The Creative Communities Initiative helps lay the groundwork for transformative projects in towns and cities across Pennsylvania. From murals to green spaces to innovation hubs, these inspired initiatives have an impact far beyond their immediate reach.
One of the most essential pieces of only bringing creatives into a neighborhood —and keeping them there — is housing. Affordable housing. In this episode, we hear from two organizations on opposite sides of the state that tackling this problem and making their communities stronger in the process.
From live music to chainsaws, the state's annual festivals celebrate everything under the sun. They also boost their communities, increase local pride, and showcase the host area for a wide swath of new people. The economic benefits redound throughout the year. In this latest episode, we're joined by representatives from Bethlehem's Musikfest and Ridgway's Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous.
The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship partnered with a local business to transform a historic space, launching a new media lab that will serve as a resource for the region's entrepreneurs.
This Southeastern Pennsylvania city is home to an arts & culture district created by and for locals. In this episode of Prism, we talk with two Chester natives who have worked hard to make this dream a reality.
We're back with more episodes of Prism, a podcast shining a light on the power of creativity in PA communities. In this first installment, we're hearing about how The Warhol is expanding its footprint, creating an inclusive, innovative arts district that offers everything from a live music venue to workforce training programs.
After decades as a mecca for installation art, this Pittsburgh cultural institution is adding to its repertoire, housing the archive of iconic trans artist Greer Lankton and using digital tools to reach beyond the museum's walls.
For years, factories and mills anchored PA communities large and small. The question of what to do with these beautiful, historic buildings is an essential one, and there is no single answer. In Johnstown, metalwork has returned to a shuttered steel facility, while in the Poconos, a new generation of residents are setting up laptops and sipping lattes in an old silk mill.
The economics didn't work for the private sector, but the value of renovating this historic structure in the heart of the borough goes far beyond the spreadsheet. A coalition of local partners and an army of volunteers are getting it done, one brick at a time.
Arts are a driver of growth and vitality — that's the argument being made by economic development and local government leaders across the state. In a lively conversation, we heard from two such folks, one from Corry and one from York, about how their communities support, fund, and catalyze the creative sector, and how that work is paying unexpected dividends.