As the Lehigh Valley Arts Council prepares to close the curtains on 2019, and look towards new opportunities in 2020, we are reminded of the impact that arts dollars (often grants) have on communities.

Through our partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) we were able to re-grant nearly $40,000 in support of 28 community-based arts activities. You can download a list of those funded groups (with dates to their events) here.

Through our many partnerships with Lehigh Valley based cultural organizations and human service organizations, we were able to provide accessible equipment to theatres, train college students on audio description, and offer grants that reinforce accessibility as an important investment.

Often used in grant proposals, the term "economic impact" is at the core of why many agencies, foundations, or nonprofits choose to give out grants. While the benefits of art are greater than the financial investment, it's important to remember that public dollars for the arts also strengthen the economy.

Project Stream Grant Gets Timeline Adjustment

Incentive Grants for Greater Inclusion

Create Cultural Access

Sometimes a financial incentive can spark interest in trying something new. By offering an audio described performance of a play or providing open captioning to an audience member with hearing loss you can welcome new faces to your venue.

Quotable

"I’ve learned how very critical it is. While private dollars would probably ensure the arts would continue to thrive in our biggest urban centers, access to the arts would evaporate in many other parts of the country if not for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

A review of the art giving of the top 1,000 private foundations in the United States shows that those private dollars don't reach 65 percent of American counties. In contrast, the NEA supports activities in 779 more counties than private foundations"

Mary Ann Carter, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

On being asked "What have you learned during your tenure at the NEA about the unique federal role of support for the arts in America?"

The "Arts Advocate" is a bi-monthly e-newsletter
by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council.