PAC to receive state pandemic recovery grant for the arts
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (July 18, 2023) – Officials at the Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center are celebrating approval of funding from the state to continue recovering from the pandemic.
General Manager David Mitchell says the PAC will be receiving nearly $64,000 from the Ohio Arts Economic Relief Grant Program.
David Mitchell
“It’s just very welcome news,” said Mitchell. “After we were shutdown for a prolonged period, it’s kind of been a slow churn a little bit for audiences to come back to the PAC.”
He says arts organizations ran deficits and had to dip into reserves because of the shutdowns. Mitchell says the PAC will use this grant to help offset employee compensation.
“It’s nice to just receive that little extra padding in our budget to help ease us along,” he said.
Mitchell says the state announced the creation of the grant program in December using federal American Rescue Plan Act Dollars.
“The arts are a huge economic driver in our community,” he said. “Being able to prop up these organizations a little bit is just going to enhance the quality of life here in the valley.”
This is the second round of funding for the program with 104 arts-based organizations receiving more than $20 million in grants total this time.
Organizations to receive grants in the first round announced in May included the Dennison Depot, the Tuscarawas Philharmonic, Little Theatre, and Trumpet in the Land.