CultureWire | October 2024

The Clay Studio, a Cultural Alliance member organization, is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year! The Clay Studio inspires curiosity and discovery around the art and craft of clay, drawing together students, artists, and an engaged public into a welcoming community. Learn more. Photo by Sam Oberter.

Arts & Culture in the News 

• The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage just awarded 39 grants totaling more than $10 million, with nearly all grants going to Cultural Alliance members! Learn more about the 2024 grantees.  
• How can a city known for its history help to preserve Black heritage historical sites? Valerie Russ reports on a gathering of leaders from the Marian Anderson House, the Paul Robeson House, and the Tanner House organized by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. Read more in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 
• Philly’s Weitzman Jewish museum continues its path to the Smithsonian, Peter Crimmins reports for WHYY.
• Philadelphia Soccer 2026 invites Pennsylvania residents to enter the FIFA World Cup 26 Philadelphia poster contest. Showcase your art, celebrate PA’s soccer spirit, and compete to be selected as the official Philadelphia Host City poster. Learn more.  
   

Updates from the Cultural Alliance

The Annual Meeting & Arts Party is just two weeks away! Join us on Tuesday, October 15 at the Bok Building in South Philadelphia for the cultural sector's biggest networking event of the year. This year, we are proud to honor Omar Tate with the Changemaker Award, Rachel Zimmerman with the Collaborator Award, and REC with the Next Award. Get your tickets now!

Event schedule:

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

The Cultural Alliance is proud to announce that Gerald Veasley, President of Jazz Philadelphia, has been named as our new Board Chair. Additionally, join us in welcoming six new members of our Board: Leigh Goldenberg from the The Wilma Theater, Ross Mitchell from Glen Foerd, Michael Norris from Carpenters' Hall, Zabeth Teelucksingh from Global Philadelphia, Leslie Walker from the Sixers Youth Foundation, and Cathy Young from Moore College of Art & Design. Read more. 

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is proud to host Cultural Dynamics: Co-Creating a Vision for Philadelphia, a groundbreaking convening featuring Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, Chair, National Endowment for the Arts on November 19. Cultural Dynamics will unite artists, nonprofit leaders, funders, and elected officials to explore strategies that integrate arts and culture into transformative civic decision-making. We invite the public to join us for a livestream of this important conversation and a series of community-based meetings that will follow. Register for the livestream.

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Arts & Culture by the Numbers

The latest Arts, Culture & Economic Prosperity study reports that arts and culture are a great return on investment. Beyond creating jobs, drawing tourism, and generating income for Greater Philadelphia businesses and communities, they also generate $429 million in local, state, and federal taxes. While nonprofit organizations are exempt from many federal and state taxes, they still generate tax revenue in many ways. Like all employers, they pay payroll taxes (e.g., Social Security, Medicare) and their employees pay income taxes on their earnings. In addition, other local businesses are likely to pay taxes on goods they sell and services they provide to nonprofits. Read the full report on our website. 

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.

• Assistant Director of Academic Support Services at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, PA

• Guitar Teaching Artist and Visual Arts Teaching Artist at Darlington Arts Center in Garnet Valley, PA

• Percussion Teaching Artist at Play On Philly in Philadelphia, PA

• Director of Education and Engagement at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton Township, NJ

• Staff Accountant at Fairmount Park Conservancy in Philadelphia, PA

• Associate Director of Workforce Development and Associate Director, Facilities & Maintenance at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. in Philadelphia, PA

• Editorial and Communications Assistant at InLiquid in Philadelphia, PA 

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.

Partner Messages

All Cultural Alliance members are invited to join the Committee of Seventy’s WeVote Program, an opportunity to drive voter participation and civic engagement, and provide information to ensure every eligible individual is prepared to vote in November’s election and for years to come. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has promoted, supported and facilitated government ethics and election integrity for more than a century, Committee of Seventy resources and educational programs support the diverse needs of Arts and Culture organizations. Learn more.