Congressman Dwight Evans Secures $1M in Fed Funding for Mann Center
Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) today highlighted $1 million in federal funding he secured for the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, joined by officials of the center.
“I was pleased to designate this $1 million in federal funding for the Mann Center, a major cultural and economic driver in Philadelphia, in the government funding bill that President Biden recently signed into law,” Evans said. “This will go toward the first phase of the Mann’s master plan for campus improvements, helping to support over 550 jobs during construction and creating 35 additional jobs long-term.”
Planned activities in the first phase are expected to include pavilion restoration, electrical grid expansion, rainwater management, installation of a second permanent Skyline Stage, and renovating the Plaza to increase revenue generation.
The Mann Center drives over $50.4 million in local economic impact and typically brings a total of 564 full-time and seasonal jobs and $2.3 million in tax revenue to the city. The Mann strives to embody Philadelphia’s diversity, working with minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses and continuing to diversify the presentations and artists on its stages. In the 2019 season, including the Roots Picnic, 58% were artists of color. The Mann also serves nearly 30,000 Philadelphia students through free music education and arts programming, with a focus on serving the neighboring Parkside community.
“The Mann is a cultural treasure for the City of Philadelphia and a destination not only for world-class music and performing arts but also for enriching educational and community engagement, especially for those who live in our neighborhood. These federal funds are critical to helping us realize our vision of continuing to elevate audience, artist, and community experiences on our beautiful Fairmount Park campus while also creating meaningful job opportunities,” said Catherine M. Cahill, President and CEO of the Mann. “We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Evans for his foresight to include the Mann in this funding bill and for his acknowledgement of the central role we play for the city as one of its leading cultural institutions.”
