The City of Scranton will offer $500,000 total in grants to artists and art organizations through a new application announced Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Grants are part of the City’s $68.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
“The many arts and performance groups that we work with have made it clear that their post-pandemic recovery is still not complete,” Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said at City Hall, 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. “While some have been able to access our previous non-profit grants and other aid, others continue to need help to restore their operations. This grant process should be accessible to organizations of every size to support our creative community.”
Through an analysis of the local arts community, including recent economic reports and data gathered by The Institute, officials were able to determine that portions of the local arts community are considered impacted entities based on the percentage of employment they lost due to the pandemic. Those groups include:
- Independent artists, writers, and performers;
- Theater companies and dinner theaters;
- Musical groups and artists; and
- Dance companies
Artists and organizations in those categories are invited to apply online for grants of up to $45,000 through Neighborly at https://bit.ly/nblyscranton. A webinar about the program will be held Thursday, March 7, at 2 p.m. Interested groups can join at https://bit.ly/scrantonarts.
Eligible organizations must be physically located in Scranton or provide evidence that they directly serve Scranton residents, have been operating prior to the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and provide evidence of their employment numbers.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021: ARPA is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill. The City of Scranton has received $68.7 million in ARPA funds to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. The mission of Scranton’s ARPA program is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents.
Scranton Opening New ARPA Arts Community Grants | Press Release
Last modified: February 29, 2024
