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We're taking a moment to celebrate the work of Nat Richmond, who creates most of our Friday feature blog posts.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Anthony Morelli has done a marvelous job with maintaining the Comedy scene in Erie, Pennsylvania. I was able to get a glimpse into what prompts him to stay consistent and driven in his craft, all while keeping us laughing and entertained in the process. Taking a nod from past greats, Anthony hones his skill sets all while remaining humble in the pursuit of success. It's inspiring to learn his story, and I had the honor of doing just that.

Each year the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts offers up to $4000 for a master folk artist to teach their tradition within their community. Folk arts can come from ethnic groups (like Amish quilts or Nepali Tamang drumming) or geographic regions (like Appalachian square dancing) or occupational groups (like fly tying or decoy carving). What all folk arts have in common is that they are passed down from one generation to another in non-academic settings. 

Erie Arts & Culture is pleased to announce that two Erie based artists received an Apprenticeship award in September. Each will spend a year working intensively with a mentee. David Kambowa, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, is teaching the musical traditions of the African Pentecostal church to Jackson Kabarole.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Nadya Makay is an upcoming photography who truly loves what she does! Being introduced to the beauty of the outside world through the lens of a child growing up in a rural area, she learned early on to find beauty in the simple natures of life. She found her way to Photography and hasn't looked back since. She has turned her fondness and appreciation for the raw wonders of her environment into a passion that she intends to work progressively towards mastering. I had the pleasure of getting to know her story.

EVENT DATE: Feb 18 from 10 am - 1 pm

Please join EAC for a PRO Network discussion about grant writing from an organizational approach with Richard Peterson on Feb 18 from 10 am - 1 pm. We'll gather in the Admiral Room in the Blasco Library. This workshop is designed to help participants not only write grants, but also to fit the grant writing process into the larger context of organizational development. It will cover more than just the key components of a grant; it will teach organizations to use grant funding as a tool for program implementation and performance review. Furthermore, this workshop will discuss ways to sustain new programs beyond the typical grant period of one to two years, a critical feature of building lasting relationships with funders. The workshop will also examine trends in foundation giving and how those trends have affected both grant writing and program development in the non-profit sector.

Participants will have the opportunity to conduct a foundation prospect search for their organizations; they will also have time to work on their current grants, if applicable.

There are 20 spots available so please register in advance to save your seat!

Erie Arts & Culture (EAC) is pleased to announce it’s been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a grant of $10,000. This award will support capacity building for New American folk artists. This grant is one of 1,251 awards recently announced by the NEA.

“This grant strategically ties into three our four pillars of service, Capacity Building, Arts and Learning, and Honoring and Preserving Diverse Cultures,” states Patrick Fisher, Executive Director of EAC. “It also builds on the work we started with a prestigious Doris Duke Foundation Award in 2020.” The current  grant funds eight New American artists to share their art and stories this spring at McDowell High School, and Sharpsville and Titusville middle schools, and to present at the Erie Blues & Jazz Festival and Celebrate Erie.

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Allen Brown delivers to us a wonderful backstory of his musical beginnings as a Native Flute player. Inspired by his childhood rendering, a household full of wonderful musicians, Allen decided to pick up the flute and hasn't put it down since. He recounts upon his early years, reflecting upon his journey to the present day. This interview will inspire you to ask...what activity makes me feel most at home?

On Feb 14 EAC will widely distribute a collaborative Valentine's Day playlist featuring music from our regional musicians. We invite you to contribute a song or two. Please contact [email protected] for more details!

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Yeshuwa Myers is one eclectic, fearless, cool cat. One of Erie's premier showman in the Hip Hop genre, Yeshuwa is masterful at blending a passionate delivery with a style that is a fusion between B.O.B and Wiz Khalifa. You can't help but to enjoy the rhymes and rhythms, and his style is too contagious to ignore.

Every once in a while, you come across someone with an unmatched level of drive and dedication to their craft. Britty Lea, Erie Arts & Culture’s 2022 Lydia McCain Emerging Artist Fellow*, is one of Erie’s shining examples of passionate creative talent.  

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Jonny Evans shows an earnest, honest, authentic dedication to his craft that few artists can mimick. Lyrical, clever, and passionate, this Hip Hop/Rap artist has been active and hungry in the game for many moons. An Erie artist that representing the genre with integrity and drive, Jonny gave us some insights into what inspires him to create and perform.

Soon you won’t have to travel as far as Prague to see amazing art like this. A few months ago, Menajerie Studio and BOTH Studios decided to team up and form a new entity: Liquid Light Factory. They are currently developing a permanent video mapped sculpture display that will be located in the soon-to-be newly renovated EMI site on 12th and Cherry. If you wish to see a sneak preview of what this is going to look like, check out the pop up installation on December 16th from 7pm-9pm at FEED Media Art Center 1307 State Street, Erie, PA. 

EAC’s 2022 Lydia McCain Established Artist Fellow, Passle Helminski, has had quite an incredible year. Her work was featured in 20 exhibitions across the nation and earned multiple accolades from juried shows. On top of her busy artistic career, Passle was featured in Sports Illustrated for racing in the New York City Marathon with her service dog, Zoey. 

Passle uses tubular knitting to create energetic sculptures that are sleek and organic in form. Industrial ribs emerge from and interact with brightly colored, textural knitted dressings to create work that is both familiar and otherworldly. As her work swirls in the air, it creates movement and shadows that invite the viewer to another world.