Franklin County Arts Council (FCAC) was begun in 1989, and is currently entering their 24th year of operation. Their mission is to provide quality programs in the arts to the residents of Franklin County. Every year they provide at least one program which is designed for children.
Throughout the 24 years, they have sponsored programs from all genres of the arts, including music, art, literature, dance, drama, and everything in-between. Groups for which the Council has provided a performance forum have been nationally recognized groups as well as regional and local groups. Some memorable presentations have been Carmen DeLeone’s Gershwin Program, the St. Louis Ballet’s “Nutcracker” with local children included in the show, the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight, Madrigal Dinners, Will Rogers and Mark Twain one-man shows, and Handel’s “Messiah.”
The Arts Council brings in programs to the schools, including the Cincinnati Opera, the Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theatre, Art Reach, and Mad Cap Puppets.
Group trips to arts productions have included a bus trip to Chicago for a Monet exhibit and Broadway show, as well as trips to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center for musicals. High School students have traveled to see “Julius Caesar” and “MacBeth” with sponsorship by the Arts Council, as well as adults who join the Council for the popular “Shakespeare Sundays” at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theatre.
The Board of Directors, whose members include Ron Rychener, Patti Wilhelm, Nancy Pflum, Elaine Dorrel, Tom Cooney, Marcia Ernstes, Jean Goins, Kate Greene, and Suzi Collier, is excited about establishing the Franklin County Arts Council Scholarship Endowment in the Franklin County Community Foundation. The intent of the scholarship is to encourage students who have shown artistic interest in high school to pursue a college education.