From “The Lion in Winter” to “Measure for Measure” this summer, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies (CFA) is helping support arts programming in a six-county region. CFA is pleased to announce that it has awarded $100,000 to 20 organizations as the Region 12 Partner in the Arts of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. The partnership area includes Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts introduced this new grant program, the Creative Sector Flex Fund (CSFF), for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The CSFF is designed to address the changing needs of dynamic PA organizations with an average annual arts-specific budget between $10,000 – $200,000.
This grant program incorporates the current needs of the field by offering grantees the flexibility to use $5,000 grants in ways that ensure the most significant impact on their organizations and communities. Recipients of these grant awards will be able to use the funds for administrative, programmatic, and project-related expenses.
“This grant funding will be used to support our special needs theatre group, The Big Dreamers Broadway Squad, and support arts training for kids ages 4-18,” said Anthony Marino of the Westmoreland Performing Arts theatre group in Westmoreland County. 
“The Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company (BOB) plans a full season with the help of this grant,” said Laura Gordon, Artistic Director. “The season includes “The Lion in Winter” in February, “Measure for Measure” in July, and support of Hope Springs Eternal: The Holocaust Project – “Number the Stars”. BOB will reach out to schools in Cambria County with this poignant message at this crucial time.”
“We are delighted to have received such generous funding in Blair County from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and the PA Council on the Arts. This grant gives us a much-needed boost as we seem to finally be recovering from the pandemic by allowing us to increase our event offerings and promote music literacy and education around our region. It will help to support our programs, such as our beginner ukulele workshop classes, The ARC Ukulele Club, and Ukes in Schools. It will also directly support events, such as our annual Ukulele Festival, and the Allegheny Ukulele Soirée.” said President Chief Ukulele Evangelist of the Allegheny Ukulele Kollective, Mike Holzier.
The 20 recipients of the grants for arts-related programming in the six-county region are:
Allegheny Ukulele Kollective, Blair
Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company, Cambria
Bedford County Players Inc., Bedford
Bedford Heritage Trust, Bedford
Blair Concert Chorale, Blair
Confluence Creative Arts Center, Somerset
Cresson Lake Playhouse, Cambria
Downtown Bedford Inc., Bedford
Flood City Boxing Academy Inc., Cambria
Gallery on Gazebo, Cambria
Greensburg Civic Theatre, Westmoreland
Guild of American Papercutters, Somerset
Johnstown Concert Ballet, Cambria
Railroaders Heritage Corp., Blair
The Learning Lamp, Cambria
Tyrone Community Players, Blair
University of Pittsburgh Greensburg, Westmoreland
Venue of Merging Arts, Cambria
Westmoreland Performing Arts, Westmoreland
You Are Here Inc. , Westmoreland
For more information on the CSSF, please visit www.cfalleghenies.org. If you have questions about the program, please contact Emily Wood, Operations and Grants Associate, at ewood@cfalleghenies.org or 814-208-8448.
