Sponsor Spotlight with Andrea Reid, Vice President, Corporate Events Manager, for Provident Bank
By Caroline Bischof, Sponsorship Coordinator
Provident Bank has been a partner of ArtsQuest since 2015. In that time, Provident Bank supported Musikfest as the title sponsor of Main Street and, since 2021, the presenting sponsor of Main Street Marketplace which promotes shopping on Main Street businesses during Musikfest. In addition to Musikfest, they have sponsoredYouth Programming, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks,and the SteelStacks Ice Rink. In 2024, they were the recipient of the Marcincin Award, which recognizes ArtsQuest partners that have played integral roles in helping Musikfest continue to grow over the years while remaining free for all to enjoy. Now, with the construction of the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL, our programming is expanding and going back into the community, with classes being held at our partners’ locations. With the community being so involved, we are excited to chat with Andrea Reid, Vice President, Corporate Events Manager, about the importance of supporting these community programs.
Q:Being from the Lehigh Valley and attending ArtsQuest events, like Musikfest, what does it mean to be working for Provident Bank, who has been a partner for 10 years now? How have you seen the partnership grow through that time?
A: As a lifelong local, it was an honor to be here to introduce Provident Bank to the Lehigh Valley when they entered the market in 2014! It was like connecting two friends with common interests; I knew both organizations would learn and gain from each other. We opened doors as Provident in the Valley in June 2014, with Musikfest right around the corner, so we seized the opportunity (literally hung our banner across Main Street) to welcome Lehigh Valley residents with an introduction to our brand. And in that 10+ years we have continued to support and engage the community via the ArtsQuest lineup of programming – including virtually in 2020.
Q: AQ hosts Teen Takeover, Toddler Storytime, ArtSmart, and other youth art and education programs. Why is it important for the community to have access to these types of programs? Why is it important for Provident Bank to support these types of initiatives?
A: The hallmark of our brand is Commitment. And that starts with community. I am a proud product of the Bethlehem Area School District (Go Freedom Patriots!) and now employed in a creative position. These promising writers, performers, and makers developing in our area schools are going to be the employees that region companies will be hiring down the road. But first, a community needs to support access to this educational programming across its footprint, and the earlier the introduction of the arts to our youth can begin, the better. And that is where partners like us come into play!
Q: How does Provident Bank see the impact of creative expression on the development of young people in the community? Were there any particular creative experiences or moments that stand out to you during your childhood or teenage years?
A: There are undeniable benefits of creative expression, especially in 2025 – it’s unifying, inclusive, productive, healing – the list goes on. And isn’t that ultimately how we want our workplaces to function, our schools to function, our communities to function? I was reared on the arts as a child in Bethlehem – through dance, through weekends spent at Chapter One bookstore on 191, through the inspiring educators in BASD (if you were at Freedom during the Jen Wescoe era of the FHS Theatre Company, you know!) and exposure to just an exceptional roster of arts “influencers” before that was even a term. Jody Miller’s lights-out classroom read of The Crucible; his using lyrics of a chart-topper at the time, The Corrs’ “Leave Me Breathless”, as a metaphor for the relationship between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter – these memories live rent-free in my mind…even 20 years later!
Q: What can being a sponsor of youth programs and education do for the community?
A: Our ongoing commitment to numerous Valley youth programs – whether supporting the arts through ArtSmart and the Freddy Awards, or growing youth sports opportunities through IronPigs and Phantoms Charities – the collective focus is to remove barriers to participate. Sponsors and partners help to level the playing field, even the stage, and fill everyone’s palette. These programs produce cultured, educated, and motivated individuals who go on to succeed in their chosen fields, and hopefully end up sharing that back in the Valley and teaching or sponsoring for the next generation! It’s a very productive and uplifting cycle to manifest! It also creates a very extensive network of mutually beneficial relationships for the participants. We connect with our customers and other partners through this very impact. A few years ago, we “treated” (emphasis on treat!) an ArtSmart class to a candy making lesson with Chocolate Works, a customer of the bank, as part of the annual Volunteer Challenge. We supported each other as bank and business, while also churning out a fun night of learning for the ArtSmart Wonkas-in-training! To me, that is the best thing about living in the Lehigh Valley: relationships are grown at every turn.
Q: The ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL will have expanded capacity for classes, camps, artist studios, and year-round free programs and events. What are you excited about with the new Creative Factory powered by PPL?
A: It’s no different than a gym providing a space for athletes to train and compete – the Creative Factory will be its own arena for the ArtsQuest Arts-letes! We all watched our local heroes win the Superbowl; what successful Tony Award winner or museum curator will the Creative Factory produce? Everyone needs to have a space where they feel seen, worthy and capable; first and foremost, our youth. Thousands of kids in our area will choose clay over cleats, or stage over stadium, and the Creative Factory will provide that space. I am proud that, historically, the Lehigh Valley has been supportive of growing the arts in youth, alongside the strong focus athletics – but today’s emphasis on nurturing arts in education is profound. I am tremendously excited for “curtain up” at the Creative Factory!
