A New Year of Opportunities to Connect and Collectively Strengthen Our Sector
As we prepare to transition from 2023 into 2024, I thought it would be advantageous to highlight some of the changes the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council went through in 2023, some of our key areas of impact from this past calendar year, and some of the next steps we are excited to take in 2024.
Staff Changes
In the spring of 2023, Mitch Swain retired as the CEO of the Arts Council. Mitch shepherded the establishment of the organization in 2005 after ProArts and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance merged to form the current iteration of the Arts Council. For 18 years, he worked diligently to grow the organization and serve the arts community in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
In June 2023, I joined the organization as the new CEO. Previous to moving to Pittsburgh, I served nearly five years as the leader of Erie Arts & Culture. I also previously worked for the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. Since stepping into the position, I’ve prioritized developing or refining internal policies, systems, and processes; right-sizing and building the capacity of the organization to deliver external impact by restructuring the team; working with the team to define programmatic pillars; and conducting an ambitious active listening tour within our community, dedicating time each week to multiple site and studio visits with our stakeholders.
In July 2023, we lost a valued member of our team when Sue Mencher passed away following a courageous battle with lung cancer. Sue had worked for the Arts Council since its founding and also spent five years working for ProParts. In November 2023, we also had another former team member pass away, David Pankratz. Needless to say, it’s been an emotionally challenging year for the team.
In October 2023, Mia Hooper was promoted to the new position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). When the Board of Directors supported the choice to create a COO position within our organization, Mia was the obvious choice for this promotion. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a commitment to the arts and has developed a skillset that is strongly aligned with the duties and responsibilities expected of a COO. Establishing this position also supports future succession planning by cultivating a strong internal candidate when it's time for a leadership change.
At various times in the year, we also welcomed several new team members, including Clara Kent (Program Specialist), Lisa Cunningham (Director of Marketing and Communications), John Watt (Development Manager), and Ajani Powell (Advocacy and Communications Associate). In January 2024, we will also welcome Mona Wiley (Program Specialist) to the team.
Clarifying Who We Are, and What We Do
We recognized the need to more specifically define who we are and what we do as an organization. We also learned that it would be beneficial to share insights around how our role as a support organization differs from the role of presenting organizations. Through a collaborative team-wide process, we defined our four pillars of service that will guide our internal decision making around what existing programs we continue administering, and similarly which ones we sunset, and what new programs we should start. These pillars are intended to help frame the ways that we are uniquely positioned to make an impact in our sector and the broader community. Our newly defined programmatic pillars include:
- Developing and Strengthening the Arts Ecosystem
- Framing and Guiding Cultural Investment and Action
- Grantmaking within the Arts
- Facilitating Community Connections
Translating these pillars to action, in support of our mission and in service to our stakeholders, we:
- Provide individuals and organizations with the financial and non-financial resources and support they need to thrive within Southwestern Pennsylvania's creative and cultural sector
- Foster and support dynamic and expansive relationships within Southwestern Pennsylvania's creative and cultural sectors
- Conduct research and publish reports on the opportunities and crises that are relevant to, or have an impact on, Southwestern Pennsylvania's creative and cultural sectors
- Raise public awareness of the programs, initiatives, and events led by Southwestern Pennsylvania's creative and cultural sector
- Participate in advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels for arts-friendly public policy
Our website has been updated to reflect these changes, with the goal of improving the user experience when navigating the online resource.
Our Impact in 2023
Even in the midst of change, the team at the Arts Council showed up for our stakeholders in meaningful ways throughout 2023 and delivered measurable results. Some highlights include:
Saving $650,000 in Arts Funding
The Arts Council launched and led a local advocacy campaign that was successful in preventing the reallocation of $650,000 in funds that were designated from the American Rescue Plan to support arts-related pandemic recovery efforts.
The Arts Council is now working with the City of Pittsburgh to develop a plan and model for distributing these dollars in a manner that is effective, equitable, and impactful. We also expanded the conversation and planning process to include representatives from 1Hood Media, BOOM Concepts, Black Unicorn Library and Archive Project, Office for Public Art, and PearlArts.
Arts and Economic Prosperity
The Arts Council participated in a year-long research project with Americans for the Arts (AFTA) and other arts councils across the country to survey and compile data related to the economic and social impact that non-profit arts organizations and activities have on local communities. A synopsis of the results has been released by AFTA and the Arts Council, with a full report being published in early 2024. This report represents 172 non-profit arts organizations in Allegheny County and helps reinforce the impact the sector has on personal, community, and economic development.
Racial Equity in the Arts
The Arts Council executed a contract with Jazzspace Consulting to build upon our 2018 report, Racial Equity & Arts Funding. Working with a steering committee that includes Taliya Allen, Demeatria Boccella, Dr. Amber Epps, Pralhad Gurung, Sharnay Hearn Davis, Divya Rao Heffley, PhD, Diane Hunt, Kilolo Luckett, Amanda Neatrour, LaKeisha Wolf, TJ Young, Alison Zapata, and Mia Hooper, this five-year follow up will explore if, how, and in what ways arts grantmaking in Greater Pittsburgh has progressed toward distributive justice.
Small Grants, Big Impact
As the Pennsylvania Council on the Art’s Region 14 partner organization, the Arts Council awarded 26 grants totaling $50,000 to creative entrepreneurs in our region. The creative disciplines of awardees covered publishing, film and media, design, music and entertainment, and the visual arts and craft. As part of our commitment to equitable funding practices, fifty-one percent of the funds were reserved for Black, Indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC), or individuals residing in low-income communities identified by the Small Business Administration. When reviewing awards, we exceeded our baseline and did not allow the minimum to become the maximum.
Though these grants are small, we know they deliver measurable results. Our 2022 grant reports indicated that 79% of grant recipients experience an increase in their annual revenue through their creative endeavors. Additionally, 37% of recipients reported that they went on to access additional capital funding to support their creative endeavors.
Leveraging Our Platforms to Benefit the Sector
We have leveraged the reach of our blog, social media platforms, newsletter, and personal conversations to help raise awareness of the incredible individuals and organizations that represent the sector. In doing so, we drew attention to the programs, assets, and activities that our community has the opportunity to access and take advantage of. In 2023, we promoted more than 600 individuals, organizations, events, and paid opportunities in our community.
Next Steps
Strategic Planning
The Arts Council executed a contract with Workhorse Collaborative to both facilitate our 2024-2029 strategic plan and conduct an analysis of what shared services would be of greatest value and impact to our sector. Workhorse Collaborative, a Pittsburgh-based firm, was selected because of their knowledge of and experience working with small and mid-size non-profit organizations. Their awareness of national trends will serve our strategic planning process while their past work with organizations such as the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Handmade Arcade, the New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, the Legacy Arts Project, Chamber Music Pittsburgh, PearlArts, and others will serve our shared service analysis. We anticipate our strategic plan and accompanying action plan to be shared publicly in late 2024.
The Creative Hive
We’ve heard that there is a need to create opportunities for our sector to engage with itself. More opportunities to network will help dismantle silos, bridge divides, and support relationship building and potential collaborations. In response to this need, we will launch the Creative Hive in January, a monthly networking event that provides a friendly and casual space for artists, creatives, art educators, culture bearers, and arts administrators to establish and foster professional relationships. The recurring monthly meet-up will be held on the second Thursday of every month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Meeting locations will rotate month-to-month to different creative and cultural venues within Pittsburgh.
Arts Leadership Collective
There is still a long way to go to ensure that the individuals comprising our sector are inclusive of people from all identities and lived experiences. As a sector, if we want to evolve who sees themselves as engaged by the arts, it’s critical that we have leadership role models who more accurately reflect the community we serve. As the Arts Council, we play a role in making sure that how we create, present, and preserve the arts is inclusive and equitable. We have a responsibility to empower, actively listen to, and nurture emerging leaders.