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Honoring 20 Years of Advocacy, Connection, and Change


2025 marks an extraordinary milestone for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council: 20 years of fostering and championing the arts in Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Now, we’re asking for your help as we embark on our next chapter. Your donation to the Arts Council helps provide our region's artistic community with the essential tools, funding, and support it needs to keep creating. 

Our 20th anniversary, coupled with recent transformative milestones—the hiring of our new CEO in 2023 and the adoption of a strategic plan in 2024—underscores our commitment to amplifying the arts, and the individuals and organizations that create and present the arts within Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Together, with the additional support of current and past members of our Board of Directors, who are generously contributing to this campaign, we can build a stronger foundation for a more sustainable, connected, and thriving arts community.

"The arts have an immeasurable impact on society. The Arts Council recognizes this and actively works to document and thoughtfully communicate these impacts to ensure our effective leaders support the valuable labor of artists and cultural workers." - Joseph Hall, Executive Director, Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Why Support the Arts Council Now?

As a nonprofit serving the region’s arts and culture community, we occupy a unique and vital role. In the past year alone, we’ve:

  • Conducted over 100 one-on-one studio visits and sessions with individual artists and creatives

  • Advised the City of Pittsburgh, alongside a collective of regional arts organizations, on an equitable use of $2 million in American Rescue Plan funds after preventing $650,000 in funding from being reallocated from arts-related pandemic recovery efforts

  • Promoted nearly 4,000 artists, organizations, events, and job openings through our digital channels

  • Awarded $592,000 in state and federal dollars as grants to 192 artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts & culture organizations

  • Built a community of over 500 individuals through our monthly Creative Hive networking events

"As we embark on our next chapter, we are bolstered by the hope that you will join us, for only together can we have a direct and positive impact on the region’s deserving arts community." - Beth Bershok, Board Chair, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

The Challenge:

While we’ve made great strides, our reliance on grants to fund our nonprofit presents a risk to long-term sustainability. To secure a vibrant future for the arts—especially in a time when nonprofits are facing unprecedented threats, we must diversify our funding sources. That’s where you come in.

Here’s how your gift will make a difference:

Your support will ensure the Arts Council has the resources to:

  • Streamline a central intake process that allows us to swiftly and responsively identify the most pressing needs of our stakeholders.

  • Launch and sustain an online asset map that connects artists, arts workers, and organizations to resources and opportunities.

  • Serve as a unified voice for our sector, advocating for policies that create a more inclusive and equitable arts ecosystem.

  • Amplify the stories and work of our region’s creative talent and cultural assets.

"The financial support I received from a grant offered by the Arts Council played a pivotal role in my artistic journey. The grant not only alleviated financial pressures but also opened doors for me to showcase my work on a national stage." Rona Chang, CEO, Otto Finn

Join Us:

Be part of this pivotal moment in our journey. Together, we can shape a stronger, more vibrant arts community for generations to come.

Visit pittsburghartscouncil.org/donate to donate or mail your check to: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, 3706 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201.

Thank you for your commitment to the arts and your trust in our team. Your support is a testament to the power of creativity and connection in building a better future.

— The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council team

Patrick Fisher, Chief Executive Officer
Mia Hooper, Chief Operating Officer
Morgan Kasprowicz, Director of Research and Cultural Policy
Lisa Cunningham, Director of Marketing and Communications
John Watt, Manager of Development
Mona Wiley, Program Specialist


Category

Art News