May 16, 2013 - Call for Nominations for Gov. Awards for the Arts

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Governor’s Awards for the Arts.  The four award catagories include:

Distinguished Arts Award - Recognizing a living Pennsylvania artists of international fame, leadership or renown whose creations enrich the Commonwealth.

Patron Award - Recognizing an individual, corporate or foundation patron’s significant contributions to the vitality and availability of the arts in Pennsylvania.

Outstanding Arts Leadership & Service or Innovatin in the Awards Award - Recognizing an organization or individual for outstanding arts leadership and service or innovation in the arts.

Artist of the Year - Recognizing a living individual artist who resides and works in the Commonwealth for contributions to the excellence of the arts in the Commonwealth.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts will be presented in a public state ceremony.  Awards must be accepted in person.  Nominations for the awards must be received by June 5, 2013.  For more information visit http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org/docs_upload/GovAwards/2013_RFN_form.pdf.

Feb. 5, 2013 - Gov. Corbett Level Funds Arts Grants

This morning, to a joint session of the PA General Assembly, Gov. Tom Corbett delivered his budget address for FY 2013-14.  The $28.4 billion budget includes an appropriation of $8.179 million for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) grants to arts organizations. This represents funding at the same level as FY 2012-13. The PCA’s administrative line item was increased to $919,000 from $886,000 for the current fiscal year.  The budget now goes to the PA General Assembly for consideration.  Budget hearings begin the week of Feb. 19 in both houses of the legislature.  

For more information about the FY 2013-14 Executive Budget visit the Commonwealth of PA website - Office of the Budget.

January 3, 2012 - National Arts Presenters Honor PCA ED

Arts Presenters Announces Award to PCA ED Philip Horn. The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) recently announced that Pennsylvania’s Horn will receive one of the prestigious 2013 Annual APAP Awards. On Monday, January 14 at the Hilton New York in New York City, Horn will be presented The Sidney R. Yates Award for Outstanding Advocacy on Behalf of the Performing Arts. Horn is the first leader of a state arts agency to receive this award. Pennsylvania native and past recipient of the Commonwealth’s Governor’s Arts Award, Judith Jamison, dancer, choreographer and Director Emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will also be honored.

For more information see: http://www.apap365.org/press/Documents/Awards%202013%20FINAL.pdf

October 18, 2012 - Study Details Arts Contribution to Economy and Job Creation, Costa Says

HARRISBURG – October 16, 2012 – Calling the arts “an essential part of the fabric of Pennsylvania,” state Sen. Jay Costa said today that investing in arts is prudent because there is a discernible job creation and economic return.

“The arts represent a significant economic boost and a job creation tool,” Costa said at a news conference held in the state Capitol by Citizens for the Arts. “I have supported the arts for many years as a member of the Council on the Arts and on the boards of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Civic Light Orchestra so I know how important the arts are to the quality of life and marketability of a region.”

The media event was called to detail the economic impact of the arts. The Arts and Economic Prosperity study by the Americans for the Arts drew a direct correlation between investment in the arts and job creation and economic growth.

According to the study, the arts generate $2.55 billion in total economic activity and $1.8 billion in household income to local residents and support more than 81,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The arts deliver $360 million in local and state government revenue.

The Democratic leader also announced that he is going to form a bipartisan, bicameral arts and culture caucus in the General Assembly that will support the arts through the budget process among other things.

“The arts community is an essential part of the fabric of Pennsylvania – both economically and culturally – and we will continue to find ways to support it in the General Assembly,” Costa said.

The Forest Hills lawmaker also said that involvement in the arts also has a measurable education component.

Costa cited statistics indicating that students who take four years of music and art score 102 points better on their college entrance exams. Students with four years of art and music averaged 40 points higher on the written portion of their SATs than students with half a year or less.

August 3, 2012 - I Support the Arts web sticker

You can use this web sticker on your website by right clicking on the image and click Save Image as.  I think this would make a good bumper sticker…how about you?