Toledo Opera has been awarded a $21,000 FY 2026 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support its “Opera On Wheels” program for the period of January 1 through May 31, 2026.

The funding helped underwrite the expansion of the company’s spring touring activities, enabling Toledo Opera to present 40 performances of its 2025-26 “Opera On Wheels” production, “The Bear Who Couldn’t Fish,” across 36 unique venues. The tour reached approximately 14,000 students in grades K-6, 450 educators, and an estimated 400 members of the general public through additional performances at churches, libraries, Metroparks locations, and other community spaces throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.

“The support of the National Endowment for the Arts allows Toledo Opera to continue bringing high-quality music education directly into our schools through Opera On Wheels,” said James M. Norman, who is Toledo Opera General Director and also director of the production of “The Bear Who Couldn’t Fish,” per an official press release. “This funding helps us inspire creativity, curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts in thousands of young people throughout our region. We are deeply grateful for the NEA’s investment in arts access and education.”

“We have been so lucky to have your program to bring Opera to so many children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience it,” added Kimberly Canfield, Music Teacher at Harvard Elementary School and Chair of the Toledo Public Schools Music Program. “…[The Toledo Opera] performers have always been so kind and patient with our children, and it has been such a joy to watch their faces and reactions during the programs.”

Read Related Stories

• Toledo Opera Unveils Five 2025-26 Resident Artists

• Toledo Opera to Showcase ‘Meet the Resident Artists’

• Toledo Opera Announces ‘Opera Gala Route 250’