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Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Carly Masiroff is a masterful photographer...capturing some of life's most precious moments with the magic of her lens, a keen eye, creative staging, and wisdom to help her along the way. Her passion for her craft ensures that she will be around for years to come, blessing the Erie area with her gift.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Shaddai Rodriguez has used her photography to capture the special moments of many. Using a creative and bold approach, she’s confident in her work and it certainly shows. Shaddai brings life to her work and proves that photography is an Art form that takes dedication and skill to master. 

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Jamarion Hobson is a young digital artist who hails from Erie, Pennsylvania. Recently, he contributed his artistic eye to one of Erie Arts & Culture's Purposeful Placemaking murals which was led by fellow artist, Ana Balcazar. He's working diligently to strengthen his illustrator skills through fearless experimentation and trial & error. I had a great conversation with this artist, and he let me into his mental processes when it comes to colorful creations.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Ileecia Moffatt is contributing to the Erie area with her own individual style that is being transformed in real time through her tireless dedication and commitment. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with this artist and learn about what is inspiring her to keep pursuing her dreams. 

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Davina Pacley, CEO of Divinely Crown'd, is fully invested in created an avenue for women to feel their most divine selves. Catering to the spiritual, emotional, and fashionable advancement of Queens, Davina takes her passion for helping others to heart and operates from a self-less, nurturing intent. While conquering her own journey, she's inspiring women young and old to look deep within to find the magic that is deeply rooted and ready to be shared with the world.

Get the scoop on the revised timeline for the upcoming Ignite Arts grant cycle!

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Andrani Samuel is bringing such a fresh and funky energy to the music scene of Erie. With Trinidadian and Nicaraguan roots, this singer/songwriter infuses her sound with the vibes of her familial roots, which allows her to present an authentic, raw feel that’s sure to impress your musical taste buds. 

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Brooke Surgener allows for her life's story to be expressed through her music, where she dives deep into her personal recollections of life and brings forth a reflective, inspiring body of work. This Erie native bears her soul's truth by meticulously composing and happily performing to her adoring fans, which she feels inspires her to continue creating. She's here to be a dynamic force, and to be a beacon of light for fellow female artists looking to courageously show their emotions via Music.

We are proud of our accomplishments last quarter, and we invite you to read and share our 2022 Q2 Impact Report! Please download the pdf to learn about our most recent programs, services, and impact on the community. We also welcome a conversation with you if you have questions about any of our programs and initiatives. You can reach our Executive Director at [email protected] if you have any questions. 

Your support helps us leverage the power of the arts and humanities to address the vital needs and interests of Erie. Together, we can make a positive impact in our community.

EAC's Kelly Armor provided support to the expERIEnce Children’s Museum and the Erie Zoo by introducing them to New American communities.

The Erie Zoo aligned their annual June fundraiser, The Mane Event (formerly GalapaZOOza), with their mission of education and the conservation of wild animals. This year the event focused on their collection of African animals. Twelve African artists and leaders representing four countries shared at the event with table displays and a presentation on the main stage.

Erie’s Bhutanese community is around 3,000 individuals (an estimated 3% of the total population) and they have established roots in the city, purchasing homes and starting businesses.

Two different Bhutanese groups held major celebrations in the early summer of 2022. June 10-12, the Palyul Choekhor Ling Buddhist Center hosted a Vajrakilaya Puja. Over 30 Buddhist monks from across North America came to Erie to chant and pray with other devotees for three consecutive days.

Edison Elementary School hosted an artist-in-residence to work with their 3rd graders. Kelly Armor, a local folklorist and storyteller, worked with teachers to connect narrative, a visit to Presque Isle, and their ecology unit. Armor’s residency at Edison is an outcome of a new diversity, equity, and inclusion partnership with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Erie Arts & Culture administered the residency. All the third graders at Edison went on a field trip where they saw wildlife, discovered fossils, and explored the beaches with Presque Isle environmental educators. They also learned lots of folk tales from Armor and Rochester-based Onondaga storyteller Perry Ground. Armor states, “Many folk tales explain the natural world in fanciful ways, but they also emphasize our connections to all living things and the importance of cooperation and kindness.”

Mikel Prester is a teaching artist and musician, who recently completed a residency at the Meadville Council of the Arts (MCA) in rural Crawford County.  The residency engaged half a dozen Meadville residents in a six-day workshop that not only taught the musical and technical foundations of jazz and the blues, but, more importantly, the cultural roots and history of Black American music.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Brittany Morton has been gracing many of Erie's stages for over a decade, entertaining us with her infectious personality and undeniably amazing voice. As both a solo artist as well as a member of The Groove, she has given us quality, consistency, and style that is unmatched. I had the chance to catch up with Brittany to learn more about what inspired her to pursue the Music path, who has inspired her delivery, and what the next steps are in her career.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Nicholas Nasibyan, a talented Piano, Organ, Trumpet, Guitar, & Drum player who has interweaved his varied life and cultural influences into his compositions and performances. I was able to learn about how his well-travelled perspective has played a role in the way he creates, as well as his ambitions for expanding his artistic endeavors in the City of Erie!