Arts/Culture Grant Awarded To Potter County
Potter County has been awarded a $100,000 state grant to support community and economic development through the arts. Potter was one of six successful applicants among 200 received by the Pa. Council on the Arts (PCA) for its Creative Communities Initiative. Recipients have demonstrated their ability to implement “placed-based projects with innovative and comprehensive approaches that address local challenges and opportunities.” PCA will provide $25,000 annually for four years to the Potter County Creative Council (PC3), a non-profit arts and culture organization founded in 2023. Funds will be used to make communities more vibrant and appealing for local residents and those seeking to relocate to a rural area. PC3 is relying on successful models from across the nation and a panel of rural development experts. All of the school districts in Potter County and many other partners and stakeholders have come aboard.
“PC3 will address the challenge of youth engagement and population loss by improving community vitality, promoting the county’s assets and providing opportunities for creative expression,” the state agency said in its funding announcement. “The project is rooted in deep community engagement and capitalizes on the Potter County’s unique creative assets to cultivate connectedness, livability, and economic development.”
Other grant recipients are Kane, Easton, Johnstown, Uniontown and Pittsburgh. Officials in Kane will hire an arts engagement coordinator to support public art, community festivals, and creative small businesses. According to PCA, the arts and cultural production accounted for more than $30 billion of the state’s economy in 2023 and supported more than 175,000 jobs.