Butler art center hopeful for $1.9M broadband grant
The biggest grant the Associated Artists of Butler County has received was about $15,000, which is dwarfed by the $1.9 million the group applied for in April to provide broadband access in the Butler Art Center & Gallery.
The organization is one of several agencies in Butler County applying for a grant through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, which can net up to $2 million for projects improving internet access in a community. The application was due in mid-April, and in addition to the Associated Artists, the Butler County Area Agency on Aging and Butler Area Public Library also applied for grant funds.
Paul Scanlon, an Associated Artists of Butler County board member, said the art center would use the money to bring computer devices to the center for public use, and also to make some structural improvements to the building.
“One thing we want to do is create a place where the public can just walk in and access a computer for free,” Scanlon said. “The Island (neighborhood) is around the corner, and there are a lot of people who are underrepresented and low-income who could literally walk to the art center.”
The grant would come from a competitive program funded by the COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act that supports multipurpose community facilities. The money originated at the federal level and was passed down to the state for distribution.
Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said April 16 the grant is intended to promote the use of community space for health care, employment and education. The Butler County Area Agency on Aging similarly applied for funding to increase internet access to area senior citizens.
Scanlon said the art center also would use money to make improvements to the Masonic Temple, which the Associated Artists have leased from the organization for years. There has been talk of installing solar panels on the temple’s roof, according to Scanlon, but the roof would need to be renovated before the panels could be installed.
“Their roof is about 30 years old; the big component is replacing the roof so the roof would last longer than the solar panels,” Scanlon said. “Masonic members would be involved.”
In addition to its application, Scanlon said the Associated Artists also sent letters of support from state Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th, Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, Butler County commissioners and the Maridon Museum.
Helping other nonprofits in the area also is part of the art center’s application. Scanlon said the Associated Artists would like to put a digital banner ticker on the exterior of the building to display local events and happenings.
“If we put up a big neon sign and have a messaging board, we would allow any nonprofit to promote their upcoming events,” Scanlon said. “There’s a number of nonprofits that could increase visibility to increase attendance.”
Applying for the grant will benefit the art center even if it doesn’t receive the grant, Scanlon said.
“This might be a long shot, but we got cost estimates for each piece of the project, so even if we don’t get the grant we’ll know their cost,” he said.
