America 250-Ohio announces a second round of grants funding for 61 community-based projects 

COLUMBUS, OH (June 11, 2024) – Today, America 250-Ohio, the official state commission charged with leading Ohio’s recognition of the semiquincentennial, awarded $600,000 in grants for 61 community-based projects as part of the commission’s second funding cycle. More than 170 organizations throughout the state submitted applications for the second round of the grants program, which is managed in partnership with Ohio Humanities. Projects funded in this round must be completed between June 15, 2024 through May 31, 2025.

Details about the 61 grant recipients can be found on theAmerica 250-Ohio blog. A few examples of projects selected for funding support include:

Organization: Fort Recovery Historical Society  

Project: Sharing a “New View” of Ohio’s Northwest Indian War Legacy 

Community: Mercer County

Amount: $25,000

“Sharing a ‘New View’ of Ohio’s Northwest Indian War Legacy” is a proposal to reformat an NEH-funded exhibit to fit on 23 retractable panels. Fort Recovery Historical Society would like to print two sets of the panels: One to stay at Fort Recovery, and one to travel the state.  

WOSU Public Media (Columbus)

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks Digital Series: 

The project will produce a digital video series on the history of the Hopewell Culture and their Ceremonial Earthworks, which were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in September 2023. This series will illuminate the Ohio Hopewell sites, including the Great Circle and the Octagon in Newark, Fort Ancient in Warren County, and five National Park Service sites in Chillicothe-Mound City, Hopeton Earthworks, High Banks Works, Hopewell Mound Group and Seip Earthworks. 

National First Ladies Library (Canton)

American Icons – The Untold Stories of Ohio’s First Ladies: 

“American Icons: The Untold Stories of Ohio’s First Ladies” provides an interactive traveling exhibit focused on the untold and inspirational stories of how Ohio’s eight First Ladies have impacted the nation over the past 250 years. The exhibit will debut at the National First Ladies Library & Museum in June 2025 and will travel to numerous other presidential historic sites and cultural museums across the state during the America 250 celebration throughout 2026.

Cincinnati Art Museum (Cincinnati)

Ohio Originals at Cincinnati Art Museum – Charley Harper and Nancy Rexroth: 

In fall 2026, the Cincinnati Art Museum will mount major exhibitions illuminating the achievements and significance of two nationally important Ohio artists: photographer Nancy Rexroth (b. 1946) and illustrator Charley Harper (1922-2007). These concurrent exhibitions anchor the museum’s fall 2026 focus on Ohio artists. 

Toledo History Museum (Toledo)

“Made in Toledo,” a Virtual and Physical Exhibit Demonstrating Toledo’s Past and Present Contributions to Industry:

“Made in Toledo” is an exhibit highlighting Toledo’s contributions – both well-known and lesser known – to the industrial success of America. The exhibit will be both physical and digital, with a small installation and accompanying materials housed in the museum’s downtown location, open to visitors in the spring and summer of 2025, as well as a virtual exhibit that can be accessed indefinitely.

Literary Cleveland (Cleveland)

Veterans’ Voices Anthology

Veterans’ Voices provides free creative writing workshops to Northeast Ohio military service members and veterans to help them craft poetry and prose about their military experiences. The project culminates in the publication of a print and digital anthology, Celebrating Service Volume II, featuring the writing of participants which will be shared with the public through readings, panel discussions and media appearances. 

Additional grants will fund artistic, historical, and educational endeavors throughout the state, and support numerous public events.

Todd Kleismit, Executive Director at the America 250-Ohio Commission

“The breadth and depth of the projects being submitted for grant consideration has been nothing short of astonishing. America 250-Ohio is honored to play a role in helping bring about community-driven initiatives that will enhance the historical and cultural legacy of our great State for the next 250 years.”

Combined with the first round of $400,000 grants distributed to 23 organizations in January 2024, America 250-Ohio has now awarded approximately $1 million to 85 organizations across the state. To be eligible, parties were required to be non-profits registered within the State of Ohio, educational, and local governmental organizations located in Ohio. Individual artists, authors, or performers were required to apply through a non-profit fiscal agent/sponsor. Complete information on the grants program is online at America250-Ohio.org/grants/.

The America 250-Ohio Commission’s grants program offered two funding levels. The Buckeye Impact Grants offered up to $50,000 for projects with a statewide, regional or significant local impact. These projects include significant exhibitions, regional commemorative activities, substantial digital and documentary media projects and signature public events. The Trillium Local Activity Grants offered up to $5,000 for projects with a local or community-wide impact. Trillium Local Activity Grant projects included exhibitions, interpretative panels, local commemorative programs or activities, local public events, educational, public programs and smaller digital and documentary media projects.  

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About America 250-Ohio

In 2026, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial, which is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Each state has been encouraged to create a celebration and commemoration of this anniversary to reflect the unique character and contributions of each state to the nation over the past 250 years. Ohio is fully embracing this opportunity. The Ohio Commission for the Semiquincentennial (aka America 250-Ohio Commission or AM250-OH) was created by the Ohio legislature and launched on March 1, 2022. The charge of the AM250-OH Commission is to “…to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United States and the impact of Ohioans on the nation’s past, present, and future.” — Ohio Revised Code (149.309). More information can be found at America250-Ohio.org.

About Ohio Humanities

Ohio Humanities is a statewide nonprofit that shares stories to spark conversations and inspire ideas by hosting programs and awarding grants that support storytellers statewide, from museums to journalists to documentary filmmakers. For more information, please visit our website at OhioHumanities.org.