Inside our Newsletters
Pennsylvania Arts Organizations & Artists Provide Programming for Veterans and Members of the Military
By Jenny Hershour, Citizens for the Arts in PA
Below is a summary of some of the programs that are available to both Active Duty Military, Veterans, and their families.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO)* Music & Wellness Program works with music therapists and other healthcare professionals to bring therapeutic, live music to individuals at multiple Pittsburgh area facilities, including the H.J. Heinz Campus of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
Pennsylvania’s Veterans Upward Bound Graduation 2018
By Jared Valdez, PA Humanities Council
In late August, the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterans Upward Bound (Penn VUB) program held its graduation ceremony honoring the accomplishments of the Class of 2018. Twenty-four veterans completed the rigorous academic program which provides preparation for the challenges of postsecondary education. Program Director Diane Sandefur read personal profiles of each graduate as they received the certificates, including details about their military service. U.S. Congressman Dwight Evans also addressed the group.
Blue Star Museums
By Rusty Baker, PA Museums
This past summer, 93 of Pennsylvania’s museums, including all of the museums operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), participated as Blue Star Museums. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across the United States. Each summer since 2010, Blue Star Museums have offered free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. About 2,000 museums in the United States took part in the initiative in 2018.
Creating Communities of Care for Pennsylvania Veterans
By Staff of the PA Department of Military & Veterans Affairs and the PA Council on the Arts
In 2017-18 the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) joined together to bring collaborative, creative programming to veterans with dementia at all six Veterans Homes in Pennsylvania. This was accomplished through staff and artist participation in an evidence-based, award-winning training program called TimeSlips.
Waterfire Sharon—Weekend Fun in Mercer County
By Michael J. Hillman, Office of State Rep. Mark A. Longietti
The City of Sharon sits unassumingly in the Shenango Valley of Mercer County, nestled against Pennsylvania’s border with Ohio. It has been a blue-collar town since its founding: first, as a home for coal miners and, later, an industrial center of iron and steel production.
Mifflin County Groups Work Together with At-Risk Youth
By Sam Price, Community Partnerships RC&D
A new summer program developed by Community Partnerships RC&D in partnership with the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 and Mifflin Juniata Arts Council provides high-quality, interactive arts education for at-risk youth in Lewistown.
Arts and Health: A Powerful Combination
By Anne Marie Rhoades, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
When it comes to arts advocacy, the mantra of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is “Data + Stories = Proof.” Tasked with making the case for arts and culture to civic influencers and elected officials at every level, the Cultural Alliance turned that equation into the Agenda series, the latest issue of which, Agenda: Wellness, premiered on April 27, 2018, at Jefferson University’s “Fusion: Innovation Across Disciplines” symposium. The Philadelphia County Medical Society is proud to partner with the Cultural Alliance on Agenda: Wellness.
PA Museums 2019 Conference Set for Philadelphia
By Rusty Baker, PA Museums
PA Museums, Pennsylvania’s statewide museum association, is convening in Philadelphia for its annual conference, Trust, Transparency, and Transformation, April 7 – 9, 2019. Museums and historical organizations have retained the trust of patrons through thick and thin, and even as public trust in institutions declines across the board, museums are holding their own.
Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh
By Mitch Swain, CEO, and David Pankratz, Research & Policy Director, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council A 2015 presentation by one of GPAC’s board members, a leader in the Black arts community, cited instances of inequitable funding in Greater Pittsburgh. She...
BTE Celebrates 41 Years of Theatre in Bloomsburg (PA’s only town)
By Laura Haden, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble For 41 years (and counting), Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble has been embedded in the heart and soul of Downtown Bloomsburg and surrounding region. It begin in the summer of 1976 when a group of young actors, mostly graduates...