"If ArtsWave went away tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to do anything!" That's what Andrew Hungerford said on behalf of the Know Theatre of Cincinnati, and it's a refrain carried by arts organizations across the Cincinnati region.

"Every single day, we cannot open up the doors of the Cincinnati Art Museum without having important funding from ArtsWave," says Darcy Schwass, the museum's director of marketing and communications. From the galleries of the Cincinnati Art Museum to arts education programs from My Nose Turns Red Youth Circus, ArtsWave's support is a powerful current that flows through Cincy's cultural landscape. Behind countless exhibitions, performances and community arts programs lies the invisible but essential support of ArtsWave contributors — people like you.

What does that support look like? We're glad you asked. Let's talk about the ArtsWave Effect.

A Foundation for Stability, Growth and Access
For recipients of ArtsWave's unrestricted Sustaining Impact Grants, The ArtsWave Effect means stability. It helps to cover basic expenses like maintenance and staff payroll that are grant funding often overlooks. Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, credits The ArtsWave Effect with providing a solid foundation and "building blocks to grow."

The ArtsWave Effect plays a crucial role in making Cincy's arts more accessible. At Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, that means educational matinee prices, allowing field trips from local schools that might not otherwise have the resources to send students to the theater. For The May Festival, it means that participation is 100% free for all of its participants, which is unusual for a major community chorus.

Mutual Dance Theatre & Arts Centers never turns anyone away due to financial hardship. They offer pay-what-you-can scholarships to potential students. How can they afford that? You may have guessed by now: It's the ArtsWave Effect.

Improved accessibility means more than financial assistance. According to Jonathan Sears, executive director of PAR-Projects, "If ArtsWave were to disappear, you would see a lot of organizations, especially Black and Brown organizations, really take a hit." When the region comes together to support its arts, we create space for underrepresented voices to be heard.

The ArtsWave Effect powers a cultural ecosystem that educates, inspires and unites the Cincinnati region. It ripples through communities, schools and neighborhoods, creating a more vibrant, accessible and diverse arts landscape, and it’s only possibly through contributions from people like you.

Your support is critical to keeping The ArtsWave Effect strong. Give today to help make our region a better place to live and work.