COSTA RECOGNIZED FOR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF ARTS

Pittsburgh, May 28, 2008 - - State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) was honored with the Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania 2008 Arts Leadership Award at the annual meeting of the Greater Pittsburgh Art Council on Wednesday, May 21st.

Presented by Robert N. Lettieri, Chairperson of Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, and Philip Horn, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the award acknowledges Senator Costa’s longstanding commitment to the promotion of the arts in Pennsylvania.

Members of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the community at large gathered at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh’s North Side for the event. Mr. Horn praised Senator Costa’s work on behalf of the arts in Pennsylvania and his work with the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts. In addition to the presentation of the award to
Senator Costa, Pittsburgh City Councilman William Peduto was presented with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Work of Art award, recognizing his service to the arts.
 
Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania is the only statewide multidisciplinary arts organization committed to advancing the arts in Pennsylvania through advocacy, programs, and services. With more than 125 member organizations, Citizens for the Arts is a strong and active voice for the Arts throughout the Commonwealth.

With the mission “to make the arts central to the lives of individuals by expanding the reach, influence and effectiveness of the region's diverse cultural community,” the Arts Council maintains a membership of over 160 organizations and artists, representing roughly 2,700 individuals in the greater Pittsburgh area. Serving this entire region, the Arts Council provides professional development and technical assistance for arts managers and independent artists, ticketing and marketing services, grant programs, pro bono management and legal consulting, support for shared services and partnerships, and a range of advocacy and cultural policy initiatives, making it the voice for the arts in Pittsburgh.

In choosing to honor Senator Costa with the Arts Leadership Award, Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania recognized his longstanding support of the arts. From 1996-2005, when Senator Costa served as a legislative member of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), the annual appropriation for grants-to-the-arts in Pennsylvania rose from $9.1 million to $14.5 million.

In addition, the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts presented the Senator with the Speaker Matthew J. Ryan Catalyst Award in 2006. This prestigious annual award is presented by the Partners in acknowledgement of outstanding legislative leadership for the enhancement of arts education across the Commonwealth.