2026 Annual Meeting and Arts Party

Join the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for its 2026 Annual Meeting & Arts Party—a night of community and celebration!

We are thrilled to invite you to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Annual Meeting & Arts Party. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at Independence Seaport Museum.

This year’s theme, “Anchoring Histories, Navigating Futures,” celebrates the enduring impact and strength of Greater Philadelphia’s arts, culture, humanities, and heritage sectors during the historic America 250 commemoration while charting a course toward resilience and opportunity beyond 2026.

Our Annual Meeting & Arts Party is the region’s signature gathering of artists, cultural leaders, creative entrepreneurs, advocates, and supporters who shape the region’s vibrant arts and culture community. Blending inspiration, celebration, and connection, the event brings together hundreds of attendees for an evening of meaningful conversation, live performances, and shared vision for the future of the creative sector.

More than a traditional annual meeting, our Annual Meeting & Arts Party highlights the power of culture to strengthen communities, fuel economic vitality, and inspire civic life across the region. Guests hear updates on the Cultural Alliance’s advocacy and broader initiatives, and celebrate the creativity and resilience that define Philadelphia’s cultural landscape.

Designed to foster collaboration and spark new ideas, the evening features performances, food and drinks from 12th Street Catering, networking opportunities, and an energetic atmosphere that reflects the spirit of the region’s artistic community. Whether reconnecting with longtime colleagues or building new partnerships, attendees leave inspired by the collective impact and future possibilities of arts and culture in Greater Philadelphia.

Tickets:

• GPCA Members: $30
• Non-Members: $60

Performances by:

Germaine Ingram will perform “Body Move,” an excerpt from Dinner with Dinah created by Trapeta B. Mayson.

&

Laurin Talese with Corey Bernhard

Germaine Ingram is a jazz tap dancer, choreographer, song writer, and vocal/dance improviser. Her work channels styles and traditions she learned from and performed with legendary Philadelphia hoofer LaVaughn Robinson (1927-2008), her teacher, mentor, and performance partner for more than 25 years. 

Dinner with Dinah is an immersive dinner and performance created, written, and co-directed by Trapeta B. Mayson, and co-directed by Yolanda Wisher, unfolding on the grounds of Stenton Mansion in Germantown. The work centers Dinah, an African-descended woman who was enslaved at Stenton in the 18th century. Long known through fragments of archival record and oral tradition, Dinah is reimagined here as a fully dimensional woman—mother, grandmother, laborer, beloved, and ancestor.

Laurin Talese writes jazz compositions that hold still long enough to witness a life. She treats the voice as a documentary instrument, intimate, unhurried, concerned with the stories that change what we think we know about each other. Her theatrical debut as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at Philadelphia Theatre Company, later reprised at Geva Theatre Center, drew critical acclaim. A Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner and US Arts Envoy in the lineage of Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, Talese serves as Board Chair of Jazz Philadelphia and Board Governor of the Recording Academy’s Philadelphia Chapter.

Corey Bernhard is a musician, composer, and producer. Hailed by Okayplayer as a “pillar of the Philadelphia music scene,” Corey Bernhard is a dynamic keyboardist, composer, and producer whose career spans jazz, hip-hop, pop, and experimental music. A former keyboardist for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Bernhard has toured and performed with artists including Snarky Puppy, Pusha T, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, and Thundercat, while writing and producing for Philadelphia legends Bilal and DJ Jazzy Jeff. His solo releases include Fools Pirouette (2022) and A Blessed Leap Into Eternity (2025).

Sounds by:

DJ lil’ dave

DJ lil’dave (David Adams) is a Philadelphia-based DJ, producer, composer, and radio host known for his eclectic fusion of soul, hip-hop, house, broken beat, funk, and rare groove.

Event Schedule:

6:00-6:30PM | Registration

6:30-7:15PM | Performances and presentation in the Theater/ Concert Hall

7:15-10:00PM | Arts Party in the Main Level Museum/ Ballroom with networking, music, wine and beer, and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Dress code is Creative Business Casual.

The Annual Meeting & Arts Party is an 21+ event.

Don’t miss out on the largest annual gathering of Greater Philadelphia’s creative sector—get your tickets today!

Please add all names and emails of all guests after ticket purchases for inclusion in the event!

For details on traveling to the museum and accessibility, please visit here (opens in new tab).

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S SPONSORS!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE!

Your Annual Meeting sponsorship will provide crucial support for the region’s arts and cultural future, with visibility for your brand to our 400+ attendees. Interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities? See our sponsorship deck here and contact development@philaculture.org for more inquiries.