Pittsburgh Artists Receive $10,000 in Professional Development Funds from Arts Council

Pittsburgh – May 21, 2019 – Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council announced $10,000 in awards in its April 2019 round of Artist Opportunity Grants, which provides financial support for artists to access professional development opportunities to support their creative careers.

Nine artists were awarded grants ranging from $700-$1,600 for technical needs, travel, lodging and presentations associated with improving their art practice. GPAC awards Artist Opportunity Grants three times a year through a panel comprised of local arts professionals. The purpose of the grants is to remove financial barriers between artists and critical experiences that will advance artistic careers.

The next deadline for Artist Opportunity Grants is June 3 at 11:59 p.m. Artists who are 18 years or older and live in the following counties may apply: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Mercer, Lawrence, Somerset, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland. Artists enrolled in undergraduate programs are not eligible.

For more information on grant eligibility, guidelines, and an application, please visit our grants page. Artist Opportunity Grants are made possible thanks to support from The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation.

April 2019 Awardees

• $1,300 to Alexis Caldero to assist with the cost of attending a three-week summer intensive at the Krenov School, a renowned fine cabinet and furniture-making school in Fort Bragg, California.
• $1,060 to Oreen Cohen to assist with the transportation of large-scale installation to the Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York City.
• $1,000 to Christina Lee to assist with the cost of exhibiting at the Small Press Expo, the premier showcase for sequential art and illustration in Bethesda, Maryland.
• $1,600 to Elise Birnbaum to assist with the cost of a ceramic artist residency at Shiro Oni Studio in Onishi, Japan.
• $700 to Stefani Allegretti to assist with the cost of framing and mounting work for a solo exhibit at Assemble in August 2019.
• $1,200 to Katherine Bell to assist with cost of participating in Miami Music Festival, a young artist training program for classical vocalists.
• $900 to Lenka Clayton to assist with the cost of a research trip for an art project at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives in New York City with the managing archivist as a personal guide.
• $1,040 to Nick Daniels to assist with the cost of participating in Dance Queerly: A Queer Dance Festival in Boston, Massachusetts.
• $1,200 to Brett Allen to assist with the cost of attending the American Black Film Festival in Miami, Florida.