Lewistown is a small steel mill town located in rural central Pennsylvania. Over recent years the area has developed serious economic problems due to factory closings, a mediocre education system, and low paying jobs. Although Lewistown is a small conservative town, it is plagued by drug problems including an epidemic of heroin related crimes, deaths, and arrests. There is a sizable segment of the population that is infected by a sense of nihilism in Lewistown. The economic prospects for creating a better life hold little hope. Many people feel disenfranchised and isolated from the outside world. The town offers a lot of support for young people who hold a conservative Judeo/Christian view, and there is a lot of support for sports in the area, but there is almost no support for any kind of arts. The local media is usually very corporate and conservative, and only reflects the most mainstream outlook. The result of this is that the town has no diversity of culture or ideas. There is much prejudice, racism, religious intolerance, and a real mistrust of new ideas or anything outside the norm. For those who hold diverse views life in the area can be frustrating. Most feel that they have no place in the community and tend to suffer from self-esteem issues. Due to this many talented people never fulfill their potential and in some cases self-destruct. Those that hold divergent views are generally considered deviants, Satanists, or politically subversive. In time people began to believe these things about themselves. One of our goals is to use arts to help bring diversity, new ideas, and tolerance to the community. We also feel there is a true need to give local artists a creative outlet and a voice within the community. Art has a value no only because it provides a creative outlet to the individual artists, but also because arts are a forum for discussion, debate, new ideas, and for bringing understanding about diverse cultures and beliefs.