On April 20, 2016, the Ohio Arts Council board met publicly and approved Individual Excellence Award recommendations for state fiscal year 2016. Seventy-five (75) $5,000 Individual Excellence Awards were approved totaling $375,000. There were 392 applications received for a total request of $1,960,000.

About Individual Excellence Awards

Individual Excellence Awards are peer recognition of creative artists for the exceptional merit of a body of their work that advances or exemplifies the discipline and the larger artistic community. These awards support artists’ growth and development and recognize their work in Ohio and beyond. During this funding cycle, applications in choreography, criticism, fiction/nonfiction, music composition, playwriting, and poetry categories were accepted. Below are the 8 Miami Valley Winners: