FRICK ART MUSEUM

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the local entertainment industry, with many music venues, art exhibitions and theaters forced to close due to COVID-19.

Now, they’re getting aid from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, which is granting $7 million to 57 different nonprofit arts and cultural organizations around the region. 

The grants, which range from $20,000 to $1 million, will go toward helping these organizations prepare for reopening, extend exhibitions and overcome any losses experienced throughout the last year, such as bringing back furloughed staff or closing budget gaps. 

Grant recipients include the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the Frick Art and Historical Center, the Westmoreland Museum of American Art and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. The Carnegie Institute — which operates the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Science Center and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History — received a $1 million grant.   

WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF ART | PHOTO BY MIKAELA FITZPATRICK

“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,” says David Roger, president of the Hillman Family Foundations, in a statement. “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.” 

From March 2020 through March 2021, the Henry L. Hillman, Hillman, Elsie H. Hillman, Mary Hillman Jennings, and Polk foundations have granted more than $45 million to nonprofits in emergency COVID-19 relief funds. These funds help support vulnerable populations by strengthening the food network and aiding public health and education systems. 

A complete list of organizations that received grants in 2021 from the Hillman Family Foundation can be found here.