Arts Advocacy Delivers $1 Million Increase for Pennsylvania Creative Sector
Folklorist Kelly Armor addresses arts advocates at the PA Capitol during Arts Advocacy Day on March 24, 2026. Photo by Tetra Design.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – After 16 years of flat state arts funding, a coalition of more than 100 arts organizations, artists, and creative leaders, led by Creative Pennsylvania, successfully secured a $1 million increase in the Grants for the Arts line item in Pennsylvania's bipartisan 2026-27 state budget.
“This $10.59 million investment by the PA Assembly in our creative community will support thousands of artists, arts groups, creative businesses, and cultural organizations across Pennsylvania,” stated Kelley Gibson, Board Chair of Creative Pennsylvania. “This increase will be used to ensure that cultural organizations rooted in and serving historically underserved communities throughout the state will continue to be supported in their work.”
The funding increase represents the first state investment growth for Pennsylvania arts grants in more than a decade and reflects months of coordinated advocacy by organizations and artists across the Commonwealth. Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Arts & Culture Caucus were instrumental in achieving the $1 Million increase, including Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jay Costa, Representative Jordan Harris, and Senator Vincent Hughes.
In June, the arts coalition also successfully lobbied PA Creative Industries to restore $1 million in grant funding to support arts organizations with annual budgets under $100,000 that had been eliminated in their draft FY 2026-2027 budget. In response to their efforts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts approved the creation of the Spotlight grant program which makes state funding available to organizations with budgets between $10,000 and $100,000, and allows for fiscal sponsorships.
“We saw measurable change from our advocacy and our outreach,” said Eric César Morales of Restoring Opportunities for Artists and Residents, which was formed in response to PCI funding cuts.
Creative Pennsylvania, formerly known as Citizens for the Arts in PA, is a statewide voice, an essential partner, an important information source, and effective skills-building resource to artists, creatives, and arts organizations of all sizes and disciplines across the state of Pennsylvania. Through collaboration and advocacy we ensure artists, creative businesses, and cultural organizations have the resources and support they need to thrive. Learn more about their work at www.creative-pennsylvania.org
