Bricker Hall, located at 190 Annie and John Glenn Ave., is the home of Ohio State’s Office of Outreach of Engagement. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Calling all innovators.  

Ohio State’s Office of Outreach and Engagement is offering “Spark” grants of up to $25,000 for students, faculty or staff who wish to organize arts-oriented engagement projects. 

Funded by the Mellon Foundation — a New York City-based private foundation that funds the arts and humanities — the grants will be available over the next three years to fund community-engaging projects and provide resources such as monetary needs and connections to professionals. The application includes a maximum two-page proposal, a budget document, and proof of community engagement and partnerships, all submitted before April 12. 

“Anybody with an arts interest can apply. You don’t have to be a professor or student in the arts,” Maurice Stevens, associate dean for engagement of the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Spark grant selection committee, said. “But people who have an artistic sensibility, who are engaging and collaborating with the community in art making or oriented spaces can apply.”

Proposals will be considered through multiple criteria, including innovative nature and the potential for sustainability, according to the Outreach and Engagement website.

“We’re looking for grants that are going to support a kind of flourishing ecosystem for the arts,” Stevens said. “I’m especially interested in collaborations that will involve community artists and organizations.”

Proposed projects may focus on any aspect of the arts, from music and painting to design and architecture. Lisa Florman, vice provost for the arts, said Spark grants could support many different types of projects, such as partnering with local high schools to orchestrate theater performances or faculty partnering with local arts organizations to create paid internships for students.

“I hope that people will put forward Spark grants for really novel ideas,” Florman said. “Something that they would like to see happen and haven’t been able to realize, simply for a lack of resources.”

While the grant is available to students and staff at all Ohio State campuses, the selection committee is particularly interested in proposals with impact and partnerships among the communities and demographics near the regional campuses, Florman said. As such, this is an exciting way of tying the regional campuses more closely to the overall identity of Ohio State.

“I think it’s going to be an opportunity to really extend the footprint of things we’re already doing on the regional campuses, but out into the community and strengthening those relationships,” Florman said. “Hopefully getting younger folks interested in Ohio State at large.”

Florman said the arts have historically been viewed as a luxury at institutions and in society. However, she believes the arts are very important in culture and a tremendous economic engine that generates massive amounts of money each year. 

The positive impact of this grant and interacting with the arts also benefits individuals, Florman said. 

“Study after study has shown that the kind of early and frequent exposure to the arts has a range of benefits,” Florman said. “Everything from increased creativity that transfers to many other fields, to generally a greater flexibility and adaptability in the face of change in one’s own life.”

This opportunity can also help build strong connections outside of the Ohio State community and create a stronger bond with the arts among all demographics, Stevens said.

“It’s collaborative. It builds relationships between people in the community and of course with Ohio State,” Stevens said. “It also helps people understand one another more and see things from different perspectives.”

The Outreach and Engagement website contains further submission information and a downloadable application.