Ontario County Arts Council provides diverse opportunities for arts participation, understanding and appreciation.
ABOUT US
Our community commitment to art is based on a strong belief that engaging in the arts plays a pivotal role in improving overall mental and physical health, as well as the well-being of our communities. Art offers meaning, elevates our mood, improves our ability to problem solve, broadens our attention span, opens our minds to new ideas, and unlocks solutions to creative problems. Art benefits everyone in our community.
The Ontario County Arts Council is a non-profit organization with a membership of over 200 visual and performing artists and other members of our local communities who appreciate and support culture, art, music, and architecture. Established in 1989 to enhance the creative arts in Ontario County, we sponsor and co-sponsor numerous events, exhibits, and workshops, as well as support the arts with grants and scholarships. These include:
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Annual series of four juried exhibits are held from January to December in the North Gallery of the Ontario County Historical Society, and is sponsored in partnership with the Museum. Occasional workshops and lectures at the museum are held in conjunction with these exhibits.
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Gallery 32 is a community arts partnership with FLCC which offers additional gallery space and arts events in downtown Canandaigua.
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One non-juried member exhibit at the Wood Library, Canandaigua.
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A Rotating Art Exhibit program at local offices and businesses that pay an annual $150 participation fee, which goes towards our grants and scholarship funds. Presently there are 19 contributing member artists at 14 locations in Ontario County
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A $2,000 Mariner Family Scholarship is awarded each fall to a deserving visual or performing arts student at Finger Lakes Community College. Zach Abraham, Finger Lakes Community College student, president of the FLCC Art Club, and interested in a career in animation, was the recipient of the Mariner Scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year.
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An annual Community Grants Program is made available to other non-profit groups in Ontario County in support of the arts
Arts council awards 2026 community grants
CANANDAIGUA (June 20, 2026) – The Ontario County Arts Council has awarded microgrants to five local organizations for projects that promote the arts in the community.
Paints & Rec will receive a $1,000 grant to fund scholarships for underprivileged youth who participate in a project to paint murals at the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center this summer. A reveal ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 14 at 6 p.m.
Friends of the Bristol Valley Playhouse Foundation will receive $1,000 to provide 40 free tickets, normally $25, to performances of “A Year with Frog and Toad” July 9-12 and 15-18 at Bristol Valley Theater. Staff in the Marcus Whitman and Honeoye school districts will identify low-income families likely to benefits from attendance.
The Finger Lakes Film Festival will receive $1,000 to help cover meals, accommodations, and transportation for visiting filmmakers and to support accessibility by providing ASL interpreters. The 2027 festival will be held Feb. 26 and 27 in Geneva.
The Marcus Whitman Band & Guard Boosters will receive $500 to cover costs for a professional ensemble to headline the Jazz Festival portion of the Gorham Pageant of Bands being brought back after a 10-year hiatus on May 21 and 22, 2027.
The Dove Block Project in Geneva will receive $500 to defray costs for its fifth Sunday Open Mic events to be held on Aug. 30 and Nov. 29, 2026, and Jan. 31 and May 30, 2027.
The Ontario County Arts Council awards community grants each year. The application announcement is posted on the council website. In addition to grants, the council funds a scholarship for a second-year Finger Lakes Community College student studying the arts. It also hosts art exhibits and events at the Ontario County Historical Society and the new Gallery 32 at 32 S. Main St. in partnership with Finger Lakes Community College. To become a member or learn more about the arts council, visit ocarts.org
Our Board of Directors
We have an active, working Board of Directors, all volunteers, who works closely with other local organizations in support of the arts, including the Ontario County Historical Society, Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce and B.I.D., Arts in Canandaigua Galleries, the City of Canandaigua, Cobblestone Arts Center and The Dove Block in Geneva.
Judi Cermak, President; Diane Olivet, VP; Neal Allen, Secretary; Kim Ratzel, Treasurer;
Kendra Fleischman; Tina Blackwood; Andrew Bolton; Jennifer Yerden; Mike Nyerges;
Ben Slomovic; Amy Flagler