County Receives Grant from Arts Council
The Indiana County Office of Planning & Development has announced that Indiana County will receive a $100,000 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts’ Creative Communities grant.
The purpose of the Creative Communities program is to provide multi-year funding to community-driven, arts-based projects that serve as catalysts for livability, economic development and community connectedness. Also called creative place making, the funded projects will have a positive impact on their respective communities. The planning office, along with several partnering organizations, plans to facilitate this five-year project throughout Indiana County.
This project will form a network of arts organizations united in a shared vision of Indiana County as an artistic hub and destination. This project will create a countywide arts collective to oversee and support community-based art practices, invest in local artists and art, and facilitate a public art initiative.
The office also looks to expand the success of the mural installations in October with Spruce Arts and Dripped on the Road, when 14 murals were completed in downtown Indiana, incorporating local heritage, acknowledging environmental concerns and celebrating Indiana County’s hometown heroes. While each mural reflected Indiana County’s identity, the stories and characters incorporated in the murals helped build ties to communities outside of Indiana.
The planning office and partnering organizations will hold a Zoom celebration March 12 from 12:30 pm to 1 p.m., where there will be a presentation outlining the plans for the project. Hear from members of the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts and enjoy a chat with local artists, organizers and policy makers.
