Stroudsburg, PA – On Friday, July 26, 2024, the Board of Directors made an announcement that Pocono Arts Council will be closing September 30, 2024, at the end of its fiscal year.
Pocono Arts Council was founded in 1975 as Monroe County Arts Council and became a registered nonprofit in 1977. Festivals, gallery walks, exhibitions, student summer camps, arts networking, workshops, and more have been a part of the cultural programming made possible by Pocono Arts Council over the years. With a vision to ensure the arts remain a vibrant cornerstone of community life throughout the Pocono region, their mission was to foster and support the arts through connection, education, and advocacy.
According to Executive Director, Darice Pauselius, “Our Board of Directors had an extremely difficult decision to make. Income has remained stagnate for over a decade and our expenses continue to steadily increase. Without significant and sustained financial support in addition to active participation, they recognized it was not feasible to continue. While many have suggested more events and programs to increase revenue, we cannot ignore the resources required to provide these activities. Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but there are expenses that need to be met just to exist – we are not forgiven our growing deficits simply because we are doing important work.”
Several factors contributed to the decision. For many years, Pocono Arts Council was a granting partner of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). Funds were distributed to Pocono Arts Council from the PCA for regranting to regional arts and culture activities via Program Stream and Project Stream, with a small percentage retained to cover grant administration. During Pocono Arts Council’s 2019-2020 fiscal year, PCA redistricted, and Monroe County became part of Region 5 which includes Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton counties. Lehigh Valley Community Foundation was then selected to be the regional granting partner and, as a result, Pocono Arts Council lost a significant portion of revenue ($100K+). This loss in income impacted total revenue numbers, which affected eligibility for the AOAP grant of $26,000 to support operating expenses.
After careful review of past, current, and projected expenses, and with consideration of the changing climate of philanthropy nationwide, the board determined that the Pocono Arts Council is not sustainable. By closing on September 30, the intent is to preserve the organization’s remaining financial assets and make them available to the community through grant programs managed by the Community Foundation of Monroe County (CFMC).
In concert with CFMC’s Executive Director Samantha Holbert, Pocono Arts Council is establishing three endowment funds to support students, artists, and arts organizations in Monroe County. Along with the initial funds from Pocono Arts Council, public donors will be able to make additional donations to the endowments, which will provide direct support to artists and arts programming in Monroe County on a permanent basis.
Pocono Arts Council is proud to provide these funds in continued support of artistic expression, cultural community-building, and arts education. Details and specific requirements for each will be forthcoming.
- Suzanne Anderson Art & Music Scholarship Fund – This fund will continue to provide $500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Monroe County with plans to continue their education in the field of art or music. This scholarship began thanks to an initial bequest from the late Suzanne Anderson.
- Poconos Free Art Workshop Fund – This fund will provide financial support for free art workshops to be held in the community. Preference will be given to events taking place in townships within Pocono Mountain School District.
- Myra Kyle Fund for the Arts – Thanks to a generous bequest from the late Myra Kyle, approximately $300,000 will be invested to fund arts projects and programs throughout Monroe County in the form of grants.
Monroe County Historical Association has been announced as the new steward of Pocono Arts Council’s permanent art collection. “We’re grateful MCHA can support the exhibition of this special group of work. It’s a beautiful representation of a wide range of mediums, created by some of the area’s best-known artists.”
Our partners will ensure the popular Documentary Film Series at Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center, 88 S Courtland St., East Stroudsburg, PA will continue through October 2024. In addition, Pocono State Craft Festival takes place August 24-25, at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm, 347 Quiet Valley Rd., Stroudsburg, PA. Details can be found on Pocono Arts Council’s calendar: www.poconoarts.org/calendar.
In the spirit of community, program and event materials will be shared with Pocono Arts Council partners so they can continue programming if in alignment with their mission and resources. Pauselius continues, “It is so important to remember that we are an organization made of people. Pocono Arts Council shined a light on the arts – but it’s the artists, musicians, writers, performers, and craftspeople who infuse our community with their talent and passion. We all need to support the arts as patrons, donors, volunteers, and advocates so they can continue to thrive.”
Pocono Arts Council will be open through September 30th by appointment only. Continue to check the website for updated information: www.poconoarts.org/announcement.
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