FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2007
Contact:
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission: Jessica Fagan – 614.995.7552; jfagan@culture.ohio.gov
Horvitz Center for the Arts Receives Preliminary Approval from Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission authorized preliminary approval at its quarterly meeting today for the Horvitz Center for the Arts, a new visual arts facility to be built on the campus of Kenyon College. The facility was appropriated $750,000 in Am. Sub. H.B. 699 of the 126th General Assembly.
The Commission granted the first stage of approval for the project and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenyon College. The Commission utilizes Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements to provide preliminary approval of projects in instances where the Commission is able to make one or more, but not all, of the statutorily-required determinations that result in a project’s full approval. The MOU agreement for the Horvitz Center for the Arts project confirms the Commission’s preliminary approval by determining that there is a need for the project in the community, and the MOU documents the specific additional steps needed for final Commission approval for release of state bond funds.
Upon completion of the steps outlined in the MOU, the project will be in a position to receive final approval from the Commission.
Following full approval, the state capital appropriation will be utilized for equipment and furnishings in the public programming areas of the Horvitz Center for the Arts. The new visual arts facility will include instructional facilities for studio art, research areas for teaching art history, and an exhibition space to house both traveling exhibitions and the college's growing permanent art collection.
The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that helps enhance the quality of life for Ohioans by improving the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, the Commission has disbursed nearly $400 million of capital funds appropriated by the legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at non-profit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues.
The Commission partners with non-profit groups and local governments on nearly 250 projects in 65 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov.
