Poe Baltimore, with the support of La Cite Development, announced a $300,000 investment from Wells Fargo to be used over the next three years to support the Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards.
Poe Baltimore is a nonprofit organization that funds and maintains The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, celebrating the legacy of one of Baltimore’s most famous residents. Thousands of visitors come from around the world every year.
The 6th Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival will take place on October 7 & 8, 2023. The funds from Wells Fargo will assist Poe Baltimore in “expanding educational components and providing the festival with additional ways in which to partner with the community to promote art, culture, and literacy,” according to the press announcement.
The commitment of $300,000 over a three-year period, however, will help keep the festival a free community event and premier tourist destination for Poe-lovers from all over the world for the next three years.
“Wells Fargo’s investment to the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival helps to support and maintain an important institution that not only continues Poe’s legacy, it also promotes the significance of education, the arts, and literature. This is a great opportunity for Well Fargo to contribute to the preservation of a literacy heritage for future generations to appreciate and celebrate,” said Traci N. Horne, Wells Fargo Vice President and Senior Social Impact and Sustainability Specialist. “We believe this is an opportunity for Wells Fargo to help bring excitement and legendary entertainment to a city we have supported over the years. Baltimore has been a city where Wells Fargo has been a pillar for many local nonprofit organizations and now the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival can be a part of our legacy that reflects positive impact for our communities.”
Dan Blythewood is La Cite Development’s president, and proud to be working with the City and Poe Baltimore to help bolster the festival’s longevity.
“We are extremely honored to work with the City of Baltimore, Poe Baltimore, and our local partners to help implement our shared vision of making communities stronger and more prosperous,” said Bythewood. “Equally so, we are thrilled to have worked closely with Wells Fargo in securing this substantial commitment and look forward to continuing our efforts to building a broader, more inclusive neighborhood.”
Enrica Jang, executive director for Poe Baltimore considers this level of funding “transformative.”
“We are extremely grateful for Wells Fargo’s investment in our vision to highlight Baltimore history, gothic literature and art, as well as educational programming,” said Jang.
