Cultural Policy |
Trump’s Impact on the Arts: A Running List of Updates
Advocacy |
On the Ground, In Community: What We Saw, What We Heard, and What Pittsburgh Must Decide
On Friday, May 1, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council hosted the second annual On the Ground, In Community trolley tour, bringing elected officials, municipal staff, policy partners, and philanthropic funders on a firsthand journey through the North Side, Sharpsburg, and East Liberty. Here, CEO Patrick Fisher shares what we saw and heard, and what Pittsburgh must decide.
Advocacy |
Policy & Action Roundtable Draws Nearly 200 for Conversation on Arts, Government, and What Comes Next
Artists, arts leaders, funders, and community members gathered with Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, and Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council CEO Patrick Fisher for a wide-ranging discussion on creative space, public policy, permitting, housing, and the future of the region’s arts sector.
Guest Blog |
City Policy is Failing Grassroots Creative Spaces
This first-person essay from Noelle Rozo is part of a series on arts and public policy, published ahead of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Policy and Action Roundtable on March 5
Guest Blog |
Strong Public Art Ecosystems Require Collaboration
This first-person essay from Sallyann Kluz is part of a series on arts and public policy, published ahead of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Policy and Action Roundtable on March 5
Guest Blog |
Endurance Is Not Infrastructure: How Policy Shapes (and Stalls) Public Art
This first-person essay from Jessica Gaynelle Moss is part of a series on arts and public policy, published ahead of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Policy and Action Roundtable on March 5
Guest Blog |
The Over-Policing of a Creative Culture
This first-person essay from Max Emiliano Gonzales is part of a series on arts and public policy, published ahead of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Policy and Action Roundtable on March 5
Advocacy |
Building Fair Futures for Freelancers
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is creating the Fair Deal Checklist to help build a fair future for freelancers, responding to the reality that most artists operate in the gig economy and are highly vulnerable to inequitable practices.
OP-ED |
Don’t Let Pittsburgh 2050 Become Another Broken Promise: Finish the Plan, Honor the People
After more than a year of work, tens of thousands of resident interactions, and the completion of expected deliverables, City Council is now considering halting Pittsburgh 2050, the city’s first truly comprehensive planning process in over a decade. Here, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council CEO Patrick Fisher shares why he believes PGH 2050 is worth the investment.
Announcement |
New Dashboard Tracks Financial Health of Allegheny County Arts Nonprofits
Allegheny County’s nonprofit arts sector now has a powerful new tool to track its health and sustainability: ArtPulse, a financial indicator dashboard from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
Arts Advocacy |
From Awareness to Action: Building Artist Equity Through Advocacy
After participating in the Center for Artistic Activism’s Innovation for Impact Leadership Intensive, a training that equips artists and advocates to turn creativity into action, we're preparing to launch a new Arts Council advocacy campaign — and we're asking for your input.
Cultural Policy |
New Report: Federal Cultural Cuts Could Derail Years of Progress, Harming PA Communities
PA CultureCheck 2025, a statewide report by PA Humanities in collaboration with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, reveals growing momentum in Pennsylvania’s cultural sector, alongside urgent calls for investment to sustain its growing impact on communities.
5 Takeaways from Lisa Yancey’s Keynote: Why Culture Is the Key to Thriving Cities
Missed Lisa Yancey's powerful keynote during Kelly Strayhorn Theater's Owning Our Future: A Symposium on BIPOC Institutional Ownership? We're sharing five takeways that stayed with us after the event — as well as the full video recording of Lisa's inspiring presentation.
Cultural Policy |
Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidates Pledge Support for Arts and Culture Ahead of Primary Election
Still undecided on who deserves your vote for Pittsburgh Mayor? During a time when federal arts and culture funding is being stripped across the country, we invited the mayoral candidates to speak on the importance of supporting the arts at a local level.
Arts Advocacy |
Investing in Pittsburgh’s Arts Ecosystem: A Call to Action for Public and Philanthropic Support
Learn more about a tour the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council hosted for representatives from the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and local philanthropy, visiting four nonprofit arts organizations: Pittsburgh Glass Center, Union Project, Contemporary Craft, and Radiant Hall.
20 Ways to Support Living and Working Artists
As the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council approaches its 20th anniversary, we’re reflecting on two decades of work supporting the artists who bring creativity to, and tell the story of, our region. Here, we’ve identified 20 practical ways that individuals and organizations can take action to support visual, performing, and literary artists in our region.
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Releases 2024 Artist Community Survey Report
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has released its 2024 Artist Community Survey Report, offering a comprehensive look at the challenges, accomplishments, and aspirations of artists living and working in the region.
Protect Arts Nonprofits and the Communities We Serve: Oppose H.R. 9495
This harmful bill would grant the Department of Treasury the authority to label nonprofits as terrorist-supporting organizations—without due process—and revoke their nonprofit status. We must act. Today, we call on you—our stakeholders, partners, and allies—to join us in urging the Senate to oppose H.R. 9495.
The Arts Must Be Protected: Our Post-Election Commitment
In the week following the election, we have seen online and heard in conversation how many of you are grappling with a profound mix of emotions—concern, fear, frustration, and exhaustion. We recognize the very real fear that many of us—particularly Black, immigrant, femme, queer, and disabled artists—are carrying. We want to affirm this: The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is committed to ensuring that the arts—and the freedom to create and express—remain protected and supported as foundational pillars of a healthy, thriving democracy.
Your vote in local, state, and federal elections impacts the arts. Here’s how.
Have you ever wondered how your vote this November can impact the arts? We're sharing some of the many ways our elected officials can impact the arts and culture sector, plus a list of recommended election guides to check out before you head to the polls.
Now Open: The 2024 Greater Pittsburgh Arts Community Surveys
Learn more about the Artist Community Survey and how we're providing better state benchmarking and advocacy opportunities for arts leaders across the Commonwealth by merging our Organization Survey with PA Culture Check.