Applications for The Arts Commission’s 2026 Accelerator Grant Program are Now Open

Daily Dose | 06/09/2026 1:30 pm

The Arts Commission is pleased to announce the return of the Accelerator Grant program for the tenth year. The Arts Commission values the many artists across disciplines who are part of Toledo's vibrant creative community and aims to support advancement of the community through artist granting programs.

The Accelerator Grant is a competitive program offering financial support with a quick turnaround for local artists to elevate their creative projects and careers. 27 artists were awarded an Accelerator Grant in 2025.

“The Accelerator Grant helped me to succeed by opening new doors for my practice,” Cyd Gottlieb, 2024 Accelerator Grant Recipient and multidisciplinary artist, shared, “This experience brought new context to my own work and allowed me to see myself as a part of a broad network of career artists.”

Eligible categories of support include: equipment, materials and supplies, professional development and project support, with awards totaling no more than $1,000.

Emerging artists and Hobbyists across all mediums are encouraged to apply to The Accelerator Grant. Individual artists and artist collectives with a current residence or a creative studio within 30 miles of downtown Toledo may be eligible.

Applicants may identify as a Hobbyist artist if one of the following applies:

Making art is not your profession or career.
It's something fun you do in your spare time.
You make things purely for self-fulfillment or self-satisfaction or for the love of making things.

Applicants may identify as an Emerging artist if one of the following applies:

You have 0-10 years of experience as a working artist regardless of age or education.
You are actively working to grow your creative career with things like exhibitions, performances, honors or awards, publications, artist lectures/presentations, etc.
You are someone who’s made a career change or recently decided to prioritize your art above everything else.

“I definitely did not feel qualified to apply, but I did anyway, and I'm so glad I did,” said Kathryn Henzler, 2021 Accelerator Grant Recipient, “Receiving a grant gave me the validation I needed to continue pursuing music composition, even if it isn't what I do for my full-time job. I just wanted to know if other people would respond to my work and give me the chance to have the financial help I needed to create a new piece, and I was so honored and grateful when they did.”

Grant guidelines and the application link can be found on The Arts Commission’s website.

2026 Accelerator Grant Program Dates:

Cycle 1 - Opens May 26. Application deadline: June 16 by 12pm (Noon)
Cycle 2 - Opens August 3. Application deadline: August 25 by 12pm (Noon)

Applicants who do not receive funding in Cycle 1 are encouraged to submit an application to Cycle 2.

About The Arts Commission
The Arts Commission is the longest standing arts commission in the state of Ohio, founded in 1959, administering the City of Toledo’s One Percent for Art Program since 1977. The Arts Commission is supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.