Arts & Culture

A vibrant arts and culture scene doesn’t happen by chance. It is built through organizations, partnerships and spaces that allow creativity to take root and grow. 

Our goal is to strengthen the arts and culture ecosystem in southwestern Pennsylvania so it is resilient and community centered — representing diverse ideas, connecting people and providing opportunity for artists to build sustainable careers.  

At The Heinz Endowments, we take a long-term, collaborative approach to supporting the organizations and communities that make up southwestern Pennsylvania's arts ecosystem. 

We believe southwestern Pennsylvania’s cultural future depends on every community member feeling a sense of belonging, where long-standing institutions and emerging voices co-exist and co-create, and where artistic excellence deepens the connections that make our region feel like home.  

Our approach is grounded in what we've learned through research, data and relationships.

Sector Infrastructure
 

We support organizations that strengthen the systems the arts community relies on — through field coordination, shared resources, research and advocacy — so that arts organizations can focus more energy on their work and the communities they serve.

Cultural Participation
 

We support organizations that expand access to the arts and deepen connection to community — removing barriers so that more people can experience the arts.

Creative Workforce Pathways
 

We support organizations that provide structured pathways into paid creative work — through training programs, apprenticeships and industry partnerships — so that talented people can build sustainable careers in southwestern Pennsylvania.

What We Don't Fund
 

Our focus is to strengthen the broader arts and culture ecosystem. We do not fund one-time projects; programming without systems, infrastructure, or community impact strategy; or requests that benefit a single organization without advancing the broader arts and culture ecosystem. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT APPLYING FOR A GRANT

We support these and other arts and culture organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania. For a full list of supported projects and organizations, visit our searchable database of grants awarded.

Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) provides opportunity for Pittsburgh’s arts community by commissioning and producing original theater, music, dance and multimedia works that represent the kaleidoscope of diversity of our region.

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Carnegie Museum of Art

Carnegie Museum of Art’s extensive slate of public programs creates opportunities for community connectedness and belonging by purposefully engaging youth, families and individuals from across our region.

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Tech25

Tech25 believes that a strong, sustainable arts and culture community that makes talent want to stay here – and draws it from outside our region – means investing in training that leads to living wage careers in creativity-related industries.

READ MORE

We are always assessing our work and seeking opportunities to make a positive impact. Following an 18-month period of research, analysis and careful consideration of our region’s creative sector, our staff and board of trustees endorsed an evolution of this work.

As we move forward, we are prioritizing investments that create broad, ecosystem-level benefits – including shared infrastructure, increased participation and sense of belonging, and workforce pathways – so impact extends beyond any single artist or organization.

If you or your organization are thinking about applying for a grant or are wondering if your organization may be a good partner for the Endowments’ updated Arts & Culture strategy, please consider these questions:

• Does your project or organization build shared infrastructure that benefits multiple artists or partners?
• Does it lead with strategies to increase participation, remove visible and invisible barriers, and consistently offer meaningful, welcoming practices that contribute to a sense of belonging?
• Does it support workforce pathways into paid creative work?
• Are strong quantitative and qualitative measures in place for the project from start to finish?

If you have questions about what this strategy means for the proposal you are considering, we are here to help at [email protected].

New and returning applicants should complete a letter of inquiry first before contacting staff or completing a grant application. Visit the “Grants Process & How to Apply” section of our Grants page for more information.