$7M in grants from Henry L. Hillman Foundation boost regional arts, cultural groups

The Henry L. Hillman Foundation announced $7 million in grants to regional arts and cultural organizations aimed at alleviating pandemic-related budget deficits and assisting with restarting or expanding performances and programs after a year of shutdowns and limited operations.

The 57 grants range in size from $20,000 to $1 million.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg received $55,000, while Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, whose regional programming includes the Alle-Kiski area, received $75,000. Touchstone Center for Crafts in Fayette County was awarded $20,000.

Major Pittsburgh institutions receiving support include August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Frick Art & Historical Center, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony and WQED Multimedia.

“Grants include organizations with whom we have a historical funding relationship,” said David Roger, president of Hillman Family Foundations. “We also expanded funds to first-time recipients and small organizations that reach or attract a more diverse audience.”

Smaller groups include Bricolage, Film Pittsburgh, Quantum Theatre and Squonk Opera.

Amounts of individual grants are proportional to the organization’s budget, Roger said.

“They can use the funds however they choose to make it as easy as possible on these organizations that have been through so much in the past year,” he said. “When we issued a brief survey for feedback, we learned that the needs ran through a wide range.”

Grantees reported that funds will go to uses such recalling furloughed staff, expanding operating hours, implementing more robust health and safety procedures and developing creative reopening strategies.

The right time

“With the prospect of additional federal support in the coming months and, hopefully, the end of this difficult period in sight, we thought this was the right time to provide needed support for the arts sector and encourage others to do so, too,” Roger said.

“Arts and cultural organizations have borne some of the most devastating impacts of the pandemic — extended full closures, staff layoffs and pay cuts, and continued uncertainty as to when operations might resume,” he said. “These organizations, so critical to our quality of life in the Pittsburgh region, have proven to be resilient and creative in keeping their lights on to the extent possible.

“However, make no mistake, they’ve been terribly impacted and we need to get behind them as they ramp up operations and programs in the next year.”

“This round of grants is similar to an approach we used with a $3 million arts sector support package last summer, although the amounts are generally larger this time,” said Senior Program Officer Lauri Fink. “Over the last year, we attempted to be as comprehensive as possible in providing support to arts and culture organizations with which we’ve had longstanding relationships, while also adding new organizations to better represent the full breadth of the arts sector.”

While the foundation typically does not publicize its grant-giving, Roger said, “We thought this might be an opportunity to encourage others to give to these organizations that have been extremely resilient through this time, leading to not just recovery, but real growth in the arts sector, even in offering new and diverse forms of entertainment.“

From March 2020 through March 2021, the Pittsburgh-based Hillman, Henry L. Hillman, Elsie H. Hillman, Mary Hillman Jennings and Polk Foundations provided more than $45 million in emergency response grants to bolster the public health, human services and education systems; strengthen critical nonprofits; and prepare for the eventual economic recovery, according to a release.

Founded in 1951 and 1964 respectively, Hillman and Henry L. Hillman Foundations were created to improve the quality of life in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania and have multidimensional grant programs across a range of interests.

To view the complete list of grants, visit hillmanfamilyfoundations.org.