Altoona is on the verge of a Renaissance! This is the vision of Arts Altoona and the Altoona Renaissance Team, whose mission is to develop and implement strategies that will increase the economic vitality of downtown Altoona; strengthen the city’s role as a center of education, cultural, and social activity; and enhance Altoona’s reputation as an exciting place to live and visit by marketing the city’s unique history, cultural assets, and recreational opportunities.
The Altoona Renaissance Team’s most important role is to create and implement big ideas for Altoona. Based on research conducted in cities throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and along the eastern seaboard, utilizing best practices for using the arts as an economic driving force to transform Altoona from a typical rust belt city to a brain belt city. Core focus areas for the Altoona Renaissance Team and their citywide partners are: education, culture, and quality of life.