In a recent article, John Dick, founder and CEO of CivicScience, voiced his concerns about the state of performing arts in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Business Times. He suggests a significant one-time endowment, paired with professional oversight and management, could help sustain leading performing arts organizations in the city for the foreseeable future.

For decades, Pittsburgh has made a silent but undeniable mark on the national and global performing arts scene. The city boasts some of the top venues, talent, and production quality, rivaling even those of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. This recognition has been made possible by the city's fondness for theater, music, and dance, bestowed by industrial barons like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon.

These impactful initial investments along with ongoing support from businesses and individuals have fueled world-class musical theater, symphony, opera, and ballet in Pittsburgh for over a century. Local organizations like the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, CLO, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre don't just house touring shows, they create original art and provide employment opportunities. 

However, Dick warns that this rich legacy faces potential collapse due to the economic aftermath of the pandemic. The performing arts sector is not immune to the struggles faced nationwide and globally such as financial losses, reduced audiences, declining urban foot traffic, escalating crime, homelessness, blight, and the recent global inflation and supply chain crisis. The local arts organizations are facing the tough choices of downsizing or even complete closure if circumstances remain unchanged. 

Dick encourages the city's government, foundations, and the business community to support the performing arts in the same way they rally behind sports teams. A substantial one-time endowment and sustained support could not only preserve Pittsburgh's global standing in performing arts but also strengthen regional economic development and the hospitality industry. 

The funding need not burden taxpayers, but instead could be sourced from nonprofit and corporation foundations who are currently spreading their funds too thinly. Local donors and Pittsburgh expats with connections to the performing arts could also help preserve the city's artistic legacy. 

Dick's compelling argument underlines the urgency of the situation and the importance of rallying behind the city's artistic heritage before it's too late. 

Original article written by John Dick, published in the Pittsburgh Business Times [ subscription required ].