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    Pennsylvania Arts Organizations Receive $2.3 Million in Pandemic Relief

    July 02, 2020

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    Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that $2.3 million in funds was distributed to 309 nonprofit arts organizations in Pennsylvania through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will be used to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) distributed $1.8 million of these funds to 36 organizations that will each receive a $50,000 grant. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency under the Office of the Governor, distributed the remaining $527,000 to 273 organizations that will each receive a $1,930 grant.

    "Arts organizations are an important part of their communities and contribute to the economic health of our state," said Gov. Wolf. "The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many organizations, including the arts. The National Endowment for the Arts recognized the role of the arts in Pennsylvania and the need to help artists and the organizations that support them to inspire creativity and vitality in our commonwealth."

    The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that arts and cultural economic activity, adjusted for inflation, accounted for 4.5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), or $877.8 billion, in 2017. In Pennsylvania, the sector contributed $25.8 billion to the state's economy and employed 176,000 workers.

    "The arts and culture sector has been severely impacted by the pandemic, so we are very pleased that more than 300 arts organizations in Pennsylvania are receiving support through the CARES Act," said Karl Blischke, PCA Executive Director. "Pre-pandemic, Pennsylvania's creative economy was critical to the vitality and livability of our communities and to development of our commonwealth's talent pipeline. Support for these organizations today helps to ensure that they are positioned to play a key role in the recovery of Pennsylvania's cities and towns going forward."  

    A list of Pennsylvania arts organizations receiving a $50,000 award from the NEA is available here. A list of the 273 organizations receiving a $1,930 award via the PCA is available here.

    Find more on Gov. Wolf's Process to Open PA here.