Walking into the Leeway Foundation’s new exhibit RELEASE, it’s hard not to notice that you are surrounded by faces. From the large paintings of artist Mary DeWitt to the campaign ephemera curated by Mariame Kaba and Rachel Caidor, the show’s project is clear: to bring women and trans* peoples’ narratives of incarceration and state-sponsored violence out of the shadows.

March is National Women’s History Month and to celebrate, GroundSwell will be honoring the many women doing tremendous work in the cultural sector. Each week we will interview a woman who has dedicated her life to the arts in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Feel free to share your stories with us or tell us about someone who is changing the landscape of arts in the city!

In anticipation of Next City’s event “Collectivity in the City” on March 16th, we’re highlighting the amazing art-as-social practice work of Amber Art and Design.

It may be bitterly cold, but the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s announcement of the Performances in Public Spaces program this week was an early sign that spring is indeed on its way! The inaugural grantees for this exciting new program Recipients will receive funds to cover all costs associated with presenting performances in select parks and plazas across the city. Grantees include: Rock to the Future, Ars Nova Workshop at Bartram’s Garden, and Philadelphia Folksong Society at Saunders Park.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our #ArtsGrowthChat! We covered a lot of ground over a variety of the issues and questions raised by the latest research report from the William Penn Foundation (Capitalization, Scale, and Investment: Does Growth Equal Gain?) and our own 2014 Portfolio report, and we'll definitely be thinking of ways that we can keep the discussions and discovery going offline.

From a rec center in North Philly to a shopping mall in Kazakhstan to a track field in Paris, the ten-minute Sundance-commissioned short film “The World Is As Big or As Small As You Make It” has made the local teen organization Do Remember Me the subject of national internet hype.

On Tuesday, March 24, advocates from across the country will descend on Washington, DC, for National Arts Advocacy Day. If you can’t make the trip, GroundSwell and the Artistic Rebuttal Project are hosting the Second Annual Go Forth by Phone at the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (City Hall, Room 116) from 12:00-2:00pm.

This year, Chester will see a new community-driven development project hit the ground running. Chester Made, a partnership of city planners, anchor institutions and nonprofit organizations, hopes to reinvigorate civic life in Chester through developing its arts and culture sector. They plan on attracting investment to a mile-long corridor in the heart of the city to be developed as an arts district.

Liberty Property Trust is seeking new artists to exhibit in its art gallery at Comcast Center, Art at the Center.

On Wednesday, February 4, Philly.com published an opinion piece by Robert W. Patterson critiquing Philadelphia's investment in the arts and culture sector. Today, we are pleased to report that they have published a short response from our President, Maud Lyon--but, we had more to say. Read below for Maud's full response to the issues brought forth in Mr. Patterson's article, and let us know your thoughts on Twitter @philaculture.