by Community Foundation of Fayette County | May 15, 2026 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Tucked away in the beautiful scenery of the Laurel Highlands, Touchstone Center for Crafts offers arts programming that draws people from near and far. To help strengthen their capacity, with technology equipment and staff expansion, they have been awarded grants from the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund at the Community Foundation of Fayette County.
Touchstone’s mission is to advance excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression. The nonprofit offers a variety of programs for people of all experience levels, with opportunities customized for youth, arts educators, veterans, and resident artists. Those who visit their campus for workshops can learn blacksmithing, ceramics, jewelry-making, and more.
Throughout daily operations, staff was facing challenges with their outdated phone system, describing it as cumbersome and inefficient. Implementing a new phone system, with grant funding, has had a positive effect.
“It is important for employees of our organization to be able to conduct business seamlessly, whether they are working remotely or in our offices. Support from a CFFC grant allowed us to move from an outdated phone system to a more responsive and flexible platform that works from our computers and phones,” said Lindsay Ketterer Gates, Executive Director.
Touchstone also received funding to support their staff expansion and the computer equipment needed for new team members. Lindsay explained the impact of hiring strong talent to enhance the organization’s mission: “We’ve strengthened our fundraising capacity, expanded our programming season, and increased off-season visibility.”
CFFC is happy to support Touchstone’s capacity to inspire, teach, and serve the community.
Photos courtesy of Touchstone Center for Crafts
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jul 2, 2019 | Building a Stronger Fayette
The word “crafts” may bring to mind a childlike image of popsicle sticks, yarn, and glitter, but the “crafts” at Touchstone Center for Crafts refer to the skilled practices of making things by hand. The 150-acre woodsy campus has studios that house activities with ceramics, glasswork, painting and drawing, blacksmithing, and metals and jewelry. To support opportunities for local educators to attend workshops that teach them about the crafts and inspire new ideas for the classroom, the CFFC awarded Touchstone a grant for Fayette County Educators’ Retreat Scholarships.
Touchstone awarded ten scholarships with the CFFC grant. “We are hoping to build up this community of educators by helping them network, building their skills, and having them take it back to the community,” said Lindsay Gates, Executive Director.
The new Educators’ Retreat and teacher scholarship program provide opportunities for educators to receive ACT 48 Credits and tap into their creativity. “We designed the Educators’ Retreat around the feedback from educators who we have worked with in the past, often as chaperones during Teen Week. They continued to come back to Touchstone to help because they liked the networking with other teachers and the exposure to the different workshops,” explained Gates.
She noted, “The more resources we can provide, the better.” The workshops will encourage educators to get into a creative headspace that will then enrich their teaching, as well as connect them with resources and artists who can suggest or collaborate future activities.
Touchstone also has Teen Week, “date nights,” pop-up events, gallery exhibitions, artists residencies and internships, and symposiums, for artists from beginner level up to professional. Dean Simpson, Marketing Manager, noted that the instructors teach participants at a level where the participants take ownership of their work and have a takeaway creation. “We want to share that Touchstone is accessible and open to the public. That involves getting people here and also getting us out in the community,” said Stephanie Glover, Development Coordinator.
To learn more about Touchstone Center for Crafts and their mission “to advance excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression,” visit their website.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Mar 18, 2019 | Building a Stronger Fayette
The Community Foundation of Fayette County and the Chevron Community Fund awarded the State Theatre grants in spring 2018 to support Summer at the State. Over 3,000 people experienced the magic of Tinkerbell and the sound of 76 trombones at the productions of “Peter Pan” and “The Music Man.”
Since 1989 the State Theatre, and the overarching Greater Uniontown Heritage Consortium, has encouraged tourism and economic development of Fayette County and the surrounding areas through artistic enrichment. Summer at the State provides an opportunity for Western Pennsylvania residents to experience live, professional-level theatre performances at an affordable cost.
Erica Miller, Executive Director of the State Theatre, says, “The arts have always been an important means to express ideas, to build common ground, and to cultivate appreciation for the human condition. Our great hope is that through these productions, we can culturally benefit our community and its individuals.”
In addition to providing entertainment for the audience members, Summer at the State provides opportunities for local actors, musicians, volunteers and crew members to participate. The State Theatre specifically chooses productions that have large casts and popular titles to draw interest and encourage a high level of community involvement.
Summer at the State also hosted two educational summer camps for the first time in 2018, each a week long, to teach and inspire children about the performing arts. John Wagner III, Founder & Artistic Director of Summer at the State, hosts Musical Theatre Labs in months leading up to Summer at the State to encourage people to learn about the arts and feel more comfortable getting involved. The State Theatre provides a variety of opportunities for people to learn, enjoy and showcase the arts in a beautiful venue.
Visit statetheatre.info to learn more about the State Theatre and their upcoming shows.
Photos, in order, from productions of Peter Pan, The Music Man, Annie, Gyspy Act and Chicago. All photos were provided by the State Theatre Center for the Arts.