OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL

In 1965, President Johnson signed legislation making federal arts funding available to states that created state arts agencies and matched federal dollars. That same year, Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellmon signed legislation creating what would become the Oklahoma Arts Council.

For more than 40 years, the Oklahoma Arts Council has managed the state's investment in arts and culture via public funding for the arts. Throughout the decades, they've fully vetted thousands of grant applications from public schools, local and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations, etc., awarding funding to the best projects and finest stewards of public funding in the state.

On countless occasions, the agency has provided seed dollars for projects and programs before they reached critical mass. We know both historically and anecdotally that the agency was the among first to provide funding to Oklahoma's operas, ballets and symphonies. They were present during the start-up phases of cultural events that went on to gain major brand recognition nationwide including the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Red Earth, deadCenter Film Festival and much more.

OAC's contributions to the state have at times been sorely undervalued economically. Diminishing their role by failing to allocate sufficient annual fiscal resources to the agency negatively impacts Oklahoma's economy and contributes to the state's challenges in producing a creative and innovative workforce.

OAC's formal mission is to lead, cultivate and support a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans. The agency:

• Provides matching grants to arts and cultural organizations, schools and local governments

• Supports opportunities for all Oklahomans to create, perform or attend arts activities.

• Raises public awareness about the value of the arts to the economic, educational, and cultural life of Oklahoma.

• Fosters education through the arts and support efforts to implement the arts as part of the core curriculum for all students in every Oklahoma school.

 

PUBLIC ART | OKLAHOMA ART in PUBLIC PLACES

The term public art refers to a variety of works of art (not limited to sculpture or even visual art) that are located in the public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. Most of the time, the art is specifically planned and executed with easy access to the public in mind.

In May, 2004, Senate Bill 1347 was signed into law creating the State of Oklahoma: Art in Public Places Act. This innovative legislation supports public art in Oklahoma. The new law incorporates artwork in, on, or near new state buildings or those with major renovation projects.

Public art reflects the local environment, cultural values and artistic vitality of Oklahoma communities. This law offers opportunities for local artists and also provides a vehicle for Oklahoma communities to express their identity, spirit and pride. More than 350 public art programs across the U.S. support projects in airports, libraries, parks, government buildings and neighborhoods and some 28 states have public art laws.

The State of Oklahoma: Art in Public Places Act requires that 1.5 percent of the cost of construction or major renovation of state-owned public buildings approved after September 1, 2004, be allocated for works of art in or near the project. The act applies to construction or renovation projects costing $250,000 or more. The maximum assessment for any one project is $500,000.

CURRENT MORATORIUM

During the 2011 legislative session, a group of state legislators successfully passed a bill that suspends the Oklahoma Art in Public Places requirement for state agencies to incorporate art into their capital improvement projects. Unfortunately, in a misguided and uninformed attempt to improve the state's general budget deficit, a moratorium was enacted for the fiscal years 2012-2014.

-- Jennifer James McCollum

Prior to 1965 public funding for the arts in Oklahoma was virtually non-existent. The arts were mostly accessible in coastal and affluent areas of the United States.

Realizing the importance of providing access to arts and culture to all Americans, both rural and urban, in 1965, Congress established the National Endowment for the Arts. This legislation made federal arts funding available to states that created state arts agencies and matched federal dollars. This was the initial action that led to the establishment of the Oklahoma Arts Council.

To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.

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