The Greater Columbus Arts Council, or GCAC, was notified July 23 by Franklin County officials that the county would be pausing $4 million in funding to the arts council this year, which is 14% of GCAC's annual budget.
The GCAC is shutting down two grant programs because of the cuts: Funds for Artists and Artist Projects. The programs are meant to financially support working artists involved in dance, fashion, film, literature, music, theatre and visual and multidisciplinary art.
鈥淚t was not a punitive thing in any way. It was just much more of a lot of pressure on the county and other governments to fund non-profits,鈥� said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
There will also be cuts to organizational funding, professional development, travel and events.
Katzenmeyer said that ticket tax revenue this year was also lower than expected. The GCAC鈥檚 ticket fee went into effect in July of 2019, and didn鈥檛 generate much revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淲e see those numbers every month, so we're kind of on alert about it right now. It's a very unpredictable source of funding,鈥� Katzenmeyer said.
The GCAC awarded grants to artists earlier this year and fulfilled all of those commitments. Some smaller grants are still available, like their Visual Arts Fellowship.
Franklin County Commissioners are planning to re-evaluate the GCAC鈥檚 budget in the fourth quarter of 2025, which goes from October through December.
鈥淕CAC is going to stay true to our mission. We're going to continue to support artists and arts organizations and continue to advocate for them at every level,鈥� said Jami Goldstein, GCAC's chief creative officer.