In alignment with our efforts to support broad accessibility to engage the cultural sector during all stages of life, Erie Arts & Culture administers a competitive grants program that provides funding through contributions to the Erie Arts Endowment and the United Arts Fund. Project grants provide up to $5,000 in financial support for cultural activities, including live performances, arts in lifelong learning initiatives, and public art in the name of positive social impact.
The following grant funded projects will make a positive impact on community development.
ServErie| Perspectives: A Look at Erie through the Lens| $2,250
This project gives professional and amateur photographers an opportunity to document the institutions and people who give our city character and meaning. Working with community members and leaders to document the “other side” of Erie – a more personal view – through the lens of the individuals who live and worked here.
Union City Borough| Union City Borough Mural Project | $2,000
This mural project will pay tribute to the culture and heritage of Union City and reflects the manufacturing, milling, and agricultural traditions of the town, as well as its most celebrated natural recourse – French Creek. The mural will be located on 28 South Main Street, which is situated on the southernmost end of the central business district in Union City.
These grant funded projects will make a positive impact on diversity, access, equity, and inclusion.
expERIEnce Children’s Museum| Old Songs, New Opportunities: Building Bridges between New American Families and the Greater Community| $2,500
Working in partnership with New Americans learning songs and stories centered around multiculturalism the expERIEnce Children’s Museum plans to design an exhibit that allows visitors to explore and celebrate traditional songs and other elements of Erie’s New American cultures.
Community Resources for Independence| Bright, Vibrant, Active and Independent: The 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Public Art | $1,080
Partnering with Art for Wellbeing Everywhere, the Erie Independence House, and The Occupational Therapy Department at Gannon University, Community Resources for Independence will hold an art show in downtown Erie, focusing on art created by people with disabilities.
These two grant funded projects will make a positive impact on health and wellness.
Foundation for Erie’s Public Schools | BELONG: Art in the Garden | $2,400
Students and teachers research, design, and install a fence mural and educational signage at two school gardens. Teachers will educate their students about the garden with the support of the new signage, regardless of previous experience of gardening.
Erie Dance Consortium | Erie Dance Series | $2,150
The continuing effort of the Erie Dance Consortium is to educate and build participation and appreciation for all dance forms. In addition to dance workshops there will be once a month free community dance classes held in community centers across Erie.
In total, 33 grantees will receive $62,961 in funding from Erie Arts & Culture.
