Pocono Arts Council to close

On Friday, July 26, 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.”

According to the Council, 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

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: poconoarts.org/announcement.