Cincy’s Annual Creative Catalyst Returns to Support 30 Projects

Every year, dozens of creative projects across Greater Cincinnati get the green light to either build something new or expand on a solid foundation. Some are performance art series. Some are workshops for community members and artists. Some are works of public art or festivals. What do they all have in common?

Each is made possible, in part, by ArtsWave’s Catalyzing Impact Grant — meaning each is made possible by people like you.

A Community-Powered Process

This year, thanks to thousands of donors who contribute to ArtsWave’s annual Campaign, 30 Catalyzing Impact Grants will help amplify voices and spark new connections through a wide range of arts initiatives, including youth filmmaking, community murals, cultural festivals and adaptive arts programs.

The recipients were selected by a panel of 13 community volunteers working alongside ArtsWave’s Women’s Leadership Roundtable, a group of more than 680 women whose collective giving helps power these opportunities. 2026 marks the first time the Roundtable partnered directly in the review process. The result reflects their commitment building an arts ecosystem that reflects the diversity and creativity of our region.

The panel selected 30 projects out of 93 applicants — a testament to the level of creative energy bubbling up across the region, and the need for support to bring that energy to life.

Projects That Bring Us Together

So, what exactly ARE those 30 projects? Let’s take a look at a few.

ARTE’s 17 Neighborhoods project will bring portable, 4×8-foot mural panels to all 17 of the city’s neighborhoods. Local families and residents will be invited to collaborate with artists as they paint their community’s story. Once complete, the panels will be assembled into one unified artwork as a powerful symbol of what’s possible when we create together.

May-We-Help is partnering with the Adaptive Arts & Music Project to create offer the Cincinnati Adaptive Arts and Music Camp at Northern Kentucky University this summer. The camp welcomes children and adults with physical disabilities into an inclusive community where everyone has access to musical instruments and artistic tools. Campers will grow as musicians and artists, regardless of the number of fingers or hands they use to make art.

CindeNext, presented by the Cindependent Film Festival, is a hands-on program offering students filmmaking education and mentorship to high school students, guiding them through the process of creating original short films. It builds confidence, hones and amplifies young voices, and empowers the next generation of storytellers.

From the Cincinnati Pride Festival and AfriFest 2026 to jazz concerts at the American Sign Museum and free visual arts classes, this year’s Catalyzing Impact Grant recipients reflect the full spectrum of what makes this region special.

Why it Matters

The Catalyzing Impact Grant Program is ArtsWave’s only grant opportunity open to all nonprofits seeking support for arts projects. It’s designed to reach beyond the “usual suspects” to support emerging organizations, grassroots initiatives and projects that bring arts and culture to neighborhoods and communities that might not otherwise have access.

It’s all made possible by the generosity of ArtsWave donors. Every contribution to the annual Campaign helps fund programs that educate, connect and inspire. Whether it’s seniors exploring African and Indian customs through Creative Aging Cincinnati, teens producing original music at West Side YMCAs through the Music Resource Center, or artists sharing their stories through the Ohio Justice and Policy Center’s Just Art Initiative, these projects contribute to the kind of community we all want to be part of.

For a complete list of all 30 funded projects and more information about ArtsWave’s Catalyzing Impact Grant program, visit artswave.org/programs.