OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., October 3, 2024 — Allied Arts has announced that it will award nearly $3.2 million in grants this fiscal year, benefiting local arts and cultural nonprofits through its comprehensive grant programs. Allied Arts funding supports educational youth outreach, capacity building, and COVID-19 relief efforts.
Educational Outreach
The focus of the Educational Outreach Program is to provide arts-based educational opportunities for K-12 students who may not otherwise have access to these vital experiences. “The Educational Outreach Program invests in arts opportunities for children across Oklahoma, especially in underserved and at-risk communities,” said Allied Arts President and CEO Sunny Cearley. “Thanks to our generous donors, these programs can make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people statewide”. This cycle awarded more than $156,700 in grants to organizations such as:
- A to Z Productions/Norman Philharmonic: Martin Luther King Celebration Concerts
- Oklahoma Children's Theatre: "A Sick Day for Amos McGee" Fieldtrips
- Oklahoma City Ballet: Dance Discovery Program
Capacity-Building Program
The Capacity-Building Program supports arts and cultural nonprofits in strengthening their organizational infrastructure. This includes funding for projects such as board and volunteer management, staff development and strategic planning. In this cycle, we awarded $52,598 to initiatives like:
- Oklahoma City Repertory Theater: Branding and Focus Group Efforts
- Oklahoma Contemporary: Technology Infrastructure Upgrade
These investments are essential for organizations striving to enhance their missions and increase community access to the arts.
COVID-19 Relief for Cultural Nonprofits
To address the ongoing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan and former Oklahoma County District 1 Commissioner Carrie Blumert approved ARPA funding to Allied Arts to provide critical assistance to the local nonprofit cultural sector most negatively affected by the pandemic. The purpose of the funds is to help eligible arts nonprofits headquartered in Oklahoma County that have been hardest hit by the pandemic to help in their efforts to rebuild and recover specifically by supporting revenue loss, investing in human resources, and creating new and expanding existing programs, particularly to increase arts access in underserved communities. Funding totaled $321,499.25, benefiting organizations such as:
- Arts Council Oklahoma City: Financial Loss
- Red Earth: Financial Loss
Arts & Humanities Month
October is not only a time to recognize the transformative power of the arts but also celebrates Arts and Humanities Month, culminating in a formal declaration by Oklahoma City Council on October 22. As we celebrate Arts and Humanities Month, Allied Arts remains committed to enhancing Oklahoma’s cultural landscape through strategic funding and support for our diverse arts organizations. We extend our deepest gratitude to all our donors and partners for making this vital work possible.
For more information about Allied Arts and our grant programs, please visit alliedartsokc.com/grants.
About Allied Arts
As a United Arts Fund, Allied Arts works to broaden support for the arts by raising financial support for cultural organizations, encouraging participation and attendance, advocating for arts education, and promoting excellence in the arts and arts management. Since its founding in 1971, the organization has raised nearly $95 million to advance the arts in central Oklahoma. Learn more at www.alliedartsokc.com.
Allied Arts has more than 40 nonprofit cultural organizations under its umbrella. Member agencies include:
- Ambassadors’ Concert Choir
- Arts Council Oklahoma City
- Canterbury Voices
- Carpenter Square Theatre
- Cimarron Opera
- deadCenter Film
- Firehouse Art Center
- Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and Thelma Gaylord Academy
- Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
- Metropolitan School of Dance
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- OK City Chorus
- Oklahoma Children’s Theatre
- Oklahoma City Ballet
- Oklahoma City Museum of Art
- Oklahoma City Philharmonic
- Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
- Oklahoma Shakespeare
- Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC)
- Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
- Opry Heritage Foundation of Oklahoma
- Prairie Dance Theatre
- Red Earth, Inc.
- Science Museum Oklahoma
- The Sooner Theatre
For more information, contact Allied Arts at 405.278.8944 or visit alliedartsokc.com.