Creators are the foundation of a healthy creative economy. They serve as the originators and producers of creative goods and services. As small businesses, artists and artisans generate economic opportunity while also shaping and facilitating civic engagement. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is fueling this component of the creative economy through its Creative…
NASAA, in partnership with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, granted nearly $1.5 million to 36 state arts agencies (SAAs) to support creative aging initiatives. The wide variety of programming across all 36 SAAs acknowledged the impactful role arts and creativity can play in supporting a higher quality of life and healthier living for older adults. Two grantees,…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the mental health of frontline health care workers who have been caring for large numbers of acutely ill patients. A survey conducted by Mental Health America from June to September 2020 reported that 93% of health care workers surveyed experienced stress, 86% experienced anxiety, 76% reported…
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) recently announced a new grant-making strategy designed to increase funding equity for organizations serving Black, Indigenous and/or people of color (BIPOC) and rural communities. Such groups—which tend to be smaller-capacity organizations rooted in communities with fewer resources—face numerous historical inequities and obstacles to securing funding for the arts.…
In an exciting new opportunity for small creative businesses across Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) has organized the Creative Business Loan Fund. This Creative Business Loan is the direct result of a unique public-private partnership between the state, Bridgeway Capital and Community First Fund. It makes $2.2 million available to support the…
Teaching artists play a valuable role in bridging the gap between the arts and education, bringing their unique skillsets and experience to a wide variety of classrooms and communities. However, there is limited opportunity for teaching artists to engage in professional development and share their experiences with one another on a large scale. Recognizing this…
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is using a new Pennsylvania Creative Communities program to spur community-driven, arts based projects that inspire livability, economic development, and community connectedness. Among the initiative’s goals are to build strong and resilient Pennsylvania communities; to foster local partnerships; and to advance community responsiveness through the arts as part…
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission have formed a partnership based on their common belief that art transforms public spaces and lights up young minds. Through their Art Sparks program, students are creating public art to be displayed in all 17 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s service plazas. For each…
More than a decade after the rise of “Web 2.0,” the proliferation and falling cost of on-line and other digital technologies means that state arts agencies can do more now than ever to engage their constituents and support artists, arts organizations and arts audiences in their state. This month, State to State looks at three…
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) serves a diverse state with cultural and physical topographies as variegated as Philadelphia to the east, Pittsburgh to the west and the Allegheny Mountains in between. Through its Arts in Education (AIE) Partnership, PCA works with a network of arts organizations acting as local and regional partners to…
1 / 2