The ARPA PA Arts and Culture Recovery (PACR) Grant for Working Artists was a program of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development. EAC awarded $75,000 in grants to 25 working artists and creative entrepreneurs who experienced significant pandemic-related disruption to their income. These artists are from all over NWPA and represent a wide variety of creative disciplines, genres, and career levels. Our grantees are:

  • Brenna Thummler

  • Adam Stempka

  • Stephen Trohoske

  • Douglas Werner

  • Brooke Surgener

Brenna Thummler

Brooke Surgener

  • Dafna Baier

  • Margaret Andraso

  • Abby Barrett

  • Jon Bernstein

  • Max Boland

Jennifer Dennehy (left), Dafna Baier (middle)

  • Klee Galligan

  • CJ Hurley

  • Tracey Lander-Garrett

  • Sarah Moody

  • Michael Patterson

  • Rick Bowser

  • Sean Carey

  • Lisa Contessa

  • Jennifer Dennehy

  • Brad Ford

  • Mike Russo

  • Debbie Penley

  • Rafi Perez

  • Sarah Purvis

  • Nicole Ryan

Mike Russo

The McCain Special Projects Grant supports new arts projects in Erie County that are not eligible for other EAC grant opportunities. We awarded $11,200 total to three grantees: 1020 Collective (for a monthly networking event), Seiche Dance Collective (for Tethered Immersive Theater Experience), and the Erie Art Museum (for Frank Novel’s artist residency and exhibition).

The McBrier Family Fund supports 501(c)(3) arts organizations working in partnership with artists to co-create arts and cultural programs. This year, the grant will support Dafmark Dance Theater’s production of Cracked Gems, which will involve 9 artists in the creation and production processes.

Annually, Erie Arts and Culture administers the McCain Artist Fellowship, which provides a total of $11,000 in unrestricted cash grants to three artists from Erie County, helping them sustain or enhance their creative process and advance their careers in the arts. The Fellowship supports one artist for each career level: Emerging, Mid-Career, and Established.

Established - Fredy Mallqui Huaman (left)

Mid-Career - Alexa Potter (middle)

Emerging - Rachel Maly (right)

Learn more about the 2025 Artist Fellows:

Fredy Mallqui Huaman - Established

Fredy Human Mallqui creates art that explores the nuances of organic forms, inspired by the natural environment, identity, and society's rituality. His work has been shown internationally in Austria, Germany, Peru, and the United States. In 2021, Fredy was selected to create a series of public art in the new Pittsburgh International Airport. The works will be installed later this year.

Alexa Potter - Mid Career

Motivated by trash collected on daily walks along Lake Erie's shores, Alexa Potter creates art from found objects, using locally manufactured, bespoke Perspex boxes to present her work. Between 2017 and 2020, Potter curated an annual exhibition of international found object artists. She is now anticipating two solo exhibitions of her work. 

Rachel Maly - Emerging

Rachel Maly uses sculpture and installation to question man's dominion over animals. Employing elements of strangeness, beauty, and mystery, Maly creates experiences for viewers to consider animals in their own right, and explore new narratives that privilege animals’ agency and perspectives.

Through the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts’ Creative Sector Flex Fund program, Erie Arts and Culture awarded $100,000 in flexible-use grants to 20 dynamic arts organizations and arts programs across 6 counties of Northwest Pennsylvania:

Crawford County

  • Titusville Council on the Arts Incorporated

  • The Arc of Crawford County, Inc

  • Meadville Community Theater

  • French Creek Community Theater

Venango County

  • Oil Region Ballet

Lawrence County

  • PennOhio Clay Guild, Inc

Erie County

  • Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre

  • Main Street Art Center

  • The Pennsylvania State University

  • Erie ClaySpace Artists Association

  • North East Arts Council

  • The Downtown Edinboro Arts & Music Festival

  • Young Artists Debut Orchestra (YADO)

  • Erie Art Company

Warren County

  • Crary Art Gallery

  • Warren County Summer Music School

  • Family Services of Warren County, Inc.

Mercer County

  • Shenango Valley Chorale

  • Hope Center for Arts and Technology, Inc. (HopeCAT)

  • George Junior Republic