ArtsErie News

ERIE, PA — Each year ArtsErie salutes individuals and groups for their contributions to the arts community by presenting them with ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Awards. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Awards.

 

Individuals and organizations are urged to use the nominating form on the ArtsErie Web site at http://artserie.org/events/arts_awards.htm to submit nominations by the end of the day on Thursday, August 5, 2010 to honor achievements in any of the three categories.

 

• The Leadership in Arts Award recognizes a business, government, or foundation that (1) has exhibited long term art support, or (2) whose work has had a significant impact on the region’s arts/cultural landscape, or (3) has demonstrated a successful collaboration between an arts organization and business.

 

• The Applause Award recognizes a dedicated individual(s) or group whose outstanding volunteerism and contributions, either currently or in the past, have supported ArtsErie or the arts in our community.

 

• The Imagine Award recognizes an educator, instructor, or individual whose efforts have made an outstanding contribution to the enhancement of arts education by consistently inspiring and encouraging arts excellence in their students or an education affiliate (PTA, Board of Ed., Performing Arts/Music School) or other organization that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to evoke interest and understanding in the arts both having worked over time to implement excellence in and for arts education.

 

In 2009, ArtsErie saluted Citadel Broadcasting (Leadership Award); Inner-City Neighborhood Art House (Imagine Award); and Barbara Hauck (Applause Award). A complete list of past Arts Appreciation Award recipients is available at www.ArtsErie.org.

 

Awards will be presented on November 9, 2010 at ArtsErie’s 50^th Anniversary celebration.

 

About ArtsErie

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

 

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ArtsErie to host free workshops in Erie, Crawford, Warren counties to assist prospective applicants

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie announces that applications are now available for the 2010-11 Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Project Stream grants. The PPA program provides opportunities for arts organizations, individual artists and community-based groups to apply for up to $3,000 in funding to support performances, exhibitions and other arts projects that are presented to the public and take place between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. ArtsErie supports the program in Crawford, Erie and Warren counties.

ArtsErie will conduct free workshops to provide more information on the program, and to guide prospective applicants through the application process.

ArtsErie PPA Grant Workshop Schedule:

• Meadville: Thursday, May 20 @ 6:00 p.m.
Meadville Council on the Arts
Meadville Market House, 910 Market Street, Meadville

• Warren: Monday, May 24 @ 5:30 p.m.
Warren Main Street Office 310 Second Avenue, Warren

• Titusville: Tuesday, May 25 @ 4:00 p.m.
Titusville Town Square, 4th Floor Conference Room (take elevator)
110 West Spring Street, Titusville

• Erie: Thursday, May 27 @ 5:30 p.m.
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W. 7th Street, Erie

Please contact Char Mashyna at char@artserie.org or by phone at (814) 452-3427 to register for one of the workshops.

PPA Project Stream guidelines and grant applications are available in advance at www.ArtsErie.org, at the ArtsErie office at 3 East 4th Street in Downtown Erie or accessed directly online at pca.eGrant.org. Applications are due postmarked, or submitted electronically through the eGrant system, on or before Fri., June 18, 2010 at 4 p.m.

The PPA program is a partnership initiative between local arts organizations and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency. State government funding for the arts comes through an annual appropriation by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. ArtsErie administers the PPA program in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

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Community invited to meet Pa. Council on the Arts Executive Director Philip Horn

 

 

 

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie will host a reception on Wednesday, May 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Cummings Gallery at Mercyhurst College with Philip Horn, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). ArtsErie invited Horn to travel to northwestern Pa. to meet PCA partners in Ridgway and Erie.  

 

The reception will provide an opportunity for Horn and the PCA to become better acquainted with the organizations and projects that the PCA funds in this region. Additionally, attendees will be able to learn more about the status of state funding for the arts and reinforce the value of funding community arts planning.

 

Northwestern Pennsylvania is one of the top recipients of funding by the PCA.

 

Call ArtsErie at 452-3427 for more information or to confirm attendance. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org and about the PCA at www.pacouncilonthearts.org.

 

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Pittsburgh-based cartoonist visits Erie as part of Meet the Artist Day,
sponsored by ArtsErie and the PA Council on the Arts

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie invites the public to meet cartoonist George Broderick, Jr., who has written stories for DC Comics, Marvel Comics and more. The Pittsburgh-based comic book artist and writer, previously scheduled for a series of workshops and a public book signing at Harding Elementary School on Tuesday, May 4, has extended his stay to include a book signing open to the public on Monday, May 3 at Erie Book Store, 137 East 13th Street, Erie.

Broderick’s public schedule includes the following two book signings:

Monday, May 3, 4–6 pm
Erie Book Store
137 East 13th Street
Erie, PA 16503

Tuesday, May 4, 2–3 pm
Harding Elementary School Lobby*
820 Lincoln Avenue
Erie, PA 16505
•   The Harding School Lobby will be open to the public during this hour only.
 
Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing at both events.

Broderick has worked as a professional in comics since 1982. Since then, he has written stories for DC Comics, Marvel Comics and handled both scripting and editing on the “LOST IN SPACE” and “QUANTUM LEAP” comic books for InnovationPublishing and editing on “LOST IN SPACE: Voyage To The Bottom Of The Soul” for Bubblehead Publishing.

While in Erie, Broderick also will be offering workshops to students at Harding Elementary School. Since September 2009, Harding Elementary School teacher Jeanne Kraus and her fourth grade students have been enjoying the cartooning talents of Mike Bocianowski, a local graphic artist and animation instructor. Bocianowski is in 'Residence' at Harding Elementary through a Grant from the PA Council on the Arts known as a Teacher Artist Partnership or TAP. He arranged Broderick’s visit as part of Meet the Artist Day, sponsored by ArtsErie and the PA Council on the Arts.

For more information about George Broderick, Jr., visit www.georgebroderick.com or www.coolyulecomics.com.

About ArtsErie
ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

About the PA Council on the Arts
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is a state agency under the Governor’s Office that works to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state. For more information on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, visit www.pacouncilonthearts.org.  

Community invited to review preliminary Erie County cultural plan at April 14 forum

ERIE, PA — CultureSpark, the year-long cultural planning process designed to identify the issues, strengths and challenges for cultural development throughout Erie County, invites all Erie County residents to be a part of an open meeting to review the draft of the cultural plan.

The CultureSpark community meeting is scheduled for Wed., April 14 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Jordan Room, 5240 Knowledge Parkway in Knowledge Park (located just north of the I-90 exit at Station Road). Bill Bulick, the consultant for this project, will present and review the preliminary Erie County cultural plan with those in attendance. In addition, there will be opportunities for attendees to comment on the proposed plan.

Bulick, who has been involved with cultural planning for over 20 years, also will present the draft of the cultural plan to the CultureSpark Steering Committee and Task Forces during his visit to Erie in April. Comments received during this review process will help inform the final version of the Erie County cultural plan, to be released in May.

For the past year, many people throughout Erie County have participated in various phases of developing a countywide cultural plan. By engaging in facilitated group discussions, participants have helped Erie County define its cultural future by contributing their experience, imagination and concrete ideas.

RSVPs for the CultureSpark community meeting are appreciated in advance by telephone to 814-452-3427 or by email to info@culturesparkerie.org. For additional information about CultureSpark and to review the cultural plan draft in advance, visit www.CultureSparkErie.org.

About CultureSpark

CultureSpark is a year-long cultural planning process, implemented by ArtsErie and The Nonprofit Partnership, which is designed to identify the issues, strengths and challenges for cultural development throughout Erie County. Bill Bulick of Creative Planning, Portland, Ore. is facilitating the process, assisted by Surale Phillips of Decision Support Partners, Bozeman, Mont.

Winner to Compete in State Finals on March 15

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie announces that Katelyn Clarahan, a home-schooled high school freshman from Franklin, Pa., has been selected as the winner of the regional finals of the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program, created by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, which encourages the study of poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country.

ArtsErie and the PA Council on the Arts presented the 2010 regional competition, held Saturday, February 20, 2010 at Allegheny College in Meadville. This year, four students participated in the regional finals. In addition to Clarahan, the following students competed: Lucy Crozier, junior, Meadville High School, Meadville; Rachel Golden, sophomore, Mercyhurst Preparatory School, Erie; and Nate Repasz, senior, NW PA Collegiate Academy, Erie.

Clarahan is the daughter of Robert and Terri Clarahan, who is also her teacher, and a member of the Western PA Christian Orators homeschool speech club, taught by Gaye Welton. She was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the Pennsylvania state finals for Poetry Out Loud, to be held on Monday, March 15, 2010 at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. There, she will be among 13 students from across the state vying for the opportunity to compete at the national finals, to be held in April 2010 in Washington, D.C., where Poetry Out Loud will award $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes.

Contestants in Poetry Out Loud memorize and recite works they select from an anthology of more than 500 classic and contemporary poems. Students then advance to the National Finals through competitions at the classroom, school, regional and state levels. The judges for the 2010 regional competition were ArtsErie Poetry Out Loud coordinator Lora Zill; as well as Donna Baker; Robyn Crago; Jan Hyatt; and Mary Morris.

The 2009-10 academic year marks ArtsErie's fifth year as regional host for area high schools. High Schools in Erie, Crawford, Warren, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Forest, McKean, Potter, Elk and Cameron were eligible to compete as part of ArtsErie's region.

To receive information about participating in next year’s competition, contact Holly Nowak, ArtsErie’s Arts in Education Program Manager, at (814) 452-3427. Additional information about Poetry Out Loud is available online at www.poetryoutloud.org. 

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie, in partnership with the PA Council on the Arts, will host the 2010 regional Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 11 a.m. The competition will take place in the black box theatre of the Vukovich Center at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

The 2009-10 academic year marks ArtsErie's fifth year as regional host for area high schools. High Schools in Erie, Crawford, Warren, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Forest, McKean, Potter, Elk and Cameron are eligible to compete as part of ArtsErie's region. The competition will be judged by poets and writers from Erie, Pittsburgh and Meadville.

ArtsErie's winner will advance to the state competition in March, which will take place in Harrisburg. The state champion will advance to the National Finals, which will be held in Washington, DC in April 2010.

The Poetry Out Loud program builds upon the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

For more information about Poetry Out Loud, visit www.PoetryOutLoud.org.

About ArtsErie

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

ArtsErie awarded grant from The Kresge Foundation

$65,000 in funds will be used to strengthen arts and cultural organizations in Erie County

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie has been awarded an Arts and Culture Capacity Building Grant of $65,000 from the prestigious Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich. The Kresge Foundation, a national foundation that has historically supported fundraising campaigns to build capital projects, chose to respond to the effects of the economic crisis on arts and culture through a new initiative designed to build the capacity of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in selected communities.

 

“ArtsErie was pleased to be given the opportunity to apply for this funding and thanks The Kresge Foundation for this grant,” said Charlotte P. Mashyna, ArtsErie executive director. “This funding will enable us to address some of the issues facing our arts and cultural organizations.”

 

ArtsErie will use the data collected through the CultureSpark cultural planning process to identify those areas of need, which if addressed could best benefit local arts and cultural organizations. Collaborative grants will be encouraged in order to have the maximum impact.

 

“ArtsErie expects to involve a significant number of Erie County arts and cultural organizations in this two-year initiative, ending in December 2011,” Mashyna notes.

 

Specifically, ArtsErie plans to use these funds as grants to arts and cultural organizations who apply to work with consultants to achieve goals relative to new strategic plans, fund development plans, marketing plans or infrastructure development. ArtsErie will work with The Nonprofit Partnership to implement this initiative.

 

The results of this arts capacity-building initiative are expected to include increased revenues, increased audiences and improved organizational functioning for participating organizations.

 

About ArtsErie

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

 

About CultureSpark

CultureSpark is a year-long cultural planning process, implemented by ArtsErie and The Nonprofit Partnership, which is designed to identify the issues, strengths and challenges for cultural development throughout Erie County. Bill Bulick of Creative Planning, Portland, Ore. is facilitating the process, assisted by Surale Phillips of Decision Support Partners, Bozeman, Mont. Additional information about CultureSpark is available online at www.CultureSparkErie.org.

 

About The Kresge Foundation

The Kresge Foundation, based in Troy, Michigan, is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity in underserved communities, improving the health of low-income people, supporting artistic expression, assisting in the revitalization of Detroit and advancing methods for dealing with global climate change. Additional information about The Kresge Foundation is available online at www.Kresge.org.

 

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November 25, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ArtsErie awards grants topping $425,000

Funding distributed to artists and arts organizations throughout Erie County

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie recently awarded $437,248 in funding to area artists and arts organizations. This funding is provided through ArtsErie Program Support and Project Grants, which are made possible through the Erie Arts Endowment and the ArtsErie United Fund, as well as Program and Project Stream Grants from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, known as PPA Grants. PPA Grants are made possible through the PA Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Additional funding opportunities are made possible through the Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance Fund and the Virginia Vieser Arts Education Fund. Both funds are part of the Erie Arts Endowment.

Grant distributions were also made to various sub-funds of the Erie Arts Endowment.

“ArtsErie is pleased to be able to provide support to our member organizations each year, but especially during these challenging economic times,” said Charlotte P. Mashyna, ArtsErie executive director.

Each year ArtsErie distributes thousands of dollars in grants to artists and member organizations throughout the region. Awardees are selected through a competitive process for each grant cycle.

Funding for the 2009-10 fiscal year was distributed as follows:

A.)   Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Program Stream Grants
The PPA Program Stream is a funding opportunity of the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), a regionalized funding program of the PCA. The Program Stream offers ongoing support to arts organizations and arts programs with an established history of PCA support. It is administered in Erie, Crawford and Warren Counties by ArtsErie.

The 2009-10 PPA Program Stream grantees are: Academy Theatre Foundation; Allegheny College Art Galleries; Artists Incorporated; Bruce Gallery of Art at Edinboro University; Corry Arts Council Auxiliary, Inc.; Edinboro University Chamber Players; Edinboro Highland Games of Edinboro University; Erie Chamber Orchestra at Gannon University; Erie Dance Conservatory Company; Erie Dance Consortium; Erie Opera Theatre; Erie Summer Festival of the Arts; JazzErie; Meadville Council on the Arts; Music at Noon at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; North East Arts Council; Photomedia Center; Stairways Behavioral Health; Titusville Council on the Arts; United Community Independence Program's French Creek Community Theater; Warren Civic Orchestra, Inc.; Warren Concert Association; Warren County Summer Music School; and Warren Players.

B.)   Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Project Stream Grants
The PPA Project Stream provides grants to eligible organizations or individuals to conduct arts projects, such as performances or exhibitions, which are presented to the public and take place in a specific time period. This program is also administered in Erie, Crawford and Warren Counties by ArtsErie.
 
The 2009-10 PPA Project Stream grantees are: Allegheny Regional Theatre Experience; CAFE (Culture, Arts, Festivals, Events of Erie); Community Music School of Edinboro University; Conneaut Valley Economic & Industrial Development Authority; Downtown Edinboro Art & Music Festival; Edinboro University Chamber Players; Edinboro University Visiting Artist Program; Erie Arts Opportunity; Erie County American Red Cross; Erie Homes for Children and Adults; Gannon University; Goodell Gardens & Homestead; International Institute of Erie; J. Lynne Myers; Jude Shingle; Lake Erie Ballet; Lawrence Park Township; Regional Arts Council of Warren County; Riverside Chamber Players; Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity; SoMar Dance Works; Western PASSHE Low Brass Consortium; Young Artists Debut Orchestra; and Young People's Chorus of Erie.

C.)   ArtsErie Program Support Grants
ArtsErie Program Support Grants provide funding to support larger arts organizations whose programming has a significant impact on the Erie community. ArtsErie program grants are funded by the ArtsErie United Fund and the Unrestricted/McCain Fund of the Erie Arts Endowment.

The 2009-10 ArtsErie Program Support grantees are: Erie Art Museum; Erie Philharmonic; Erie Playhouse; and the expERIEnce Children’s Museum.

D.)   ArtsErie Project Grants
ArtsErie Project Grants provide funding for art performances, projects and exhibits in any artistic discipline in Erie County. ArtsErie project grants are funded by the ArtsErie United Fund and the Unrestricted/McCain Fund of the Erie Arts Endowment.

The 2009-10 ArtsErie Project grantees are: Bayfront NATO, Inc./Martin Luther King Center; Bruce Gallery at Edinboro University; CAFE (Culture, Arts, Festivals, Events of Erie); Dafmark Dance Theater; Downtown Edinboro Art & Music Festival; Edinboro Highland Games & Scottish Festival; Edinboro University Visiting Artist Program; Emerson-Gridley CHAMPS Program; Erie Chamber Orchestra; Erie County Historical Society; Erie Dance Conservatory Company, Inc.; Erie Dance Consortium; Erie Homes for Children and Adults; Erie Opera Theatre; Gannon University; Inner-City Neighborhood Art House; Lake Erie Fanfare, Inc.; Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at Mercyhurst College; Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Photomedia Center; St. Boniface Church Players; and Union City Area School District Foundation.

E.)   Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance Grants
Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance Fund provides funding opportunities for projects involving music performance. Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance grants are part of the Erie Arts Endowment.

The 2009-10 Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance grantees are: Dafmark Dance Theater; Erie Art Museum; Erie Chamber Orchestra; Erie Civic Music Association; Erie Junior Philharmonic; Erie Opera Theatre; Erie Philharmonic; Erie Summer Festival of the Arts; Inner-City Neighborhood Art House; JazzErie; Lake Erie Ballet; Luther Memorial Concert Series; Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at Mercyhurst College; Young Artists Debut Orchestra; and the Young People's Chorus of Erie.

F.)   Virginia Vieser Arts Education Grants
Virginia Vieser Arts Education Fund provides funding opportunities for arts education programs without regard to artistic discipline. Arts education projects may be in any setting that exposes students of all ages to any of the visual or performing arts. New initiatives are encouraged. Virginia Vieser Arts Education grants are part of the Erie Arts Endowment.

The 2009-10 Virginia Vieser Arts Education grantees are: Erie Art Museum; Erie Playhouse; and Greater Erie Youth Symphony Orchestra.

G.)   Erie Arts Endowment Sub-Fund Grant Distribution
Several sub-funds also received grant distributions. They are: ArtsErie; Discovery Square; Erie Art Museum; Erie Art Museum — Public Art; Erie Philharmonic; Erie Playhouse; expERIEnce Children's Museum; Lake Erie Ballet; and McBrier Family Fund.

About ArtsErie

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

About Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts

Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) is a partnership between local organizations and the PCA. Now operating in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, PPA re-grants funds to support a wide variety of local and community arts activities. Since its creation in 1996, PPA has demonstrated enormous success in achieving the PCA's mission and goals. Additional information about Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts is available online at www.pacouncilonthearts.org.

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