Arts & Humanities

Washington County has a diverse set of organizations in the Arts & Humanities sector such as museums, libraries, performing arts, visual arts, music festivals, and historic sites. Larger organizations bring visitors from outside the county, resulting in economic boosts and greater opportunities for local organizations.

Impact

• According to Tourism Economics, in 2022 tourists spent $665.9 million in Washington County, an increase from 2021’s $594.1 million. Washington County remains second to Allegheny County in the “Pittsburgh and its Countryside” visitor spending category, consisting of 8 counties in western Pennsylvania.
• There are currently over 50 locations in Washington County that have been given historical markers by The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. 
• The Washington County Heritage Alliance has eight Heritage Locations in the county: David Bradford House, Duncan & Miller Glass Museum, F. Julius LeMoyne House, The Historical National Road, Meadowcroft Rockshelter & Historic Village, National Pike Steam, Gas & Horse Association, The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, and the Whiskey Rebellion Festival.
  

Strengths

• Heritage Tourism
• Historic Diversity
• Local Talent
• Historical Markers

Challenges

Since 2017, there has been a national decline in attendance rates for virtually every type of arts activity, made worse by the global halt of performances and activities in 2020. The New York Times reported Broadway audiences to be down 17%, and thousands of theaters across the country have closed. Arts organizations in Washington County also suffered during the pandemic, and many have not fully recovered.

The diverse history of Washington County provides many opportunities for tourism events, but many smaller organizations are struggling to bring people in from outside the county.

Advertising is an ongoing challenge for organizations in Washington County. Many of these organizations are run by retirees, who need assistance attracting audiences via social media, the preferred form of advertising per our survey respondents. There are many performances and events taking place around the county, but people do not know about them. Focus group members expressed a desire for local organizations to collaborate and market events together to gain a larger audience.

Several focus group participants lamented the closing of Wash Arts, and expressed a belief that affordable programming and cultural spaces are needed but would be costly. Many local Arts & Humanities organizations have indicated they rely on private donations as their primary funding source. Of the participants in our annual giving event, the average operating budget for this group is under $140,000. Many organizations are also experiencing difficulty securing volunteers, especially younger ones. With Washington County only having one art gallery and no existing arts council, focus group members expressed the fear that the “art community is dying”.