ArtsVote Ohio Launches Statewide Advocacy Effort

ArtsVote Ohio has officially launched its campaign to mobilize Ohio’s creative sector to participate in the upcoming November elections. A collaboration between CreativeOhio and the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), ArtsVote Ohio aims to empower Ohio’s creatives—artists, arts administrators, arts patrons and more—with the resources and knowledge needed to encourage robust voter turnout and engagement in the legislative process.

“Working in the arts, I see a strong synergy between creativity and democracy. Artists and arts organizations excel at advocacy, often using their platforms to champion social and political causes. At AVO, we envision a creative sector in Ohio that fully recognizes its influence, embraces the right to vote, and uses its collective voice to shape the future of our state and nation,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the GCAC. 

Ohio’s arts and culture sector was a $25 billion industry in 2022, providing 157,721 jobs and $11.3 billion in total compensation, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts. This significant impact underscores the importance of the creative sector in Ohio's economy, representing over three percent of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP)—more than utilities, education or agriculture.

“ArtsVote Ohio is designed to remind Ohio’s creative sector of their collective power and strength in numbers. The campaign’s messaging emphasizes that Ohio’s artists and creatives are not only business owners, employers and taxpayers, but also leaders in their communities. Voting decisions at all levels—federal, state and local—can have significant impacts on arts funding and, consequently, on a community’s vitality,” said Sarah Sisser, CreativeOhio executive director and CEO.

The collaboration between CreativeOhio and the Greater Columbus Arts Council is part of a broader national network affiliated with Americans for the Arts Action Fund.

“The ArtsVote Ohio campaign originally began in 2022 with the utilization of nationally created tools provided by Arts Action Fund. Over the past two years, we’ve evolved into a true statewide coalition, featuring artwork by Ohio artists and fostering community engagement through news, activities, and storytelling,” said Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing, communications and events at the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

To date, ArtsVote Ohio has collaborated with 28 artists from 10 Ohio cities to create shareable, nonpartisan graphics that arts supporters can download for free and use to engage their communities. ArtsVote Ohio encourages individuals and organizations to use the hashtag #ArtsVoteOhio and to credit the individual artists whose work they share. The campaign will continue collecting artwork and personal essays from Ohio’s creatives, exploring the intersection of creativity and democracy.

In addition to the visual campaign, ArtsVote Ohio offers a toolkit designed for both individuals and organizations. This toolkit provides resources to encourage artists to check their voter registration, register to vote, and inspire others to get out the vote.

For more information about ArtsVote Ohio and how to get involved, visit ArtsVoteOhio.org or follow the campaign on social media using #ArtsVoteOhio.