A handmade sign from Decked Out for Democracy, an artist-led initiative that seeks to spark joy and excitement around democratic processes, displayed in Lawrenceville // Photo by Patrick Fisher
Advocacy |
2026 Election: Where Southwestern PA Candidates Stand on the Arts
Advocacy |
Arts Leaders Selected for Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s 2027 Advocacy Leadership Institute
Hands-on graffiti arts workshop at Rivers of Steel's Festival of Combustion // Photo by Patrick Fisher
Guest Blog |
Arts are Part of a Healthy Neighborhood
Farooq Ameen Al-Said with 1Hood Media // Photo provided
Guest Blog |
How hip-hop is shaping lives in Pittsburgh, from youth to adulthood
Mary Schinhofen writes during a Now or Never (NON) Writers Group meeting // Photo by Patrick Fisher
Guest Blog |
How writing is healing a community of older adults in Pittsburgh
OP-ED |
The Distance Between Pittsburgh and Cleveland: We're Closer than We Think
How can Cleveland and Pittsburgh collaborate more, given that we're only two hours apart? CEO Patrick Fisher shares what stood out to him during a recent visit to Cleveland and ideas for what Pittsburgh might adopt from the city.
Advocacy |
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Brings Advocacy Leadership Institute to Southwestern PA
The inaugural six-month program will equip leaders of Southwestern PA arts and culture nonprofits with the knowledge, relationships, and confidence to advocate for the sector.
Advocacy |
Arts Advocates See First Increase to State Arts Funding in 16 Years
With Pennsylvania’s bipartisan state budget now signed into law, we’re celebrating a big win for arts funding: an additional $1 million will go to the Grants for the Arts line item — the first increase in 16 years.
Cultural Policy |
Trump’s Impact on the Arts: A Running List of Updates
Within his first 24 hours in office, President Trump rescinded many of former President Biden’s previous executive orders. In the days that followed, threats of federal funding cuts caused concerns throughout the arts and culture community. Here, we'll provide a running list of updates as we gather more info on how the new administration is affecting our sector.
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.