Brian Hagberg
ERIE – Erie Arts & Culture announced Monday it was launching the Northwestern PA Arts Recovery program to provide funding opportunities for regional arts organizations and individual artists.
The funds, which were received as part of a sub granting award from the National Endowment for the Arts, are intended to aid recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID pandemic.
“The grants will impact a broad constituency as Erie Arts & Culture provides support to the arts sector in its response to and recovery from the pandemic,” EAC said in a release. “The program will encourage the expansion of community access to the arts by (a) demystifying artistic practice and increasing the accessibility of arts programs to communities—especially communities that may have been under-resourced in the past by federal arts funding; and (b) supporting a wide range of arts activities developed in a variety of local settings.”
EAC was one of just 66 local agencies to receive the sub granting award from NEA.
Individual artists may request grants between $750 and $2,500 to be used for leading community-based workshops, demonstrations, or presentations available to a wide audience.
“Regional artists or cultural producers/makers in any field of the arts who are actively creating, curating, or producing work can apply,” EAC said.
Non-profit or federally-recognized Indian tribal governments with an annual operating budget under $500,000 and “whose primary focus is providing high-quality arts experiences” are eligible to apply for grant amounts between $2,500 and $5,000. For-profit entities and fiscal sponsorships are not eligible.
“Organizations may direct funds to expenses that are part of their day-to-day operations, including salary support, stipends for contractual personnel, rent and utilities, costs associated with health and safety supplies, and marketing/promotion costs,” EAC said.
Individual artists must submit a Letter of Interest by 5 p.m. on April 30. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on May 31. More information about the individual grants can be found here.
Organizations can find more information here.
