Reading, PA (July 23, 2025) – Berks County Arts Fund of Berks County Community Foundation recently awarded $50,000.00 in grants to six organizations. The Berks County Arts Fund supports arts and culture organizations that will implement community-focused programs/projects through visual arts. They seek to support innovative, inclusive, and accessible programs that will foster community pride and encourage creative expression within the Berks community.
The following grants were awarded:
- $13,025.70 to Alvernia University’s Total Experience Learning Institute mural project, Sanctuary of Color – Bringing Art to the LightHouse Playground. The mural installation will enhance the beauty, privacy, and safety of the playground for Lighthouse residents who are transitioning from crisis to stability.
- $3,500.00 to Theron Cook Art Don’t Quit Foundation to support the project ArtCycle: Transforming Trash Into Treasure. Guided painting sessions of inner-city Reading’s trash and recycling bins will bring local youth together to beautify their community and learn about the importance of recycling.
- $5,000.00 to State Theatre Preservation Society for its Summer Kid Movies program to provide discounted movies, snacks, and relaxing quality time for lower-income families in Boyertown and the surrounding areas.
- $5,815.00 to Our Town Foundation to build its community mural at State Street Square, an event and gathering space that is currently being developed for the cultural and educational enrichment of Hamburg residents.
- $3,500.00 to Reading Theater Project to construct large, operable puppets for a free, outdoor theater performance at the Reading Public Museum Arboretum.
- $19,159.30 to Reading Symphony Orchestra to host a night of music and visual art. A Visual & Musical Mosaic features musical performances by Reading Symphony Orchestra and photography from local students that answer the question, “What does Berks County mean to me?”
Monica Reyes, Vice President for Programs and Initiatives of Berks County Community Foundation, stated, “We are proud to support these organizations whose work enriches our communities through visual arts. By supporting the visual arts, we’re investing in both creative expression and the civic vitality it fosters.”
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Berks County Arts Fund supports visual arts programming based in Berks County. To learn more about the fund, please visit the fund’s landing page on our website.
If you would like to make a gift to increase our ability to provide grant funding for the arts in our community, please email Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services, at mollyr@bccf.org.
