Artist Opportunity Grant Program

The Artist Opportunity Grant (AOG) is a funding initiative administered by Culture Works and supported by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD), which receives backing from the Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners. Since its inception in 2016, the AOG program has allocated over $220,000 to support 77 local artists in Montgomery County, Ohio. The overarching purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance to individual artists so they may seize imminent, unique opportunities that significantly advance their artistic careers and deepen their professional development. The AOG program focuses on empowering artists to pursue meaningful projects that align with their creative goals and offer public engagement within Montgomery County. Artists can apply for grants ranging from $500 to $5,000, with a total of $75,000 in funding available for the 2025–2026 cycle. Grants may be used for a wide array of opportunity-based expenses such as creating new work, travel to workshops or exhibitions, equipment and space rentals (with limits), artist time (up to 20% of the total request), and professional services that support artistic growth. Proposals must be for activities occurring between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Projects that are general operational efforts, hobby-related, duplicative, or outside the grant period are not eligible. To apply, artists must meet several eligibility criteria: they must be permanent residents of Montgomery County with a valid street address, be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and demonstrate a minimum of three years of artistic practice. Applicants must also show proof of recent public artistic activity and have the capacity to complete a project with community benefit. Artists are permitted to apply for one opportunity per cycle, unless the opportunity consists of a formal series under one organizer. Applications opened on August 13, 2025, and must be submitted by 4:00 PM EST on September 12, 2025, through the Community Force Application Portal. The application requires a detailed artist statement, work sample, project budget with documentation, project timeline, and a clear plan for public engagement in Montgomery County. Evaluation is based on artistic merit, potential impact, opportunity quality, administrative capability, and public benefit, each scored out of five points for a total of 25. The review process includes initial eligibility checks, written evaluations by panelists, and two public panel sessions (on October 29 and 31, 2025). Final scores and funding recommendations are submitted by November 3, with approvals confirmed by the MCACD Board. Grant payments will be issued in January 2026, 30 days prior to the start date of each awarded project, contingent on execution of the grant agreement. Grantees must complete their projects by December 31, 2026, and submit final reports within 30 days of completion. For assistance or more information, visual artists may contact Caitlin Wissler, Public Services Director at Dayton Metro Library (CWissler@daytonmetrolibrary.org, 937-496-8854), and performing artists may reach out to Mariah Johnson, Cultural Programming Manager (MJohnson@DaytonMetroLibrary.org, 937-496-8803). The grant guidelines also include access to workshops covering artist statements, budgeting, and peer reviews to help strengthen applications.

Applicants are encouraged to write as if the reviewer knows nothing about their project. They should attend optional workshops on artist statements, budgets, and peer reviews to improve their application.