City of Asylum presents over 120 FREE arts and cultural programs annually, nearly all of which are livestreamed to further expand access. In 2025, we featured more than 500 artists, actively supporting underserved creatives who regularly are not given the same opportunities to present their art elsewhere. Additionally, we operate the poet laureate program for Allegheny County, including the Youth Poet Laureate Program, which awards five teens each year with a passion for poetry and a proven history of community service and activism. Through these initiatives, City of Asylum amplifies marginalized voices, cultivates inclusive cultural engagement, and ensures that art is accessible to all members of our community.
Since our founding in 2004, City of Asylum’s exiled writers’ sanctuary program has hosted 18 writers and their families who have been displaced from their home country as a consequence of their work. During their time at City of Asylum, artists-in-residence have the opportunity to continue their education through local universities, work on their creative projects, publish their work, and assimilate into their new home. These writers also become part of our community and are given the option to curate a public program each year to promote cross-cultural learning in the greater Pittsburgh area.
To learn more about the dedicated work we have done over the last year to support our community and further access to the arts, please take a moment to review our 2025 Impact Report below.
Impact Report Photo Credits: Jason Cohn, Alexis Jabour, Maranie Rae, Renee Rosensteel, David Roth.
