PNC Arts Alive Awards $250,000 in Grants to Four St. Louis Arts Nonprofits

The PNC Foundation through PNC Arts Alive announced this week its selection of four Greater St. Louis arts nonprofits to share $250,000 in grant funding. Designed to fuel the delivery of accessible and inclusive programming to local audiences, the grants will be distributed over a two-year period to Dance St. Louis, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, St. Louis ArtWorks and the St. Louis Black Repertory Company.

In addition to receiving grant funding to transform creative concepts into accessible programming, leaders of the grantee organizations will participate in a highly customized capacity-build experience and will have access to experts ― including members of PNC's Experience Innovation team ― to help implement modern problem-solving practices, such as design thinking, within the scope of ongoing programming and operations.

"PNC's longstanding support and continued investments in Greater St. Louis' cherished arts organizations reflect our belief that engagement in the arts enriches lives and builds stronger, more vibrant communities," said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. "Our collaboration with local arts nonprofits, including the 2023-2025 PNC Arts Alive grant recipients, aims to make the arts more accessible to diverse audiences - while also helping arts organizations maximize the impact of grant funding through guided opportunities to enhance their business rigor and sustainability."

The grant recipients plan to use the funding as follows:

• Dance St. Louis ($50,000): Grant funding will help Dance St. Louis curate and deliver Ailey II, A Community Celebration presented by PNC Arts Alive in February 2024, in celebration of Black History Month and in collaboration with Ailey II. This education and enrichment program will include school residency and community experiences, and Dance St. Louis will collaborate with Ailey All Access to provide custom virtual viewing opportunities for students and the broader community.


• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis ($50,000): Grant funding will help underwrite accessibility enhancements for the 2024 and 2025 seasons of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' New Works Collective productions, to include audio descriptions, ASL interpretation and sensory-friendly environments. Additionally, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will distribute complimentary tickets for select community groups and will create and deliver on-demand streaming performance options to reach those in the community who are unable to visit the theater.


• St. Louis ArtWorks ($75,000): Grant funding will help St. Louis ArtWorks deliver its year-round experience offering paid apprenticeships for youth ages 14-19. Apprentices are immersed in opportunities to learn a range of art disciplines, while gaining relevant work experience as paid apprentices. The Youth Apprentice Program engages underserved youth by providing learning opportunities focused on four key areas: arts education; employment training/job-readiness; life skills, including financial literacy; and mental/social health.


• St. Louis Black Repertory Company ($75,000): Grant funding will help further establish The Black Rep's Phoenix Rising Special Performance Series, currently in its pilot year. This series is designed to create innovative, engaging work outside the organization's typical venues while honoring the company's original name (Phoenix Theatre Troupe) and historic intention to present dance, music and theatre through the lens of the African American experience.

Since establishing a corporate presence in the region in 2010, PNC has awarded $3.75 million in grant funding to Greater St. Louis arts organizations through PNC Arts Alive.

PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year initiative of the PNC Foundation dedicated to supporting visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways. The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. For more information, visit www.pncartsalive.com.