ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES PROJECT STREAM GRANT WORKSHOPS

LEHIGH VALLEY, PA – The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is presenting 3 complimentary workshops in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in effort to support applicants in the planning stages of the 2016-2017 Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Project Stream grant application process.

“The PPA Project Stream is a critical source of state and federal funding for eligible individuals, community groups and nonprofit organizations interested in conducting arts projects with a clear public component,” stated Randall Forte, Executive Director of Lehigh Valley Arts Council. “As our region’s partner, we have accepted as many as 60 requests in any given year, awarding grants to community projects including, but not limited to exhibitions, films and performances that impact a wide range of constituents from young children to senior citizens, regardless of ability, ethnicity, culture or socioeconomic status.”

The keys to successfully navigating the Project Stream application process lie in a deeper understanding of content, format and fiscal expectations set forth by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. By attending one of the following workshops, applicants will gain a thorough understanding of review criteria, suggestions for constructing compelling and comprehensive narratives and guidance in building detailed project budgets.

Applicants are encouraged to RSVP and attend one of the following workshops:

May 10, 2016 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Lehigh Valley Arts Council; 840 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA

May 12, 2016 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation; 20 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA

May 24, 2016 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Touchstone Theatre; 321 E. Fourth Street, Bethlehem, PA

DIGITAL STORYTELLING Professional Development Seminar

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is presenting a seminar about the art of digital storytelling, on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at the Butz Corporate Center , 9th & Hamilton, 2nd Floor conference room from 5:30 to 8:00PM. Featured presenters are Caroline Savage, Program Director of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Ken Unangst, Owner & Founder of Digital Feast. Both of these professionals specialize in working with arts organizations and arts businesses, assisting them with communicating through visuals and technology.

The panelists will provide examples of how to clearly define your message by addressing the following questions:

• What does your mission look like?
• How do you create a story that resonates with the community?
• What is the value and impact of this visual medium on your audiences?

Refreshments provided. The fee is $25 for Lehigh Valley Arts Council members, $45 for nonmembers.

Tickets are limited and selling quickly. Order yours through our box office today!

Digital Storytelling: Put Your Best Story Forward A Professional Development Seminar

As part of its Professional Development Series, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council is presenting a seminar about the art of digital storytelling, on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at the Butz Corporate Center , 9th & Hamilton, 2nd Floor conference room from 5:30 to 8:00PM. Featured presenters are Caroline Savage, Program Director of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Ken Unangst, Owner & Founder of Digital Feast. Both of these professionals specialize in working with arts organizations and arts businesses, assisting them with communicating through visuals and technology . “Whether you are applying for a grant or promoting your arts business, your story defines you,” says Randall Forte, Lehigh Valley Arts Council Executive Director, “and that story needs to be about people, about arts, and about relevance.” With the tremendous growth of web and social media marketing, it is vital to capture attention in an engaging and concise way. The panelists will provide examples of how to clearly define your message by addressing the following questions: What does your mission look like? How do you create a story that resonates with the community? What is the value and impact of this visual medium on your audiences? Refreshments will be provided. The fee is $25 for Lehigh Valley Arts Council members, $45 for nonmembers. Registration is required. To order tickets, visit LVArtsCouncil.org.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

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Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 Allentown, PA 18101 610-437-5915 / operations@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org / www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org

Arts Count Rallies The Arts Community

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council observes National Arts and Humanities Month with Arts Count 2015, an arts rally and awards ceremony, on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This year’s gathering also celebrates the new and expanded Charter Arts facility at Third and Polk Streets in South Bethlehem. “We are very excited to offer the arts community an opportunity to tour this 80,000 square-foot facility,” says Forte, “now equipped with a recording studio, a black box studio, four dance studios, expanded art studios and gallery, and a 350-seat performing arts theatre. Wow!” ARTS COUNT serves as the occasion for the Lehigh Valley Arts Council to distribute grant awards to the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) Project Stream recipients in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. The Project Stream is open to individual artists and community groups who apply for support of an arts-related project with strong public impact. More than $34,000 in state funds will be awarded to twenty-seven applicants for activities September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016. “Arts Count celebrates the public/private partnerships that fuel the arts in our region,” says Executive Director Randall Forte, “and features local business and foundation leaders giving testimony on the value and impact of the arts.” Locally elected officials are invited to present checks to the grant recipients from their districts. In keeping with the spirit of fellowship, Arts Council members are encouraged to bring a guest and rally for the arts. PPA, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is designed to widen the circle of funding opportunities in support of arts activities throughout the Commonwealth. The grant application and award process is administered by the Arts Council staff, who convene advisory panels from the cultural community to review the proposals for artistic excellence and public impact. This year, grant activities will reach a wide range of constituents, from young children to senior citizens, and engage audiences in projects that include Latin, Native American, and Asian cultural festivals; multidisciplinary endeavors in dance, theatre, film, photography and music; public arts events, classes, and exhibits in sculpture gardens, heritage centers, county museums and campus galleries, bus shelters, and city streets. Among this year’s grantees, there are ten first-time grantees. The grant awards recipiencts are: ALLENTOWN PUBLIC THEATRE ANNA CHUPA ANTHONY SMITH/ART REGISTRY BETHLEHEM FINE ARTS BOROUGH OF EMMAUS CHURCH OF THE MANGER FRIENDS OF THE ALLENTOWN PARKS HELLERTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY HISPANIC AMERICAN LEAGUE ARTISTS LEHIGH RIVER BLUES JAM LEHIGH VALLEY DANCE EXCHANGE LYDIA PANAS MARILYN HAZLETON MARTHA MONROY MICHELLE NEIFERT MORAVIAN COLLEGE MUSIC INSTITUTE MUSEUM OF INDIAN CULTURE NORA SUGGS/FAIRFIELD DUO NORTHAMPTON COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY PA JAZZ COLLECTIVE PENN STATE LV ART GALLERY PUERTO RICAN CULTURE FESTIVAL SARAH STEELE/SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK SUMMIT HILL HERITAGE CENTER TOTTS GAP ARTS INSTITUTE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION WDIY 88.1 FM PUBLIC RADIO The October reception is supported by Gross McGinley, LLP and PPL, and is free to Arts Council members and grant recipients; the cost to guests and nonmembers is $10. Refreshments will be served. R.S.V.P. to 610-437-5915 to attend. For information about the PPA grant application, contact PA Partners in the Arts Coordinator Marilyn Roberts at ppa@LVArtsCouncil.org.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

Pennsylvania Partners In The Arts Project Stream Application 2015-2016

Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) provides state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The LEHIGH VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL administers these grants in Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon County on behalf of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) to support a wide variety of local and community arts activities. The PPA 2015-2016 Project Stream deadline is June 22, 2015. Grants awarded will provide up to $2,500 to eligible individuals, community groups, and non-profit organizations to conduct arts projects which have a significant public component. The grant application and award process is locally administered by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council staff, who then convene advisory panels from the local cultural community to review the applications according to PCA guidelines. To encourage participation in the application process, Lehigh Valley Arts Council hosts free planning workshops for anyone who is planning to submit an application. New and returning applicants have found these sessions critical to their success in meeting the demands of a compelling, competitive proposal. Artists, grant writers, and volunteers will have the opportunity to review PCA’s eligibility rules; detailed criteria, narrative and budget requirements; and digital work samples that make a successful application. To register for one of these 2015 Project Stream workshops sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, email Marilyn Roberts at ppa@lvartscouncil.org. Include your organization and/or artist name, preferred email and phone contact information, and a brief description of the project you are considering. You will be sent confirmation of your workshop date, location details, and links to the application materials. FREE PROJECT GRANT WORKSHOPS 2015: TUESDAY, MAY 5: Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity, 4 – 5:30 pm THURSDAY, MAY 7: Bethlehem Area Public Library, 4 – 5:30 pm TUESDAY, MAY 12: Lehigh Valley Arts Council, Allentown, 4 – 5:30 pm WEDNESDAY, MAY 13: Macungie Institute, 4 – 5:30 pm For information on Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts recipients from our region, visit our website at www.lvartscouncil.org/program. Email questions or concerns to ppa@lvartscouncil.org.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

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Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 Allentown, PA 18101 610-437-5915 / operations@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org / www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org

Lehigh Valley Arts Council Presents Pennsylvania Council On The Arts Grant Opportunities

Allentown, PA – Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) is a partnership connecting local artists and nonprofit organizations to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). PPA re-grants state funds to support a wide variety of local and community arts activities through its regional partners; Lehigh Valley Arts Council is entering its 10th year as the PPA Partner who administers these funds in Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon County.

The PPA 2014-2015 Project Stream will provide funds of up to $2,500 to eligible individuals, community groups, and non-profit organizations to conduct arts projects. These projects must take place between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015, and each project (a single event or a series of activities) must have a significant public component. PPA Project Stream applications are reviewed by an invited panel of Lehigh Valley artists and arts advocates according to criteria provided by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council has accepted project grant requests from as many as 60 applicants in one cycle; and in the most recent fiscal year, we awarded grants to 24 projects. Activities successfully receiving PPA project funding have reached a wide range of constituents, from young children to senior citizens, and this year’s projects are engaging audiences in activities that include visual arts exhibitions; photography; musical performances from opera to jazz; documentary film; storytelling and dance. Visit http://www.lvartscouncil.org/programs for more details on the award recipients and their projects.

Project Stream Applicants, both new and returning, are encouraged to attend one of the May planning workshops which are sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council at no charge to the public. Three LVAC Workshops will be held in the region this year:

• May 6th: Lehigh Valley Arts Council office in Allentown, 4:00 to 5:30 pm
• May 8th: Sigal Museum in Easton, 4:00 to 5:30 pm
• May 15th: Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, noon to 2 pm.

Conversations will include a review of the grant application, plans for constructing your narratives and budgets, and expectations for best practices for preparing work samples and supplemental materials. There will be an additional drop-in session for applicants to review their progress on June 3rd, from 11:30 am – 4:30 pm in our office at 9th & Hamilton Streets in Allentown. Attendees are encouraged to bring ideas, plans, and questions.

Email Marilyn J. Roberts, PPA Coordinator, ppa@lvartscouncil.org or call 610-437-5915 to share your interest in applying for a Project Stream Grant and attending one of these beneficial workshops. Include your organization and/or artist name, preferred email address, and a brief description of the project you are considering as well as your choice of workshop.

Link to the PCA’s eGRANT website after May 1st (http://ppa.egrant.net) to register on the application site and to access news about current PPA grant applications. June 20th, 2014 is the deadline to submit Project Stream Applications to the PCA electronically and to postmark the required forms and supplemental materials to the Lehigh Valley Arts Council.

For more information:
Call: 610-437-5915.
Email: PPA@LVArtsCouncil.org 
Web: http://www.lvartscouncil.org/programs/PPA%20Workshops.html
Attendance: Free, Reservations requested
Location(s):

May 6, 2014 – 4:00 to 5:30 PM
Lehigh Valley Arts Council
840 Hamilton Street, Suite 200 Conference Room
Allentown, Pa. 18101

May 8, 2014 – 4:00 to 5:30 PM
Sigal Museum
342 Northampton Street
Easton, Pa. 18042

May 15, 2014 – Noon to 2 PM
Mauch Chunk Opera House
14 W. Broadway
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Art Draws Pennsylvania’s First Lady To Reading

High heels dug into the soft ground under the afternoon sun as Pennsylvania first lady Susan Corbett treaded with caution in a grassy lot off Beech Street in Reading.

On a building across from Opportunity House’s Second Street Learning Center, a multi-story mural, featuring painted plants and mosaic-tiled butterflies, gleamed in the sunlight.

“It’s absolutely stunning,” Gov. Tom Corbett’s wife said of the community mural, one of dozens installed in and around Reading in recent years.

Fresh from a morning press conference at a charter school for the arts in Bethlehem, Susan Corbett stopped in Reading to tour the learning center and view examples of the city’s community art.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=465178