Every year, the Cultural Alliance brings together hundreds of members of Greater Philadelphia's arts and culture community for an evening of shared celebration and networking. This year, join us as we shine the spotlight on the region's Creative Economy and the countless individuals who are our city's visionary heartbeat.

Dress code is creative business casual. The Annual Meeting is an 18+ event.

Tickets & Sponsorship 

• $25 for staff from any Cultural Alliance member organization. See the full list of Cultural Alliance members. 
• $50 for non-members.

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Schedule

• 5:30 p.m. | Registration, the Creative Makers Market, and silent auction opens in the West Gym
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Performances, a presentation on the state of the arts and the creative economy in Philadelphia, and honoree ceremony in the Bok Auditorium. 
• 7:30-10:00 p.m. | Party on the Bok Rooftop for networking, music, open bar, and heavy hors d'oeuvres.

Note: due to the capacity of the historic Bok building elevators, guests may experience wait times to get up to the rooftop. We invite our guests to enjoy the Creative Makers Market and silent auction on the ground floor, which will remain open until 8:30 p.m. The Annual Meeting & Arts Party will be held rain or shine but the schedule and activities may change based on weather. 

Honorees

The Changemaker Award

Omar Tate | Chef, poet, visual artist, and cofounder of Honeysuckle Projects

Omar Tate (he/him) is a chef, poet, visual artist, and cofounder of Honeysuckle Projects, a multifaceted food company that focuses on the nuanced cultures and cuisines of the Black diaspora. His work serves to engage us in deeper understanding of the contextual relationships between food, storying, emotion, and place. His integrated practices examine and imagine timetables that are simultaneously past, present, and future in the sharing of our collective human experience. He focuses on time and the context within those scopes to offer new perspectives on equitable outcomes for Black peoples in real time. Omar has emerged as a visionary and a leading thinker on the restaurant industry’s cultural development. He specifically focuses on the interrogation of race and ethnicity to tear down structural barriers through his practices. In 2020, Omar was named chef of the year and Honeysuckle named pop up of the year by Esquire Magazine . In 2021 Time Magazine named Omar as one of the 100 innovators to watch as part of their Time100Next list. Photo credit: Kevin Claiborne.

The Collaborator Award

Rachel Zimmerman | Artist, Curator, and Founding Artistic and Executive Director of InLiquid

Rachel Zimmerman is a native of Philadelphia and the Founding Artistic and Executive Director of InLiquid, a non-profit visual arts organization. InLiquid supports the careers and creative practices of over 300 working artists each year and produces over 40 public exhibitions annually in its flagship gallery at the Crane Arts Building and satellite locations across the city. Under her leadership, InLiquid has been honored with numerous awards from Philadelphia Magazine, The Culture Trip, the Arts and Business Council, and more. As an artist and curator, Zimmerman was named one of the region’s “Top 101 Emerging Connectors” and a Creative Connector by Leadership Philadelphia. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Design Philadelphia, COLLAB (part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Center For Emerging Visual Artists, and many other arts and culture organizations throughout the region. Zimmerman was also the founding co-chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of ArtTable. Additionally, Zimmerman is an artist in her own right. Her photography is in many private collections, museums, and galleries across the country and around the world. Photo credit: Phil Kramer.

The Next Award

REC | Dave Silver, Co-Founder, CEO and Will Toms, Co-Founder, Visionary 

REC, short for "Resources for Every Creative," is a groundbreaking creative agency and membership club dedicated to empowering artists and entrepreneurs. REC provides the tools, opportunities, and community support necessary for creatives to thrive. With an immersive IRL (in real life) and URL (online) experience, REC Philly ensures that creatives stay connected, inspired, and equipped to unlock their best creative selves. Since its inception, REC Philly has paid out over $3 million into the pockets of local creatives, making a tangible impact on the city's cultural and economic landscape. The visionary minds behind REC are co-founders Will Toms and Dave Silver. Will Toms, a dynamic storyteller and strategist, is dedicated to empowering creatives through access to resources and opportunities. Dave Silver, a Temple University graduate and passionate advocate for Philadelphia’s creative community, brings a wealth of experience in business development and community engagement. Together, they have transformed REC Philly into a vibrant ecosystem that fosters creativity and entrepreneurship, ensuring that the city's artists have the support they need to thrive.

Location

The Bok Building (800 Mifflin St, Philadelphia, PA 19148). Street parking is challenging near the Bok Building so we recommend using rideshare, public transportation, walking, or biking. Find more information about getting there on Bok's website. For Uber and Lyft, enter the address 800 Mifflin Street.  

Creative Makers Market and silent auction

This year's event is a celebration of the region's creative economy and the countless entrepreneurs and small businesses who are our city's visionary heartbeat. You can directly support the creative economy by shopping the Creative Makers Market at the Annual Meeting & Arts Party. 

Vendors will include THECOLORG, ArtesinA, Mad Dog Studio, Unique Arm Candy, Soul Therapy Creations, and many others. 

The silent auction will include items from the Wilma Theater, Esperanza Arts Center, Glen Foerd, Carpenters' Hall, and more!

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Longwood Gardens
Tolsma Productions

Gold Sponsors 

Payroll Services Solutions
PNC Bank
TD Bank

Silver Sponsors

PA Humanities
The Victory Foundation
Visit Philadelphia 

Supporters

Bellevue Strategies
Ensemble Arts Philly
Esperanza Arts Center
Express Employment Professionals
InLiquid
Joseph Manko
Signature 57
Your Part-Time Controller

Thank you to our In-Kind Sponsors 

Bluecoat Gin
Bok
White Horse Winery

See more from previous year's Annual Meetings

Artwork for the 2024 Annual Meeting & Arts Party was designed by Justine Kelley.