Thanks to a new partnership between the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and William G. Pomeroy Foundation, Ohio communities can now highlight their stories, customs, and traditions through a roadside marker grant program named Legends & Lore®.
Launched by the Pomeroy Foundation in 2015, the Legends & Lore grant program helps communities commemorate their local folklore and legends, and promote cultural tourism with roadside markers. The OAC, which funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities, has joined the grant program as a state partner of the Pomeroy Foundation. The OAC will help vet grant applications and ensure the legitimacy of the folklore proposed for commemoration.
“Encouraging cultural tourism is an important part of promoting a vibrant Ohio arts economy,” said Donna S. Collins, OAC executive director. “The Ohio Arts Council looks forward to spotlighting local folk and traditional arts and culture through Legends & Lore.”
The Pomeroy Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Syracuse, N.Y. One of the Foundation’s main initiatives is to help people celebrate their community’s history by providing grants for roadside markers. Since 2005, the Foundation has awarded close to 1,800 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 46 states and Washington, D.C.
“We are delighted to partner with the Ohio Arts Council to bring this unique grant opportunity to the Buckeye State,” said Deryn Pomeroy, trustee and director of strategic initiatives at the Pomeroy Foundation. “The Legends & Lore marker program has already helped communities around the country commemorate the cultural traditions, customs, and stories that are important to them. Through our partnership with the OAC, we look forward to recognizing Ohio’s diverse landscape of folk and traditional arts with roadside markers.”
More than 140 Legends & Lore marker grants have been awarded by the Pomeroy Foundation since the program’s inception. In addition to Ohio, Legends & Lore grants are currently available in the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia. Prospective applicants must apply through a local 501(c)(3) organization, such as a historical society; nonprofit academic institution; or a local, state, or federal government entity.
There are two Legends & Lore grant rounds each year. The second Legends & Lore grant round in 2022 will open on Monday, Aug. 29. The deadline to submit a marker grant application during that round will be Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. Legends & Lore grant funding includes the full cost of a marker, pole, and shipping. To review program guidelines and details about how to apply online, visit the Foundation’s website: www.wgpfoundation.org/history/legends-lore/
