Contact your legislators
Want more funding to go to the arts? Worried about the lack of state-supported arts education? Connecting with your elected officials is often the easiest — and most effective — way individuals can influence change.
Aren't sure who your elected officials are? Here’s how to find who represents you at the local, state, and federal levels:
Find Your Local (City and County) Officials
- City of Pittsburgh: Visit the City of Pittsburgh's City Council webpage to identify your representative based on your district.
- Allegheny County: Visit Allegheny County's County Council webpage to identify your representative based on your district.
Identify Your Pennsylvania State Representatives
- Pennsylvania State House and Senate: Visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly website and enter your address to find your state representative (Pennsylvania House of Representatives) and state senator (Pennsylvania Senate).
Find Your U.S. Congressional Representatives
- U.S. House of Representatives: The Greater Pittsburgh region is divided into multiple congressional districts. Visit the United States House of Representatives website and enter your ZIP code and identify your U.S. Representative.
- U.S. Senators: Pennsylvania has two U.S. Senators who represent the entire state. Visit the United States Senate's website to find contact information for Pennsylvania’s senators.
Request an In-District Meeting or Engagement with your Congressperson
Whether virtual or in person, these one-on-one conversations are one of the most effective ways to share what the arts mean to you. To support your message, you can use these advocacy briefs prepared by the Americans for the Arts Arts Action Fund. If you run an arts organization, invite your elected officials to not just attend, but actively participate in your next event. Give them a visible role that allows them to engage directly with artists and audiences. Meaningful experiences help elected officials connect policy to real results in their own district.
Recess periods, when members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are back in their home districts, are ideal times to engage your lawmakers locally — outside the demands of Washington — when they are often more accessible and receptive to constituent voices.
Below, we've uploaded a Congressional Calendar for the remainder of 2025 to help you in your outreach.
