CreativeOhio’s 2026 – 2027 Public Policy Agenda

Across all of our priorities runs a unifying theme: arts and culture are essential infrastructure. CreativeOhio’s advocacy will intentionally reflect this framing in legislative conversations and policy.

partnership. (Last updated 04/06/26.)

Sustaining and Enhancing State Investment in the arts

Public support for the arts delivers a strong return on investment for the State of Ohio—generating economic activity, supporting jobs and small businesses, increasing tourism, strengthening local tax bases, and leveraging significant private and federal dollars into communities across the state.

CreativeOhio will work to protect and grow funding for our state arts agency, the Ohio Arts Council, and ensure arts and culture remain a visible priority in the state operating and capital budgets.

Strengthening Ohio’s Creative Workforce Pipeline

Creative industries are both a primary driver ofjob creation and a skill-building incubator. From theatres and performing arts centers to film production, design, music, digital media, and individual artists, creative industries employ thousands of Ohioans and help retain talent in our communities.

CreativeOhio will advance efforts to formally recognize creative Industries as a workforce sector within Ohio’s broader economic development strategy. We will advocate for expanded career technical education pathways, paid internships, apprenticeships, and early-career training opportunities.

Importantly, we will intentionally work across sectors—with tourism, economic development leaders, chambers of commerce, and human services partners -to underscore that arts and culture.

Advancing Ticketing Reform and Consumer Protection

Ohio’s nonprofit theatres and performing arts centers are facing a growing challenge: deceptive third-party ticket resale platforms that mislead patrons, inflate prices, and damage trust.

Speculative ticket listings, hidden fees, and fraudulent practices not only harm consumers, they harm the reputation and financial stability of our member institutions..

CreativeOhio will prioritize legislative solutions that improve transparency, prohibit deceptive resale practices, and strengthen consumer protections. Our goal is to protect Ohio consumers, restore trust in ticket purchasing, and ensure that revenue supports the organizations producing the work.

Supporting Local Funding Solutions for the Arts

Across Ohio, communities are exploring ways to sustain and grow investment in arts and culture—from countywide levies to admissions taxes, cultural districts, and public-private partnership models. Some of these mechanisms require enabling legislation at the state level; others can be pursued locally under existing law.

CreativeOhio will support communities seeking to establish or strengthen local funding options for the arts. Where enabling legislation is necessary, we will advocate for flexible, community-driven frameworks that allow local voters and leaders to determine what works bestfor their region.

Local investment builds local ownership and strengthens the long-term stability of Ohio’s creative sector.

Ensuring Fair and Sustainable Tax Policy

Ongoing discussions around property tax abolition and restructuring carry significant implications for schools, libraries, local governments, and cultural institutions—the backbone of community life in Ohio. At the same time, tax policy related to philanthropic giving has a profound impact on the nonprofit arts sector, influencing the resources available to sustain and grow this work.

CreativeOhio supports responsible, sustainable tax policy that protects public infrastructure and nonprofit stability. We will continue monitoring ballot initiatives and legislative proposals to ensure arts and culture remain eligible for critical funding streams.

Expanding arts Education and Community Access

Access to arts education improves academic performance, fosters creativity and critical thinking, and strengthens workforce readiness. While CreativeOhio recognizes this work as critically important, we will take a supportive role, partnering with and amplifying the leadership of arts education advocacy organizations at the state and local levels.

We will align our efforts to reinforce policies that protect arts education standards, support the educator workforce, and expand access in rural and underserved communities.

Ohio has extraordinary artistic talent at every level, but too often that talent leaves the state in search of opportunity. To better retain the next generation of creators, educators, and cultural leaders, stronger connections across the arts education and workforce continuum are needed. In partnership with sector leaders, CreativeOhio will support efforts to strengthen alignment across high school arts programming, arts-focused schools, higher education, and Ohio’s nonprofit and commercial arts industries. By contributing to a more connected statewide pipeline, Ohio can better position artists and creatives to build sustainable careers—and lives—here at home.

Ensuring Equitable Capital Investment in Cultural Facilities

Across Ohio, conversations continue about major public investment in stadiums and professional athletic facilities. While these venues play an important role in regional economies, they are not the only drivers of tourism, downtown activity, and job creation.

Ohio’s arts and cultural facilities—from performing arts centers and theatres to museums and multidisciplinary arts campuses—generate significant economic impact, draw visitors from across the state and beyond, and anchor revitalized districts in both urban and rural communities. They employ Ohioans, support hospitality businesses, and activate surrounding neighborhoods year-round.

CreativeOhio will advocate to ensure that arts and culturalfacilities are eligible for capital funding mechanisms or public financing tools made available to sports venues. Ifthe state is creating or expanding programs to support large-scale facilities that drive tourism and economic activity, cultural institutions should be recognized as equally deserving of access to those funds.

Equitable capital policy means recognizing the full spectrum of venues that power Ohio’s visitor economy. Strategic investment in cultural facilities strengthens communities, diversifies tourism assets, and ensures long-term return on public dollars.

Advancing Arts, Health, and Community Wellbeing

The arts play a measurable role in improving community health outcomes. Participation in arts and humanities programming has been shown to reduce social isolation, support mental health, aid in trauma recovery, and enhance overall wellbeing. Across Ohio, arts organizations are already partnering with healthcare providers, senior services, veterans’ groups, and community agencies to deliver meaningful impact.

CreativeOhio will advocate for policies that recognize the arts as a vital component of public health strategy. We support initiatives that integrate arts and humanities into community wellness efforts, traditional medical practice, and medical and allied health education. W e will also champion stronger collaboration between arts organizations and health and human services agencies to expand access, improve outcomes, and position the arts as essential infrastructure for healthier Ohio communities.

SUPPORTING FEDERAL ADVOCACY AND NATIONAL CULTURAL AGENCIES

Ohio’s arts ecosystem is deeply connected to federal cultural investment. Programs administered by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provide direct and pass-through funding that supports organizations across our state.

CreativeOhio will actively support federal advocacy efforts to sustain and strengthen these agencies. W e will work with national partners to ensure that Ohio’s congressional delegation understands the positive impact of federal arts and cultural funding.

We will also support federal policy initiatives that integrate the arts with agencies such as Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Small Business Administration, and the Department of Defense. We recognize that arts integration improves health outcomes, strengthens communities, supports veterans, and expands educational opportunity.