Erie Arts and Culture

09/25/2026

A little nostalgic, with the save-the-date reveal:

A year ago today, we felt the Pulse.

Our first Pulse: The Creative Heartbeat of NWPA brought our community together to celebrate the artists, stories, and creativity that make our region beat a little brighter.

And now, the next beat is coming.

Mark your calendar for March 12, 2027. Pulse returns—and we can’t wait to share what’s next.

09/24/2026

This is a BIG one for us.

This year, our Teaching Artist Residencies reached every county in our six-county service region, every United Way Community School, and every Erie’s Public Schools school—for a total of 56 residencies.

Why does that matter? Because more students had the chance to create, explore something new, learn directly from working artists, and experience the arts as part of their education.

From one classroom to the next and one county to another, we helped more young people across Northwest Pennsylvania access meaningful arts experiences.

56 residencies. More schools. More communities. More opportunities for creativity to grow.

09/23/2026

Big ideas deserve the chance to grow.

This June, Erie Arts & Culture proudly awarded $36,000 through the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program to 18 creative small businesses across all six counties of Northwest Pennsylvania. Along with grant funding, the program connected creative entrepreneurs with free small business consulting to help strengthen their business plans, refine their goals, and turn their creative talents into sustainable businesses.

From visual arts and crafts to music, entertainment, publishing, and design, these entrepreneurs are showing that creativity means business in NWPA.

Meet this year’s grantees and discover the businesses they’re building in our latest blog: https://www.erieartsandculture.org/blog/creativity-means-business-celebrating-our-2026-cea-grantees

09/22/2026

We are so happy to be partnering with MCRC (Multicultural Community Resource Center) on this wonderful project. Our rostered teaching artists Ceasar Westbrook and Steve Mik worked with children and staff at MCRC to design and create this vibrant mural. We can't wait to see the finished product!

If you drive by the MCRC Campus, you may notice something pretty special beginning to take shape on our Annex building.

We wanted to give you just a little glimpse of the transformation…but you’ll have to stay tuned to see the finished piece!

MCRC - Multicultural Community Resource Center is proud to be partnering with Erie Arts and Culture on this project, bringing together local artists, members of our youth program, and MCRC leadership to create something that is much more than a mural. Our team helped shape both the design and the meaning behind it, ensuring that what ultimately lives on this wall tells a story that reflects who we are and the community we serve.

Projects like this matter.

Public art can turn a building into a place of identity, pride and belonging. It creates opportunities for young people to see their ideas become something permanent. It brings generations and cultures together. And it gives us another way to tell the story of a community built on resilience, diversity, hope and connection.

For MCRC, this is about creating a campus that feels as vibrant, welcoming and full of possibility as the people who walk through our doors every day.

We can’t wait to share the meaning behind the final design and, most importantly, the finished product.

Stay tuned… or take a drive by the MCRC Campus and watch the transformation happen in real time. ❤️🎨

09/22/2026

There’s something special happening in our creative community right now—and you can feel it.

From poetry in the park and songs filling local classrooms to murals transforming downtown Oil City and an evening spent celebrating the artists who make this work possible, Susannah’s latest From the Director’s Seat is full of the moments that remind us why the arts matter.

It’s also a time of change for Erie Arts & Culture, and with that change comes a whole lot of hope for what’s next.

Come along for the ride and read the September edition: https://www.erieartsandculture.org/blog/from-the-directors-seat-september-2026

09/22/2026

🎉 Join us in celebrating Kelly Armor!

We’re thrilled to share that Kelly Armor has been selected as one of 50 inaugural PA Cultural Exchange (PaX) Fellows by PA Humanities!

Selected from 350 applicants across Pennsylvania, the inaugural cohort brings together artists, storytellers, historians, educators, organizers, scholars, and other cultural leaders from 23 counties across the Commonwealth.

Over the next 18 months, Kelly will join fellow cultural practitioners for immersive exchanges across Pennsylvania, opportunities for peer learning and collaboration, and conversations about strengthening creative and humanities work in the communities they serve.

We’re especially proud to see Erie represented on this statewide stage and excited for the ideas, relationships, and experiences Kelly will bring back to our community. 💛

Congratulations, Kelly! 👏

Learn more about the PA Cultural Exchange and meet the inaugural cohort through the link in our bio.

09/21/2026

🎶 Erie musicians: We want to know where you’re playing!

Do you have a show, concert, open mic, album release, or other live music event coming up? Help us keep our community connected to what’s happening across Erie’s music scene.

Submit your upcoming events to Erie Arts & Culture so we can help more people discover the artists, musicians, and performances happening throughout our region.

📅 Got something on the calendar? Send it our way!

🔗 Submit your event through our site: https://www.erieartsandculture.org/calendar

09/19/2026

The conversation continues TODAY!

After last night’s Gallery Night, join us this evening for a deeper look at Who We Have Become.

Hear from representatives from Let’s Get Free and artist Antonio Howard as they explore the exhibition, the stories and experiences reflected in the work, and the ways art can create space for expression, connection, and imagining new possibilities.

Today | 5–7 PM
Artist Talk begins at 6 PM
📍 Erie Arts & Culture | 419 State Street, Floor C2

Free and open to the public. Come be part of the conversation.

09/18/2026

Today’s the day! Check out this interview with our Gallery Manager Nicholas Gore as he talks about our current gallery shows. Come check out the exhibitions tonight from 5:00-8:00 at 419 State Street!

With Nicholas Cardell Gore - Gallery Manager At Erie Arts & Culture!