Have you been following the #CAOntheScene hashtag? It's the best way to keep up with which arts & culture events our staff members are going to! Follow us at facebook.com/philaculture and @philaculture on Twitter for more Cultural Alliance staff, member and sector news.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the School District of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Water Department and local communities are banding together to transform once dilapidated schoolyards and recreation centers into beautiful outdoor, green, play spaces.

The Do-Gooder Spotlight is GroundSwell's blog post spreading the word about artists and cultural organizations working to better their communities. In this month's newsletter we are giving a shout-out to our friends at Norris Square Neighborhood Project.

Finally, summer days have returned make sure you get outside and enjoy all the beautiful outdoor spaces that Philadelphia has to offer. Whether you're looking for a park to relax and enjoy Shakespeare or want to learn more about community farming at a local garden, there is something in every neighborhood that reflects arts & culture and parks and public spaces.

Spruce Street Harbor, Dilworth Park, The Porch @ 30th Street and many others have become downtown destinations, bringing people together to enjoy open space and engage in the city. Now the designers behind these iconic spaces are working with the residents of Roxborough to build their own community hub.

If you care about the impact that arts & culture organizations and individual artists have in our communities, help us provide funding for them! In partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance administers two grant programs, and we're currently recruiting panelists.

Tomorrow is Election Day, and despite the many accolades that the Philadelphia region has received over the past several months, we face significant challenges to being a place that we can all be proud of. From the school funding crisis to the objectively high poverty rates, there are many complex problems to be solved, and we hope the people who are elected will know and understand the great tool that arts and culture can be in addressing these issues.

As people hit the streets to demand justice for Freddie Gray, art and artists are making a difference to provide healing. Art has always served as a catalyst of social change and community mobilization, and in the movement against police brutality people are using graphics, dance, and music to provide healing and make their voices heard.

GroundSwell and the Philadelphia Parks Alliance will co-host a Mayoral Forum on Arts and Parks in the Montgomery Auditorium at the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Registration begins at 5pm. Forum from 5:45-7:30pm.