Congratulations to the Ohio Communities and Organizations Receiving America 250-Ohio Fall 2023 Trillium Local Activity Grants!
As Ohio prepares to celebrate and commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, America 250-Ohio, awarded $398,240 in grants to 23 communities and organizations across 15 Ohio counties as part of the commission’s first funding cycle. More than 70 organizations throughout the state submitted applications for the grants program, which is managed in partnership with Ohio Humanities. Projects funded in this round must be completed between March 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025. Two types of grants were awarded: Buckeye Impact Grants and Trillium Local Activity Grants.
Trillium Local Activity Grant Recipients – Fall 2023
Trillium Local Activity Grants offer up to $5,000 for projects with a local or community-wide impact. These projects may include exhibitions, interpretative panels, local commemorative programs or activities, local public events, educational, public programs, and smaller digital and documentary media projects.
The following projects are receiving a Trillium Local Activity Grant for the Fall 2023 grant cycle:
Organization: Ottawa County Historical Society
Project: Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) America-250 Patriots Marker
Community: Ottawa County, Ohio
The Daughters of the American Revolution (National) has established an America-250 Patriots Marker program to honor those who served in the American Revolution. This project will purchase a Patriots marker to celebrate Ottawa County resident Benajah Wolcott who served as Private in Captain Prentice Company, Colonel Meigs “Leather Cap” Regiment.
Organization: Pike Heritage Foundation, Inc.
Project: Pike County 250 Historic Banner Project
Community: Waverly, Ohio
The Pike County 250 Historic Banner Project is designed to provide our communities, and those who visit them, knowledge of America’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. The project will involve the design and manufacture at least fifty customized banner to attach to utility poles located in seven communities in the county. Each banner will measure 20″x60″, made of vinyl, and attached to the poles using bands so as to prevent damage to the poles. The vinyls will be full color, double sided, and include a historic place or person from the county’s past. Each vinyl banner will also include the Ohio 250th Anniversary logo and the name of the sponsoring organization or business. The Pike Heritage Foundation will solicit sponsorships for the banners to help defray costs. Should the number of sponsors exceed the minimum number, we will increase the number of banners installed. Volunteers will provide the design and installation of the banners.
Organization: Friends of the Museum, dba Northwest Territory Museum Society
Project: Putnam House Virtual Tour
Community: Marietta, Ohio
Campus Martius Museum welcomes visitors from every US state and many foreign countries each year. For those who cannot visit in person, our basic webpage photos and social media video/photo posts are all we can currently offer. The Putnam House Virtual Tour project will create a 360* virtual tour of every room in the Putnam House. The tour will be available through our website for teachers & school groups, visitors considering traveling to the museum and for those unable to travel to Marietta, as well as those in-person visitors who are unable to access the second floor of the house. The project requires not only a photographer and equipment, but also digital support (hosting & maintenance), supplemental images of artifacts, links to supporting photos and documents, videos of docents interpreting the house, and historic maps, among other resources. We look forward to welcoming virtual visitors for Ohio 250 in 2026 and beyond.
Organization: Voyageur Media Group, Inc.
Project: “Capturing Life” (1839-1869). Episode One, The Big Picture:
A History of Photography in Greater Cincinnati
Community: Cincinnati, Ohio
“Capturing Life” (1839-1869) is the first episode in The Big Picture: A History of Photography in Greater Cincinnati, a three-part documentary series that examines the role of photography in the economic, social and cultural development of Southwest Ohio from 1839 to 1939. “Capturing Life” presents new research about some of the Ohio scientists and daguerreotypists who played a key role in the development of early American photography. The one-hour documentary explores the impact of photography on key events in American history, including the abolitionist movement, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and post-war industrialization. It reveals how photography helped shape the identity of individuals, families and communities, and how contemporary archivists are working to preserve our region’s visual heritage for future generations.
Organization: Bath Township
Project: Heritage Corridors of Bath Heritage Events
Community: Bath Township, Akron, Ohio
Bath Township Trustees and members of the Heritage Corridors of Bath Committee will conduct a series of events that commemorate our rich heritage, through the lens of our communities’ barns – the official historical architectural structure of Ohio (SB86 passed 2018), thus highlighting the achievements, innovations, and significance of residents from before its founding to the present day. These events will be held in various barn-centric township venues, and the program is designed for all citizens of our community to participate.
Organization: Warren County Foundation/19 Services
Project: Preserving History through Video Interviews
Community: Lebanon, Ohio
The Harveysburg Community Historical Society is seeking to preserve historical memories through video interviews. The video Interviews would be of two instrumental women: Urcelle Willis, (who is approaching her mid 90’s) along with Lucy McCarren (who is approaching 100). Both women have personal stories along with historical information that would be imperative to be preserved for historical purposes. The Harveysburg Community Historical Society would like to utilize the services for the interview through ‘History in Your Own Backyard’ for future educational purposes. This program and the services they offer would also include posting the video through various media outlets and websites for the story can be told in a variety of ways, thus spreading the word further of the Harveysburg First Free Black School.
Organization: Canton Museum of Art
Project: Telling Ohio Stories and Amplifying Diverse Voices through Two Exhibits at the Canton Museum of Art: Eyes to the Soul: The Fiber Art of Margene May (August 27- October 27, 2024) and El Albañil (November 26, 2024- March 2, 2025)
Community: Canton, Ohio
The Canton Museum of Art is planning two impactful upcoming exhibitions of diverse Ohio artists to commemorate the America 250 celebration. These exhibits feature significant interpretive and educational elements relevant to AM250-OH, to connect and engage participants with the exhibit themes. The exhibits, along with accompanying scholarly public programs, will tell the story of some of “Ohio’s contributions to the U.S. for the past 250+ years and create a sense of pride about the impact that Ohio and Ohioans have on the state, nation, and the world” by focusing on two regional artists: Margene May (Canton) and J. Leigh Garcia (Kent). Eyes to the Soul: The Fiber Art of Margene May (August 27- October 27, 2024) and El Albañil (November 26, 2024- March 2, 2025) will tell Ohio Stories and share the under-told experiences of artists who are Ohio women of color. The exhibits and accompanying programs are accessible; thoughtfully designed to encourage open conversations in our community.
Organization: Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library
Project: Ohio on Display
Community: Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library has partnered with the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter to curate rotating exhibits that highlight the history and culture of Ohio and its residents. We respectfully request funds to acquire a more suitable display case, which will allow the DAR and other local historical societies, organizations, and experts to curate larger exhibits related to local history and culture. The proposed display case will provide a secure and visually appealing space in the library to exhibit historical artifacts, photographs, and stories relevant to our city and state’s development, ensuring continued interest and engagement from our community.
Organization: Four Corners Heritage Center
Project: Our Local Soldiers: Not Forgotten
Community: Grelton, Ohio
From The Revolutionary War (1775-1783), War of 1812 (1812-1815), Mexican – American War (1846-1848) and so on, our little portion of the United States was connected. The title of our project is “Our Local Soldiers: Not Forgotten”. We’d like to tell their story. They are gone, however in our eyes they’ll not be forgotten.
About the America 250-Ohio Grants Program
The Ohio Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (also known as America 250-Ohio or AM250-OH) grant program is a vehicle to provide funds for non-profit, educational, and local governmental organizations to support educational and commemorative programming about the two-hundred-fiftieth anniversary of the independence and founding of the United States.
The purpose of this grant program is to draw attention to the achievements, struggles, honors, innovations, and significance of all people in Ohio since before its founding to the present day as described in Ohio Revised Code 149.309 and Resolution 2023 – 09 adopted by the Ohio Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.
By supporting projects that align with these priorities, AM250-OH will elevate our country and state’s history and all its unique stories. These grants will seek to build capacity for educational and commemorative activities at museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, cultural centers, and educational institutions, benefitting more communities while amplifying the untold stories of all Americans, especially Ohioans.
The AM250-OH Commission has identified the following themes for Ohio’s Celebration and Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
- Celebrations and Signature Events: Impacting Tourism and Economic Development
- Ohio Originals: Highlighting Points of Pride & Unity
- Engaging Youth and Lifelong Learners: Education & Scholarship
- Inclusive Statewide Engagement: Museums, Arts & Culture
- Telling Ohio Stories: Highlighting stories of Ohioans past and present
Next Grant Funding Round Now Open
The winter 2024 funding cycle is now open with applications due March 15, 2024. During this round, the America 250-Ohio Commission will award approximately $600,000 in grant funding. The period of performance for winter 2024 recipients will be June 15, 2024, through May 31, 2025. Eligible parties must be non-profits registered within the State of Ohio, educational, and local governmental organizations located in Ohio. Individual artists, authors, or performers must apply through a non-profit fiscal agent/sponsor. For more information on eligibility, project guidance and information on applying for a grant, visit America250-Ohio.org/grants/.