Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s Herriman Fund Awards $415,000 to Support Local Arts

CINCINNATI, OHIO (January 3, 2025) – The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) has awarded grants totaling $415,000 to three phenomenal local arts organizations:

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: The CSO received $250,000 for their 2025-26 season performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird in partnership with the Tony Award-winning Handspring Puppet Company. The large and stunning puppets, along with dancers from around the world, will share the stage with the orchestra for an experience unlike anything else.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park: The Playhouse received $150,000 for its upcoming production of a new pre-Broadway musical in the Fall of 2025. The title and creative team will be revealed in March at the Playhouse’s season announcement event.

MUSE Cincinnati Womens’ Choir: Muse received $15,000 to partner with Ayo Awosika, a Los Angeles-based vocalist, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist for a project entitled How We Start Again. MUSE will commission an original choir composition from Awosika who will perform with the choir live in the Spring 2025 season.

The grants honor the legacy of David C. Herriman, a Northern Kentucky philanthropist and arts patron, who established the fund to “make possible what would otherwise be impossible” for arts organizations across the eight-county GCF funding region.

“During his lifetime, David Herriman was a generous supporter of the arts,” said Sarah Weiss, chief philanthropy officer at GCF. “We are honored to continue fulfilling David’s wish for our community to experience exceptional arts and cultural opportunities. Greater Cincinnati’s world-class arts and culture scene is, in part, made possible by David’s generosity.”

To learn more about the David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation visit https://www.gcfdn.org/herriman. The next funding cycle will begin in the Spring of 2025.

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About Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Greater Cincinnati Foundation is the region’s leading community foundation, serving an eight-county region in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Through trusted partnerships and thoughtful stewardship of community assets, GCF builds a more vibrant, opportunity-rich, and equitable region for everyone – now, and for generations to come.

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