Hoyt Arts Center

10/22/2026

Something strange is happening inside the Hoyt Period House... 👀

We'll giving you a sneak peek... but we're not giving away the stories just yet.

Take a close look at these photos. What do you think is happening here? And more importantly...would you dare step inside?

The first Scary Tales Tour begins in just THREE HOURS! 🔦

Tell us your theories in the comments. We won't spoil the ending.

10/21/2026

Scary Tales starts tomorrow!
Get Your tickets before they are gone!

10/21/2026

Are you ready for the next step in your creative enterprise? Need a little boost to do more with your creative service or product? Check out the Creative Accelerator grant from the PA Pennsylvania Creative Industries!

NOW OPEN! 🎉 Applications for the 2026–2027 Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (CEA) program are now available on the newly launched Keystone Creatives website. 💻

Pennsylvania Creative Industries, powered by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is proud to collaborate with Bridgeway Capital, administrator of the CEA grant program — which offers business development services and financial support to grow your for-profit creative business in ways that positively impact communities.

Pennsylvania creative entrepreneurs can apply for up to $4,000 (Growth Grant) or up to $17,000 (Impact Grant) — plus access to a network, trainings, and resources. Impact Grant recipients also receive one-on-one business coaching.

APPLY NOW through December 31, 2026. Funding is limited and competitive!

Learn more and apply at keystonecreatives.org. 🎨

10/19/2026

Scary Tales starts Thursday! Do you have your tickets yet?

10/17/2026

Made at the Hoyt. Shared with the community!

Something new is taking shape at the Hoyt, and our students are the stars of the show!

We're launching our very first Student Showcase, turning our walls, shelves, and public spaces into a rotating display of artwork created right here in our classrooms.

🖌️ Taking a class? Pick a piece or two you'd love to share! Whether it's your proudest creation, your biggest challenge, or something you simply had fun making, we want to show it off!

✨ Just love looking at art? Our first Student Showcase debuts at the Holiday Open House on November 22, with new student creations appearing throughout the year.

Because creativity deserves to be shared!

10/15/2026

Dinner is nice. But have you ever made art together?
Grab your favorite person and trade your usual night out for something a little more creative. Learn something new, laugh at the imperfect parts, and leave with something you actually made yourself.
Who would you bring? Tag your creative partner below. 👇

10/14/2026

Meet the artist behind Realistic Reflections. 🎨

For more than 30 years, Jocelyn Beatty has been part of the Hoyt — not only exhibiting her own work, but sharing her knowledge with generations of watercolor students. Known for her richly colored paintings of wildlife, landscapes and flowers, Jocelyn combines careful observation and precise detail with a vibrant palette that brings the natural world to life. See her work up close in Realistic Reflections, on view in the Main Galleries through November 5.

10/14/2026

What’s right about our community? Help us put it on the map.

Hoyt Arts Center is leading an effort to establish a Creative District in downtown New Castle through a new PA Creative Industries initiative—and your perspective can help shape it.

The proposed district would stretch from the Hoyt to the New Castle Playhouse, connecting creative businesses, cultural organizations, artists, and local traditions along the way.

We’re starting with the strengths already here. What places bring us together? Whose talents deserve more attention? What stories, events, businesses, or traditions make this community special?

Artists and creative businesses: tell us about yourselves! Painters, potters, tattoo artists, comic book shops, videographers, graphic designers, and other creatives all belong in this conversation.

Take our five-minute survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKGivBtTh97ozFpgq8LLqd_SD_7ffmCUXVD5o5lGDs0KC9DQ/viewform?usp=header
There are no wrong answers. Share what you love, what you notice, and what you hope more people will discover. Then pass the survey along!

Hoyt Arts Center is working with the creative community to identify the people, places, and things that make our community special and help shape a creative district in downtown New Castle. We invite people from all walks of life to share what they notice, value, experience, and love about New Castl...

10/13/2026

Five original stories.

Five immersive scenes.

One house after dark.

And a flashlight to lead the way.

Come early or stay after your tour on Friday and Saturday for Franks & Steins, other refreshments and time to explore the galleries.

10/13/2026

✍️ CALLING ALL STORYTELLERS! Do you have a scary tale to tell? 👻

The Hoyt is looking for original, spine-tingling stories to bring to life during our 2027 Scary Tales Tours!

Imagine your story unfolding inside the historic Alex Crawford Hoyt Period House, where rooms are transformed into eerie scenes complete with sights, sounds, and surprises that bring your words off the page!

Whether you're an emerging writer or a seasoned storyteller, we want to hear from you!

🖋️ Here's the scoop:

Open to teens and adults

Stories must be inspired by a room in the Period House

Maximum 1,500 words

FREE to enter!

Five winning writers will each receive $200, and their stories will be featured during the 2027 tours!

📅 Submission Deadline: December 1, 2026

Ready to give us goosebumps? Learn more about the competition, explore the rooms, and submit your story on our website.