Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council leads SWPA delegation to Harrisburg

Arts advocates to ask for greater support for arts and culture in the Commonwealth

Pittsburgh, PA - Leading fellow advocates from Southwestern PA, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) will join Pennsylvania Arts & Culture Legislative Visits Day on May 17, 2016 in Harrisburg. Sponsored by Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania’s only state-wide arts advocacy organization, Pennsylvania Arts & Culture Legislative Visits Day takes place at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 from 8:30am to 5pm. The day begins with a Legislative Meet & Greet breakfast for advocates and members of the PA Arts & Culture Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral group of nearly 80 elected state officials who support arts and culture. Immediately following the morning Meet & Greet, advocates will meet directly with individual legislators to discuss a variety of arts-related topics in their districts, from increased support for arts education to nurturing creative districts in neighborhoods to uncapping the film tax credit.

Shares Mitch Swain, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and Chair of Citizens for the Arts in PA, “It’s important that we build personal relationships with our elected officials - participating in legislative visits helps state legislators understand the importance of arts and culture in their neighborhoods and communities and builds important long-term relationships. As the voice of arts and culture in our region, we want to be proactive in our policy agenda and build coalition. We can’t just walk into someone’s office when there is a problem.“ Communicating the value and impact of the arts to a host of decision makers, Pennsylvania Arts & Culture Legislative Visits Day will provide participants the opportunity to make the case for arts and culture. Citizens for the Arts in PA and GPAC will work with other statewide partners and constituents to advance a variety of issues and strengthen the network of strong arts supporters across Pennsylvania.

Delegates from Southwestern PA include:

Nichole Remmert, Interim Director, Sweetwater Center for the Arts;
James McNeel, Managing Director, City Theatre;
Mary Brenholts, Director, Artists in Schools & Communities, Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts;
Mitch Swain, CEO of GPAC;
David Pankratz, Research & Policy Director for GPAC;
and Jen Saffron, Director of Communications for GPAC.

Delegates will meet with the following elected officials:

Sen. Bartolatta (R)
Sen. Brewster (D)
Sen. Costa (D)
Rep. Paul Costa (D)
Rep. Deasey/Rep. Ravenstahl (D)
Rep. English (D)
Sen. Fontana (D)
Rep. Frankel (D)
Rep. Gainey (D)
Rep. Mustio (R)
Rep. Ortitay (R)
Rep. Petri (R)
Rep. Reed/Rep. Turzai (R)
Sen. Reschenthaler (R)
Rep. Saccone (R)
Rep. Snyder (D)
Sen. Vulakovich (R)
Rep. Wheatley (D).

For more information, please visit: http://www.citizensfortheartsinpa.org/legvisits/.