arts grants. This is the second year the ODDC has offered Funding for the Arts to help emerging artists with disabilities move to a higher level of career development. Grant funds are used to help artists with disabilities develop the skills necessary to begin marketing their art for profit. The recipients of the awards will assist artists with disabilities in a variety of artistic disciplines.

The community employment rate for people with disabilities is devastatingly low, as is the involvement of people with disabilities in the arts. The arts can provide opportunities for people to be employed in a variety of nontraditional careers. However, people with disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to explore this area as a career option.

The ODDC is one of a national network of state councils committed to self-determination and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. ODDC receives federal funding to help carry out its mission of developing new and better ways of advocating, increasing capacities to assist people, and making needed changes to systems.

ODDC consists of members appointed by the Governor. Members are people with developmental disabilities, parents and guardians of people with developmental disabilities, representatives from concerned state agencies, and nonprofit organizations and agencies that provide services to people with developmental disabilities.