GCF launched four initiatives following a “community listening” process conducted in 2002. The initiatives each span five years, beginning in 2003 and ending in 2007.
Arts & Culture Initiative GCF’s community listening process surfaced the need to create a regional branding campaign based on the region’s arts and cultural assets, recognized as an important engine of economic growth. As a first step, GCF supported joint arts marketing initiatives through sponsorships of the Festival of the New and Culture Fest, with a goal of strengthening Cincinnati-based arts and cultural programs and building diverse audiences. GCF has also supported the creation of a cultural tourism office at the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2004, GCF awarded grants to the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network, a new partnership between the convention and visitors bureaus for Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
