CultureWire

We Are the Seeds of CultureTrust is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices through the arts. The organization was founded by a team of Indigenous women who are dedicated to honoring Native arts and cultures as a means to understanding Indigenous peoples, the history of (what is now called) the United States, and who we all are as American people today. We Are the Seeds produces cultural events that feature Indigenous fine art, music, dance, fashion, literary, and culinary art. Additionally, Seeds hosts interactive art programs that focus on educating and empowering the youth.

One might think that remaining closed during the pandemic would mean quiet months. But for the team at Please Touch Museum (PTM), it’s been exactly the opposite. There is a ton of action behind-the-scenes as its team works to “Create the Future of Play” for the children of Philadelphia and beyond. With an eye toward reopening in 2021, PTM is reimagining much of its lower level in historic Memorial Hall with a new gallery, a forthcoming Makerspace and a total reinvention of its most beloved exhibit, The Market.  Read about just a few of the exciting projects that families can look forward to in 2021.  

This summer, the Cultural Alliance has continued to follow through on our recommitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work made in our Arts & Culture for Racial Justice statement in early June. On July 13 and 27, the Cultural Alliance hosted two happy hour events for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) members of the arts and culture community in Greater Philadelphia. In August, we facilitated an Anti-Racism Conversation for White Arts Administrators to begin the individual and internal work required to dismantle systemic racism in our sector.

This summer, for the sixth year, the Cultural Alliance paired 30 incredible Philadelphia high school students with member organizations across the city for a Bloomberg Arts Internship program like none other. Using tools like Zoom, Slack, and a social networking platform called Open Social, interns participated in dozens of hours of professional development, college readiness, and cultural immersion activities.