Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Celebration will spotlight Philadelphia’s creative economy by honoring Rachel Zimmerman of InLiquid, Omar Tate of Honeysuckle, and REC

Philadelphia (August 26, 2024) - The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (“Cultural Alliance”) will host its Annual Meeting and Arts Party on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at The Bok Building. The Cultural Alliance brings together more than 300 guests each year to celebrate the Philadelphia region’s robust arts and culture community. The theme of this year’s event, Celebrating Philadelphia’s Creative Economy, will highlight the creative sector’s contribution to Philadelphia’s vibrant economy and will honor innovative artists and visionary creators that make the region shine and thrive.

The Cultural Alliance will present three awards to honor outstanding leaders and trailblazing programs from the Philadelphia region, including:

Changemaker Award: Omar Tate, Honeysuckle Provisions
Collaborator Award: Rachel Zimmerman, InLiquid
Next Award: REC

“The Philadelphia region is rich with creators, artists, and small business owners, all of whom drive innovation and enrich our communities. We are thrilled to spotlight the transformative power of the creative economy at this year’s Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Annual Meeting and Arts Party,” said Patricia Wilson Aden, President & CEO, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. “This year, we are proud to honor three trailblazers driving our sector forward: Omar Tate, Rachel Zimmerman, and REC. Their groundbreaking work not only fuels our creative economy, but also paves the way for future generations to leave their own mark on Philadelphia. Together, we celebrate their extraordinary achievements and boundless potential.”

The Annual Meeting & Arts Party 2024 is open to all members of the region’s arts and culture community. Those interested in attending can find more information and register on the Cultural Alliance website HERE.

About the Cultural Alliance Awards and Honorees:

The Changemaker Award

Creativity and commitment keep our industry moving forward. The Changemaker Award honors an individual who has exhibited visionary leadership and initiative to create lasting change in the arts and culture community in the Philadelphia region and beyond.

Honoring Omar Tate | Chef, Poet, Visual Artist, and Cofounder of Honeysuckle Projects

Omar Tate (he/him) is a chef, poet, visual artist, and co-founder of Honeysuckle Projects, a multifaceted food company that focuses on the nuanced cultures and cuisines of the Black diaspora. His work serves to engage the community in deeper understanding of the contextual relationships between food, storying, emotion, and place. His integrated practices examine and imagine timetables that are simultaneously past, present, and future in the sharing of our collective human experience. He focuses on time and the context within those scopes to offer new perspectives on equitable outcomes for Black peoples in real time.

Omar has emerged as a visionary and a leading thinker in the restaurant industry’s cultural development. He specifically focuses on the interrogation of race and ethnicity to tear down structural barriers through his practices. In 2020, Omar was named Chef of the Year and Honeysuckle was named Pop-up of the Year by Esquire Magazine. In 2021, Time Magazine named Omar as one of the 100 innovators to watch as part of their Time100Next list. In 2024, Omar and Cybille St. Aude-Tate were semifinalists for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.

About Honeysuckle Projects

Honeysuckle is a concept founded by Omar Tate & Cybille St.Aude-Tate. Originally started by Omar Tate in 2017 as a pop up, Honeysuckle has since expanded into a network of community spaces centered around the values of ancestry, nourishment and reclamation. This brand represents business structures that stem from a distinct philosophy where Black and Afrocentric ideology are at the center.

The Collaborator Award

No individual or organization can reach their full potential alone. The Collaborator Award honors an individual who has exemplified this principle through collaboration with organizations in the arts and culture community and across the Philadelphia region.

Honoring Rachel Zimmerman | Artist, Curator, and Founding Artistic and Executive Director of InLiquid

Rachel Zimmerman is a native of Philadelphia and the Founding Artistic and Executive Director of InLiquid, a non-profit visual arts organization. InLiquid supports the careers and creative practices of over 300 working artists each year and produces over 40 public exhibitions annually in its flagship gallery at the Crane Arts Building and satellite locations across the city. Under her leadership, InLiquid has been honored with numerous awards from Philadelphia Magazine, The Culture Trip, the Arts and Business Council, and more. As an artist and curator, Zimmerman was named one of the region’s “Top 101 Emerging Connectors” and a Creative Connector by Leadership Philadelphia. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Design Philadelphia, COLLAB (part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Center For Emerging Visual Artists, and many other arts and culture organizations throughout the region. Zimmerman was also the founding co-chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of ArtTable. Additionally, Zimmerman is an artist in her own right. Her photography is in many private collections, museums, and galleries across the country and around the world.

About InLiquid

InLiquid was founded in 1999 by local artist Rachel Zimmerman to connect Philadelphia’s visual artists with curators, collectors, and public audiences. Beginning as a nonprofit online exhibition venue and information resource, the organization has expanded over the last 25 years, curating work by member artists into exhibitions in its flagship gallery and satellite spaces around Philadelphia. Today, InLiquid fosters the artistic practices of hundreds of visual artists each year and encourages audiences to experience and collect work from the Philadelphia region’s dynamic arts community. InLiquid also offers professional development support to its artist members to help them excel and grow outside their studio practice. Throughout the year, InLiquid provides quality arts programming free of charge. Through exhibitions, artist talks, hands-on workshops, gallery tours, and exhibition activations, InLiquid makes Philadelphia’s rich visual arts culture accessible to all.

The Next Award

Forward thinking initiatives ensure that our creative community continues to grow and thrive. The Next Award recognizes programs that bring renewed relevance to the arts community by introducing creative tactics to engage new generations.

Honoring REC

REC, short for "Resources for Every Creative," is a groundbreaking creative agency and membership club dedicated to empowering artists and entrepreneurs. REC provides the tools, opportunities, and community support necessary for creatives to thrive. With an immersive IRL (in real life) and URL (online) experience, REC Philly ensures that creatives stay connected, inspired, and equipped to unlock their best creative selves. Since its inception, REC Philly has paid out over $3 million into the pockets of local creatives, making a tangible impact on the city's cultural and economic landscape.

The visionary minds behind REC are co-founders Will Toms and Dave Silver. Will Toms, a dynamic storyteller and strategist, is dedicated to empowering creatives through access to resources and opportunities. Dave Silver, a Temple University graduate and passionate advocate for Philadelphia’s creative community, brings a wealth of experience in business development and community engagement. Together, they have transformed REC Philly into a vibrant ecosystem that fosters creativity and entrepreneurship, ensuring that the city's artists have the support they need to thrive.

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About Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance:

Established in 1972, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is the region’s leading arts and cultural advocacy, research, and marketing organization. Our mission is to “lead, strengthen and amplify the voices of a cultural community that ignites creativity, inspires people and is essential for a healthy region.” Our membership includes more than 450 organizations ranging from museums and dance companies to community art centers, historic sites, music ensembles and zoos. For more information on the Cultural Alliance, please visit philaculture.org.