September 2025

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The Colored Girls Museum Celebrates 10 Years

This September marks the 10th anniversary of The Colored Girls Museum, the first and only museum dedicated to the art, artifacts, and stories of girls and women of the African Diaspora. Founded in 2015 in a 140-year-old Germantown home, it was created to honor the “ordinary” colored girl—whose ingenuity shapes our world, yet whose stories too often go untold. The Cultural Alliance is proud to celebrate this milestone and count The Colored Girls Museum among our members. We encourage you to visit and experience this extraordinary institution! 

If you haven’t already, join or renew your membership with the Cultural Alliance to help us continue uplifting Philadelphia’s vibrant arts and cultural community. Become A Member Today.

Arts & Culture in the News 

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Join us on Tuesday, October 14 at the Academy of Natural Sciences for the largest annual gathering of Greater Philadelphia’s arts and culture community. This year’s theme—Standing Together: Arts and Culture in Solidarity—celebrates the resilience, power, and unity of our sector.

Every year, the Cultural Alliance’s Annual Meeting & Arts Party is the night when hundreds of artists, cultural leaders, creative entrepreneurs, and supporters from across the region come together to celebrate, collaborate, and look ahead. You’ll hear updates on our advocacy and other initiatives that are crucial to the vitality of our sector. Get a sneak peek at what’s next, and enjoy regionally inspired food and drinks from 12th Street Catering while mingling with friends old and new.

Tickets: $25 for staff from any Cultural Alliance member organization. | $50 for non-members
Don’t miss this unforgettable evening—get your tickets today!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE! Your Annual Meeting sponsorship will provide crucial support for the region’s arts and cultural future, with visibility for your brand to our 400+ attendees. Interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities? Contact Shaina Cash at shainac@philaculture.org. 

Updates from the Cultural Alliance

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The Cultural Alliance is profoundly grateful to the William Penn Foundation for its generous grant and for modeling courageous leadership at a critical moment. As unjust policies destabilize nonprofits and threaten our region’s cultural vitality, this support will strengthen our advocacy, communications, and policy work—ensuring the arts remain a vital driver of education, jobs, economic impact and community well-being. We are proud to stand with our peers to advance equity, opportunity, and resilience across Greater Philadelphia. See the full statement here.

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The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance released its latest report, “A Look at Theater-Going Habits in Greater Philadelphia.” The comprehensive report, advised by a group of advisory members from 10 theaters across the region, examines the opinions and views of current theater attendees, as well as the arts-going habits of the general public. The report also offers actionable insights and recommendations for theaters, civic leaders, government agencies, and funders to ensure live theater remains vital, accessible, and welcoming to all. Learn more about the report.

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This year’s Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) wrapped up on August 15 at the Suzanne Roberts Theater, where students from across Philadelphia presented reflections on their summer experiences. A total of 95 interns successfully completed the program, working at 48 host sites throughout the city. These included longtime partners such as the Fabric Workshop and Museum, Fleisher Art Memorial, InLiquid, as well as new additions like the Philadelphia Zoo. We’re also thrilled to share that 45 interns will continue on with the Bloomberg Arts Internship School Year (BAISY) program. Their growth, creativity, and talent inspire us, and we look forward to seeing the impact they’ll continue to make. Visit our website for more information on the Bloomberg Arts Internship. 

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On August 21, we hosted our latest Member Mixer at ICA Philadelphia. More than 40 guests joined us to network, enjoy light fare from Miles Table Catering, and sip wine while learning about the Cultural Alliance’s membership offerings. Stay tuned—announcements for upcoming Member Mixers are coming soon! If you are interested in becoming a member in order to attend future events, please click here.

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Applications for the PA Creative Sector Flex Fund Is Now Open. From now until October 17, applications will open for the 2025-2026 Creative Sector Flex Fund. This $5,000 grant provides support to eligible organizations that provide consistent (at least two years) artistic programming and/or arts services in Pennsylvania. This grant is funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the application period is September 8 – October 17, 2025, with a grant period of January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.  An upcoming information session is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16 10AM – 11AM – Sign up Here! This information session will be held on Zoom.

Photo courtesy of the Mexican Cultural Center, a 2024-2025 Flex Fund awardee. 

ADVERTISEMENT

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Don’t forget we offer our members great pricing on our available marketing products. Our monthly CultureWire newsletter has over 5,000 subscribers and our Job Bank gets over 70,000 pageviews per month, so what are you waiting for? This fall, use Cultural Alliance marketing products to promote your upcoming show, program, event or just to remind the sector of who you are. For more information on how you can utilize our Marketing Services and Advertising Options, please visit or reach out to madelinea@philaculture.org.

By the Numbers

From our latest report, A Look at Theater-Going Habits in Greater Philadelphia, we uncovered valuable insights into how audiences discover arts and cultural events in the region. Among respondents who participated in arts and culture activities in the past year, 72% said they learned about events through social media. Friends and family were also key sources (50%), followed by newsletters from arts and culture organizations (41%). Gen Z and Millennial respondents relied on social media even more heavily, with 85% citing it as their primary way of finding events. See the full report online. 

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Job Bank

The Cultural Alliance’s Job Bank is Greater Philadelphia’s top resource for job opportunities in arts and culture. You’ll find positions at all professional levels in museums, theaters, historic sites, art galleries, dance studios, community centers, and much more. Keep reading for the most recent listings from Member organizations.

  • Director of Communications and Brand Management at Mural Arts Philadelphia

  • Marketing Coordinator at the Association of the Colonial Theatre

  • Director of Finance and Administration for People’s Light

  • Production Management Apprentice at the Walnut Street Theatre

  • Theater Production Technician at Montgomery County Community College  

  • Director of Marketing and Communications and Content & Interpretation Assistant for the National Liberty Museum 

  • Admissions Coordinator at Temple University, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts

SEE MORE ON THE JOB BANK
 

Want to connect to candidates? The Cultural Alliance’s Job Bank has 60,000+ views each month. Job listings are free for Cultural Alliance Members and start at just $95 for non-Members. Learn more.

 

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