Artists in region receive funding for pandemic relief
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Fifteen regional artists and creative entrepreneurs were recently awarded Pennsylvania Arts and Culture Recovery Program grants to help offset some of the economic setbacks they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They will receive $3,000 apiece, for a total of $45,000, through the state's American Rescue Plan-funded initiative that is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and locally by the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
'We are thrilled to be a part of this opportunity that the DCED is providing for our local artists and creative entrepreneurs,' CFA Program Officer Emily Wood said. 'We are always appreciative of efforts that build up the artists and small businesses owners within our region, especially those who were affected by the pandemic.'
The recipients are from Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Westmoreland and Fayette counties.
They are: Allegory Gallery (William Jones), BlindCoyote (Stephen Scott), BridgePerspective LLC (Serena Bridges), Bright Spot Productions (Alan Silva), Coltt Winter Lepley, Innovative Tomato LLC (Angela Law), Ironwood ARTifacts (Joseph Hensel), Kim Williams Fine Art (Kim Williams), Off Pitt Street Productions (Dawn Ziviello), Palm Features (Chris Rodell), Pamela Cooper, Reach Marketing and Design (Wendy Gaither), S. Scott Steberger, Windscape Artventures LLC (Marcene Glover) and YogaSong (Rachel Allen).
YogaSong, based in the Johnstown area, offers yoga and musical healing, including for hospice patients and victims of abuse.
Allen was not eligible for many different COVID-19 programs, being a sole proprietor with no employees, while also having a part-time W-2 job that provided her a limited income.
'I'm still trying to catch up (from the pandemic), so that was just really helpful to be able to have that resource,' Allen said.
She complimented CFA for the work being done to support business owners and artists.
'I think the Community Foundation does a really good job of having a pulse on the community,' she said. 'Their recent resources that have opened up to entrepreneurs, creative entrepreneurs, is a game-changer for a lot of us sole proprietors that work in the arts, healing arts, or the visual arts or musical arts.'
CFA plans a new round of funding later this year. Applications can be submitted online at cfalleghenies.org/our-grantmaking, beginning April 1. The deadline is June 1.
Grants will be available to artists and creative entrepreneurs from Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset or Westmoreland who made a majority of their income from creative work in 2019, the year before the pandemic hit.
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