Celebrating the 2024 Lydia McCain Artist Fellows
At Erie Arts and Culture, we believe in the power of unrestricted funding to unlock creative potential. That’s why we’re proud to spotlight the accomplishments of our 2024 Lydia McCain Artist Fellowship recipients—three extraordinary Erie County-based artists with a unique voice and deep commitment to advancing their creative journeys in Northwest Pennsylvania.
Each year, Erie Arts and Culture awards a total of $11,000 to fuel the McCain Fellows’ work, spark bold ideas, and help grow their careers. We are proud to award grants that can be used however grantees see fit– to free the mind, inspire, and focus, so they can do what they do best. Here's how each recipient of the 2024 Fellowship put their award to work:
Naphtali Fields-Forbes - For Naphtali, 2024 brought time to focus on the early stages of a new play with her ensemble, Icara Productions. With her fellowship, she hosted devising workshops, covered travel costs for her collaborator to visit Erie, and paid for childcare so she could focus on writing: “The grant gave us space to develop a bold new production, which we’re planning to premiere in Spring 2026.”
Margo Wolfe, PHD - Margo Wolfe used her fellowship to dive headfirst into new writing. With support from the grant, she finished a new script and began workshopping it across the region. She also invested in tools to elevate her career—upgrading her playwriting software, building a new creative portfolio website, and embarking on a research trip to enrich her work.
“I have more focus and feel more confident in exploring additional publication avenues,” Margo shared. “I was able to explore my professional pathway and take some chances with new work.”
Sue Amendolara - After retiring in 2022, Sue was seeking fresh inspiration in her creative practice. The fellowship allowed her to pursue a lifelong dream: traveling to Greece to explore ancient art and artifacts. Visits to museums and archaeological sites across Athens and the Cycladic Islands reignited her artistic spark.
“Seeing beautiful jewelry and artifacts in small village museums was especially inspiring,” Sue said. “Since returning, I’ve been working consistently in my studio—it’s refreshing to feel excited about creating again.”
Meet the 2025 Fellows and learn about our other grant recipients HERE.
Apply Now: 2026 Lydia McCain Artist Fellowship
We’re proud of our fellows and the ways they’re shaping Erie’s creative and cultural landscape. If you’re an artist in Erie County working in the literary or performing arts, we encourage you to apply for the 2025 Lydia McCain Artist Fellowship!
Applications open July 1 and close August 31. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or have decades under your belt, we want to hear from you.
Attend our information session to learn about the program, ask questions, and get insider application tips: June 25th, 12:30-1pm. Zoom Link
Learn more about the Fellowship and apply here: https://www.erieartsandculture.org/lydia-mccain-fund-artist-fellowships
Contact Casey Corritore, Capacity Building Lead, with questions related to Erie Arts and Culture’s grant programs: casey@erieartsandculture.org
