York, PA – The Cultural Alliance of York County has selected five community Navigators who will work with York County artists and creative entrepreneurs to grow their practice. Navigators will work one-on-one with grant applicants over the next year to provide guidance, business development resources and technical assistance as applicants fine-tune their grant ideas and make future plans for their careers.
The Navigator position was created as part of the Cultural Alliance new Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) and with funding support from the J. William Warehime Foundation, the Creative Accelerator program offers small business consulting, creative mentorship and grants for artists and creators in York County. Through the Navigators who will work one-on-one with each creative, the program will provide both educational resources and more than $50,000 in funding to artists in York County in 2022.
“This is a completely new way of laying out the grant process,” stated Rita Whitney, Director of Communications and Engagement at the Cultural Alliance. “We looked at our data from 2020 and 2021 and knew we could do more to make access to resources accessible and equitable, and empowering community Navigators is the first step.
The Cultural Alliance received 14 applications from artists all around York County for the five open Navigator positions. Out of those applicants, a panel chose the following Navigators for 2022 based on their leadership, community connections, and experience:
Carla Christopher (Hanover, PA)
Joslin Kearse (York City)
Jess McPherson (Southern York County)
Susan Scofield (York City)
Andrew Smith (Hanover, PA)
Biographies for each Navigator can be found here, and additional information for artists and creative entrepreneurs seeking resources can be found here. Reach out to Rita@culturalyork.org with any questions.
Founded as a United Arts Fund in 1999, the Cultural Alliance’s annual campaign currently supports arts organizations and artists that are essential to arts and culture in our community. Over the past 22 years invested $12 million in cash and $2.5 million in in-kind support for the arts. Through critical operational grants, the Cultural Alliance is the lifeline for arts and culture in York County.
For more information, call the Cultural Alliance at 717-812-9255, visit our website at www.culturalyork.org, visit the Cultural Alliance of York on Facebook, and follow @CulturalYork on Instagram.
