About
On May 6, 2009 the Pennsylvania State Senate voted 30-20 to pass Senate Bill 850. This bill calls to cuts all funding to The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, which would eliminate the Council and end all funding to the arts in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is a state agency in the Office of the Governor, created by legislative act of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1966 with the mission to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of these arts throughout the state. The PCA supports over 254 arts organizations with approximately $8,600,000 annually.
If SB850 is approved, these 254 organizations will lose on average 16,000 of their funding. Undoubtedly, this will cause most, if not all of these organizations to limit their programs, downsize their operations or be forced to close. Not only would this sacrifice many jobs, but it also sends a powerful signal that Pennsylvania’s do not foster the creative spirit.
Help us Save the Arts in Pennsylvania. Sign up for Action Alerts from Citizens of the Arts, contact your legislators, join our Facebook Cause, and sign the online petition.
