New Horizons empowers residents, merchants, community organizers, artists, and culture-bearers to actively be involved in shaping the social character and built environment in their neighborhoods. The initiative, in the first three years, invests in neighborhoods located within the City of Erie's urban core.
Through this initiative, Erie Arts & Culture and its collaborating partners enhance and activate public spaces by delivering accessible cultural programs and activities that tap into the creativity, imagination, experience, and wisdom of community members. Through the New Horizons initiative, we aim to identify and then directly address systems that have perpetuated neighborhood disparities.
New Horizons supports Our West Bayfront during a West BayFit event by providing Erie Dance Theatre with funding to bring in World Percussionist Elec Simon. Elec facilitates a drumming workshop for the community at Bayview Park.
New Horizons community workshop with Esther Ortiz, Erie's only piñata maker and designer, works with kids from the YMCA of Greater Erie and the Erie Martin Luther King Center at Bayview Park.
To support these objectives and outcomes, Erie Arts & Culture is committed to the following action items.