Moving Forward: Annual Meeting

Mayor William Peduto to deliver Keynote Address on the Arts and Civic Development

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council presents Moving Forward this year’s regional annual meeting of arts and culture, at 3:30pm on Monday, November 16, 2015 at the August Wilson Center.  Featuring performances, networking, and reports about critical advancements in the sector, Moving Forward will be followed by a happy hour cake reception celebrating the 10th anniversary of both the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and Office of Public Art.  Moving Forward promises to be the important annual gathering of leaders from our region’s creative industry, with a diverse range of presenters delivering a state-of-the-union on Pittsburgh’s arts and culture scene, followed by the Keynote Address by Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto.  Moving Forward begins at 3:30pm, cake buffet reception in the lobby begins at 5:30.  Registration is open to the public; free for GPAC members, $20 for non-members, RSVP, here.

GPAC’s CEO, Mitch Swain, shares, “We’re excited to celebrate 10 years and collectively look to the future of the sector, plus enjoy musical performances and celebrate our special guests.” Moving Forward will report on advances in the issues that matter most to the arts and culture sector:  funding, partnerships, collaborations, accessibility, equity, public art, advocacy, and empowering the thousands of artists in our region.

Of anticipation is the report from the recent community visioning sessions, at which hundreds of non-profits, artists, leaders and partners came together on October 1 and 2 to envision the future of the arts and culture sector.  Awards and performances will punctuate the series of speakers. GPAC will honor David Donahoe, recently retired Executive Director of the Allegheny Regional Asset District, with a Work of Art Award. As well, the Carol R. Brown Awards, offered by The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation, will honor two distinguished artists from our region with $15,000 each in prizes for their achievements. A live performance by creative collaborators Tracksploitation and Chamber Music Pittsburgh will kick off the gathering, and Bach Choir will send off with the anthem “Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide.