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Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Carol Novosel is an amazing artist who contributes to the culture is quite a unique way. She has created tens of thousands of pysanky, exquisitely decorated eggs using wax and dye. Although many people dabble in pysanky as a hobby, they are an integral part of  spring religious traditions among many Ukrainians, Slovaks, Poles, and other Eastern European peoples. Learn more about her journey through the words of Kelly Armor.

Let's give a warm welcome to our third Visiting Artist of 2023, Note Peter George.

Let's give a warm welcome to our third Visiting Artist of 2023, GeeXella.

The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program matches eligible creative entrepreneurs with existing, free, local, small business consulting services and financial resources ranging from $500 to $2,000 to help them grow their businesses, audiences, and revenue. Over two cycles, Erie Arts & Culture has provided 1:1 consulting and financial support to over 25 local entrepreneurs, empowering artists to open brick and mortar storefronts, enroll in business courses, promote their work digitally and in print, and invest in equipment to increase their efficiency. The application for next cycle of funding is available Oct. 1, 2023.
Please visit our blog for more information and a list of past recipients.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! K Sanz is an Erie staple in the Hip Hop scene. From interweaving his raps over blazing hot tracks to getting behind the lens and capturing the culture on camera, he has contributed to the arena in significant ways. His mark has been made, and he continues to add to this legacy through meaningful music and energy. 

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Leslie Lawrence has the world in her hands as she utilizes the magic of her lens to capture the wonders of life around her. Grabbing inspiration from her early beginnings in Africa, she has found a way to alchemize her appreciation for her new home in the United States, turning her perspective into Art that we all can appreciate. I had the pleasure of getting to know her story more in-depth, which has allowed me to find her talents that much more awe-inspiring.

Let's give a warm welcome to our second Visiting Artist of 2023, Kris Rumman.

Starting March 1, Erie Arts & Culture will accept applications for grants administered through the Erie Arts Endowment Subfunds: the Lydia McCain Fund, the Clarence E. Beyers Fund, and the Virginia P. Vieser Fund. Read more about each program below.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Harv Gorton is what you'd like to call a "rod practictioner", which is someone who specializes in the art of making custom fishing rods. Dedicating his talents and time to his unique skillset, he makes the sport of Fishing fun and exciting for his clients who want a rod that fits their personality. Kelly Armor had the opportunity to learn more about Harv and shared his story for this week's Friday Feature!

Let's give a warm welcome to our first Visiting Artist of 2023, Katherine Toukhy.

In early 2020, Erie Arts & Culture launched a visiting artist residency program in collaboration with Long Road Projects. Through this program, Erie Arts & Culture and Long Road Projects provide contemporary artists with dedicated time and space to reflect, research, and create new bodies of work – outside of their usual environments. This program also creates opportunities for new perspectives and creative processes to be shared, which in turn positively impacts the cultural and creative landscape in Northwestern Pennsylvania. 

This visiting artist residency program is made possible through the generous support of a privately funded grant from The Erie Community Foundation. 

Erie Arts & Culture pays special tribute to an Erie trailblazer who contributed an immense amount of passion and creativity to the Music and Art culture of the city. Jon Box created an abundance of avenues for local artists and performers to express themselves in an environment of love, acceptance, and encouragement. Dedicating his energies to raising awareness for the less fortunate, he would organize events specifically to donate proceeds to local organizations, and inspire collaboration amongst those in attendance. As an entrepreneur, he utilized his love for Hip Hop to start his own clothing line, The Box Streetware, which included stylish T-shirts that would always be infused with inspirational messages. Jon Box carried with him such an upbeat personality that it was hard not to feel empowered after just one conversation with him. His vision for Erie was carried out through his works, and he will not be forgotten. 

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! DJ Vanni has brought the hypest, most infectious energy to Erie nightlife for many years. His DJ sets are known to bring the most undeniable celebratory vibes, and he has even taken his talents on the road to "Wow" the big city events. It's hard to deny this artist's contribution to the Hip Hop culture of Erie, Pa, and I was fortunate to be able to learn a little bit more about what inspires this DJ to make history every chance he gets.