Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council to Receive $500,000 from the NEA to Re-grant Into Allegheny County

Pittsburgh – December 13, 2021 – The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has been selected to receive a $500,000 American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. The Arts Council plans to regrant these funds to small nonprofit organizations and independent artists in Allegheny County in 2022.

The one-time grant will provide general operating support for nonprofit arts organizations with budgets of less than $250,000 and provide funding to independent artists for the creation of art. Forty percent of the funds will go to BIPOC artists and organizations. The Arts Council will announce full grant details and eligibility in late spring 2022.

"The arts sector remains among the most severely impacted by the pandemic. Nationwide, 95% of artists lost creative income, while arts organization continue to face revenue loss in ticket sales and venue attendance," explained Mitch Swain, CEO of the Arts Council. "These NEA funds will directly support our community."

In total, the NEA will award grants totaling $20,200,000 to 66 local arts agencies nationwide for subgranting.

This grant is the second of three installments of the NEA's American Rescue Plan funding. Last April, the NEA announced that 40 percent of its $135 million in ARP funding would be allocated to 62 state, jurisdictional and regional arts organizations for regranting through their respective programs. The third installment of ARP funding to arts organizations to support their own operations will be announced in early 2022.

"The NEA's significant investment in local arts agencies, including the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is a key element in helping the arts and culture sector recover and reopen, while ensuring that American Rescue Plan funding is distributed equitably," said Ann Eilers, NEA's acting chair. "These grants recognize the vital role of local arts agencies and will allow them to help rebuild local economies and contribute to the well-being of our communities."

The Arts Council is grateful for local representatives Congressman Mike Doyle and Senator Bob Casey who supported the American Rescue Plan, making this funding possible, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald for his support of the application.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

To learn more about grants offered by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, visit pittsburghartscouncil.org/programs/grants.

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Category

Grantmaking

About the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council champions the arts in Southwestern Pennsylvania, providing financial, professional, and political support for the arts and culture sector. Comprised of more than 600 diverse artists and nonprofit organizations, the Arts Council offers valuable research, legal and business consulting, networking and professional development opportunities so that artists, as well as arts leaders and organizations, can grow their skills and advance their practice. The Arts Council provides grants for artists and arts organizations, leads the region's arts advocacy at the local, state, and national level, and models best practices for accessibility and equity in the arts.

For interviews with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, image use requests, and any other media questions, please contact Manager of Communications Lisa Cunningham at 412-391-2060, ext. 227 or lcunningham@pittsburghartscouncil.org.