The United States is experiencing simultaneous crises of loneliness and powerlessness. 40% of adults report feeling lonely (AARP, 2025). The Surgeon General has declared social isolation a public health epidemic. Meanwhile, rapid technological and economic change has left millions of people feeling that their choices, skills, and ideas are irrelevant to the world being built around them.
These are not separate problems. They share a root cause: the absence of creative agency — the lived experience of making something that matters, alongside other people, and understanding that you have the power to shape your community.
Research on creative self-efficacy — the belief in one's ability to create — shows it is directly linked to life satisfaction, psychological resilience, and the presence of meaning in daily life. The NEA's "Great Connector" research demonstrates that arts participation is the strongest single predictor of broader civic and community engagement.
oN State has developed a replicable four-stage model — from first creative experience to vocational program leadership — that can be deployed in any community, in any creative medium, by any artist who has walked the path themselves.
The oN State platform operates in four stages: (1) Entry — beginner kits and introductory workshops that create the first "I made this" moment; (2) Practice — sustained skill development led by working artists in any medium; (3) Voice — creative ownership, personal project development, and community collaboration; (4) Multiplier — vocational training, program leadership, and earned income through craft.
The medium is secondary. Mosaic, music, painting, ceramics, woodworking, dance, writing — any creative practice that activates the oN State (the neurological condition of engaged, purposeful making) qualifies. Artists run their own programs under the brand, creating a scalable network of creative confidence hubs.
oN State has already demonstrated this model in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: a permanent mosaic installation at The HIVE artisan collective (with oN State subsidizing 50% of materials as a promotional investment), a signature disco ball bee sculpture, and the FlyingSquirrelsArt platform — which offers mosaic kits, original works, and custom commissions, and has already guided community members through the full pathway from beginner to practitioner.
The Six Fish Mosaic project — a family-led outdoor floor installation documented on video — demonstrates the transformational potential of the model: a community with no prior mosaic experience completing a permanent, professional-quality installation through guided creative practice.
Participants report increased belief in their ability to create and solve problems — measured via pre/post surveys
Reduction in reported loneliness and isolation; increase in meaningful community relationships
Participants who progress to vocational stages generate earned income through their craft
Permanent public art installations create lasting cultural landmarks that define neighborhood character
Artists trained as program leaders can deploy oN State programs in new communities
NEA research shows arts participation is the strongest predictor of broader civic involvement
The oN State model spans multiple funding categories — arts education, creative placemaking, workforce development, and community health. Below is a curated map of the most relevant opportunities at our current stage of development.
Flat $10,000 grants for small arts organizations (under $250K operating expenses) extending reach to underserved communities. First-time NEA applicants are especially encouraged. oN State's community workshop and kit programs align directly with this program's mission.
Note: 501(c)3 nonprofit status or fiscal sponsor required
NEA's flagship creative placemaking program funds arts, culture, and design projects that advance local economic and community outcomes. The HIVE mosaic installation and Lake Geneva cultural activation are textbook examples of this program's goals.
Note: 501(c)3 or partnership with qualifying entity; cross-sector partnerships strongly preferred
Wisconsin-specific grants encouraging arts education, cultural understanding, and community arts development. Being based in Lake Geneva and operating community mosaic and creative programs in Wisconsin makes oN State a strong candidate.
Note: Wisconsin-based nonprofit or partnership; individual artists may apply in some categories
Open call for bold ideas to strengthen communities across 26 Knight cities. Accepts individuals and organizations — not just nonprofits. Strong conceptual fit for the oN State model, but Lake Geneva is not currently a Knight community. Worth monitoring for future rounds or if program expands.
Note: Project must be in one of 26 Knight communities; nonprofits and individuals both eligible
Federal workforce development funding that supports vocational training programs. The oN State vocational pathway — progressing from beginner workshops to program leadership and earned income — maps directly onto WIOA's goals for skills training and economic self-sufficiency.
Note: Partnership with workforce development board or community college often required
RWJF funds initiatives addressing the social determinants of health — including loneliness, powerlessness, and lack of community connection. As oN State builds impact data, this becomes a compelling fit: creative programs as a public health intervention for the loneliness epidemic.
Note: Typically requires 501(c)3 status and demonstrated program outcomes; best approached after 1–2 years of documented impact
Regional community foundations often fund exactly this type of program — local, artist-led, community-building, with clear economic and social outcomes. These are among the most accessible grants for organizations at oN State's current stage.
Note: Varies; many accept for-profit entities or LLCs with a community benefit mission
Many federal grants (including NEA programs) require 501(c)3 nonprofit status. oN State LLC is currently structured as a limited liability company. This does not prevent us from pursuing grant funding — it simply shapes the path.
Options include: applying through a fiscal sponsor (an established 501(c)3 that administers the grant on our behalf), forming a separate nonprofit arm, or pursuing grants from private foundations and state programs that accept for-profit entities with a community benefit mission. The Knight Cities Challenge, community foundations, and many Wisconsin Arts Board programs fall into this category.
If you are a 501(c)3 organization interested in partnering with oN State as a fiscal sponsor or co-applicant, we would welcome that conversation.
We are actively building partnerships with funders, fiscal sponsors, community organizations, and artists who want to bring the oN State model to their communities. Reach out to start the conversation.
[email protected]Lake Geneva, Wisconsin — serving communities everywhere