Nov 2013 Board Meeting Press Highlights

November 2013 Press Highlights 8/26/2013 – 10/19/2013

Editor, “Filadelphia >> Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Anuncio Nuevó Progama” Al Dia, 10/19/2013 Linda, “STAMP Program Offers Philly High Schoolers Free Access to 12 of the City’s Best Museums” FrugalPhillyMom.com, 10/16/2013 Devan, David, “We Are All One” Devantage Point, 10/16/2013 Jacobs, Emma, “Teens get free passes to Philly museums” Newsworks, 10/14/2013 Currall, Steve, “The Multiplying Effects of Urban Eds-&-Meds” HiddenCity Philadelphia, 10/14/2013 Riddle, Isaac, “New passes give high school students access to the arts” The Philadelphia Public School Notebook, 10/11/2013 Editor, “Museums now free for Philadelphia high school students” Scoop U.S.A 10/11/2013 Editor, “Editorial: More ways to use their heads” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/11/2013 Zalut, “The Tour Guide Chronicles: Philly high school students can visit Easter State for Free!*” Eastern State Penitentiary blog, 10/10/2013 Editor, “Estudiantes entran gratis a los museos con STAMP Pass” Al Dia, 10/9/2013 Brewster, Haywood, “Museums not free for Philadelphia high schoolers: STAMP Pass offers student free access to 12 museums and attractions” Weekly Press, 10/9/2013 Brewster, Haywood, “Museums not free for Philadelphia high schoolers: STAMP Pass offers student free access to 12 museums and attractions” University City Review, 10/9/2013 Zuylen-Wood, Simon van, “The One Upside to Being a Philly High Schooler. Free Museums, baby!”

Philadelphia, 10/9/2013 Van Allen, Peter, “New passes give teens free entry to museums” Philadelphia Business Journal, 10/9/2013 Fradera, Marina, “Teens STAMP(ede) to Philly’s Museums ArtsRising blog, 10/8/2013 Editor, “Philly Tap Teaser – An Evening of Tap Dance and Jazz Music” City Suburban News, 10/8/2013

Vuocolo, Alex, “Philly STAMP Pass Gives Teenagers Free Access to Local Museums and Cultural Institutions” Generocity, 10/7/2013 Editor, “Access Philly Fun Online” Sunday Tribune, 10/6/2013 Salisbury, Stephan, “Students to get in free” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/4/2013 Editor, “Editorial: Culture has a cost” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/1/2013 O’Halloran, Caroline, “Paoli prepares to sing the blues bigger and better than ever” Main Line Time and Main Line Suburban Life, 9/29/2013 Royal, Margie, “CAC’s Fine Arts and Craft Festival Sept. 28” County Press and Garnett Valley Press, 9/25/2013 Bang, Joan A., “Silver anniversary for Arden-t supporters of theater” Main Line Times and Main Line Suburban Life, 9/22/2013 Dobrin, Peter, “The quandary: How to sustain The Arts” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/22/2013 Trackman, Brad, “It’s a funny business” Jewish Exponent, 9/19/2013 Geo, “The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Distributes City Money to Arts Organizations” JUMP, 9/17/2013 Fitsgibbon, Cecilia, “Building Philly’s World Class Cultural Economy” Region’s Business, 9/12/2013 Editor, “Join the GroundSwell School Supply Drive!”

Philly In Focus, 9/12/2013 Royal, Margie, “Senator Pileggi meets with Delco Arts Consortium” News of Delaware County, Garnett Valley Press, County Press and Springfield Press, 9/11/2013

http://www.frugalphillymom.com/stamp-program-offers-philly-high-schoolers-free-access-to-12-of-thecitys-best-museums/

STAMP Program Offers Philly High Schoolers Free Access to 12 of the City’s Best Museums Linda 10/16/2013

STAMP: the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Teen Program will now offer these teens and any other high-school aged teenager living in Philadelphia with one year of free admission to 12 of the city’s top museums and attractions.

Students who enroll in STAMP (Students at Museums in Philly) receive the STAMP Pass, a card that they can present to get free out-of-school-time admission to some of the city’s top museums and cultural venues. In just a few days more than 1,300 teens have signed up for the pass (as of 10/8/13) which is available at no charge to teens age 14 to 19 who live in the city of Philadelphia. Teens can register for the STAMP Pass by visiting www.phillystamppass.org.

Participating museums and cultural institutions: African American Museum in Philadelphia National Constitution Center Barnes Foundation National Museum of American Jewish History Eastern State Penitentiary Penn Museum Fabric Workshop and Museum Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art Mutter Museum Philadelphia Zoo Participating museums and cultural institutions will each hold one monthly event throughout the year where teens will have an opportunity to participate in a hands-on activity, socialize with their peers and become acquainted with some of Philadelphia’s amazing cultural assets.

In addition to the pass, the program has an online component with a website where teens can discover other cultural opportunities available to them, find out about job and internship opportunities and get invites to exclusive events for STAMP passholders. The website is a platform to promote the teen programs of STAMP’s community partners.

STAMP also has a lively presence on Twitter and Instagram.

- See more at: http://www.frugalphillymom.com/stamp-program-offers-philly-highschoolers-free-access-to-12-of-the-citys-best-museums/#sthash.ydyZooSg.dpuf

http://devantagepoint.tumblr.com/post/64205053323/we-are-all-one

We Are All One David Devan 10/16/2013

I have the joy of serving as the Chairman of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

The Alliance serves over 400 arts and culture institutions through a robust membership program, research, and advocacy. One of the highlights of Philadelphia’s cultural calendar is the Alliance’s Annual Meeting in which the entire community comes together to learn about association work, hear some inspiring and encouraging speakers, and partake in a huge reception with free drinks and food (this latter portion of the event is clearly the highlight!).

This year we had over 500 colleagues gathered – we sang together (Thanks SpiralQ for leading us), we heard from Dr. William Hite, Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, and listened to a call to action by our Interim Executive Director, Michael Norris.

The resounding theme – we are all in this together – our collective successes are tethered to our individual commitment to make good things happen.

Also, a big shout out to Sean Buffington, President of The University of the Arts, who did a great filling all the members in on our search process for a new President of the Alliance. We plan on selecting the search firm this month and to be actively searching over the next several months. This position is critical as the sector in Philadelphia, like in other parts of the world, meets the challenges of changing consumer tastes and buying habits, a changing landscape of how art is produced and consumed, and undercapitalization.

Later in the week, I attended the launch of STAMP, which is this GREAT program of the Alliance that offers free access to museums and includes a teen ambassador program.

Congrats to the Knight Foundation and Harvey and Virginia Kimmel for making this happen. Here is a great article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the program.

All in all it was a busy week at the Alliance and I am so thrilled that to be a part of this collective work.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/nw-philadelphia-more-stories/item/60794-teens-get-free-passes-tocity-museums

Teens get free passes to Philly museums Emma Jacobs 10/14/2013

Philadelphia teens can now visit the city's museums for free. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is giving out museum passes good for admission to 12 of the city's most popular cultural institutions.

More than 1,600 young people have signed up online for the passes in the first week of the STAMP program.

Adrienne Whaley, curator of education and public programming at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, said she hopes the passes will get teens who haven't come to the museum before to visit.

"This is a way for us to get to that really interesting group of people who are developing themselves, figuring out who they are and who they want to be and who, frankly, sometimes feel disconnected -- not just from cultural audiences and all sorts of institutions in this city," Whaley said.

Museums accepting the pass also include the Barnes Foundation, the National Constitution Center, Eastern State Penitentiary and the Philadelphia Zoo. "Particularly when you think of the state of the school district right now and the challenge of getting arts into the classroom and in the schools," says Whaley, "we really thought this would be a great way for us to introduce ourselves to teens."

The project is being funded by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Teen Program, coordinated with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

http://hiddencityphila.org/2013/10/the-multiplying-effects-of-urban-eds-meds/

The Multiplying Effects Of Urban Eds-&-Meds Steve Currall October 14, 2013

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Happy 369th Billy! William Penn was born in the Tower of London on this day in 1644.

Next City speaks with Omar Blaik, CEO and founder of the Philadelphia-based firm U3 Ventures, which consults urban “eds-and-meds” on ways to broaden their development efforts of their local economies and communities. “An institution,” Blaik says, “should see that it has an economic development role — not because it is obligated to do good in society, but because such a role makes it a better place for education, a better educator, a better healer and a better researcher.”

This all starts, he says, by thinking locally.

With news that Iron Chef Jose Garces plans to reopen the Old Original Bookbinder’s in Old City, the Philly History Blog recalls that business’s midcentury missteps in the historic preservation of the Drinker-Krider building at 2nd & Walnut. In the 1950s, Bookbinder’s had the 1751 brick building condemned rather than tend to its structural problems, only to replace it with a “meticulous copy” that lacked much of its character and patina. “The past isn’t about great shrines or grand vistas,” writes Ken Finkel. “Real historic cities grow over time, and they grow unpredictably. They can’t be intentionally made, and they certainly can’t be remade.”

After a six-month review of the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s policies and fees, various City Council members introduced—and passed unanimously—several increases of penalties. Plan Philly says “the resolutions vary from late parking ticket penalty increases to residential and contractor parking permit fee increases and a rule that clarifies the policy for releasing an impounded vehicle. Each of the resolutions was put forward by a different councilmember.”

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is providing free passes to a dozen of Philadelphia’s museums to teens, reports NewsWorks. Adrienne Whaley, a curator at the African American Museum, calls the project “a way for us to get to that really interesting group of people who are developing themselves, figuring out who they are and who they want to be and who, frankly, sometimes feel disconnected — not just from cultural audiences and all sorts of institutions in this city.” More than 1,600 teens have already signed up.

http://thenotebook.org/blog/136530/new-passes-give-high-schools-students-access-arts

New passes give high school students access to the arts Isaac Riddle Oct 11 2013

With District schools suffering from severe cuts in arts and music education, a new program is offering the city's high school students free admission to 12 of the city’s museums and attractions.

Students at Museums in Philly, or STAMP, targets young people between the ages of 14 to 19 who live in the city. Students can enroll in the program by registering at the STAMP website, after which they will receive the STAMP Pass free of charge to present to any of the 12 participating institutions during non-school hours.

“Our goal is to make sure that Philly teens have access to more of the city’s incredible arts and culture and for them to think of arts and culture as something fun and interesting they can do in their leisure time,” said Michael Norris, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance interim executive director, in a statement.

The participating museums and attractions are the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Barnes Foundation, Eastern State Penitentiary, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Mutter Museum, National Constitution Center, National Museum of American Jewish History, Penn Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Philadelphia Zoo. STAMP, a one-year project, is funded by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Teen Program, in coordination with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. It is also supported by grants from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Philadelphia Foundation’s Fund for Children.

In addition to the pass, the program also has an online component. Students can visit the website to find out about other cultural opportunities, research jobs and internships, and receive invitations to exclusive events for STAMP passholders. The website is also a platform to promote teen programs of STAMP’s community partners.

The Philadelphia Cultural Alliance created the STAMP Teen Council, a group of 11 high school students who helped develop the program. To help market the program, he council is using social media to encourage students to take advantage of the pass.

During October, students can ride the PHLASH bus, which makes a downtown loop, for free by showing their STAMP pass.

“The cultural community in Philadelphia – institutions like museums and historical attractions – is a crucial partner for the city in our effort to provide quality programming for students outside of school,” said Mayor Nutter, in a statement.

“The STAMP program meets a critical need by providing teens with valuable cultural experiences and activities that are both fun and safe,” he said.

http://www.easternstate.org/explore/tour-guide-chronicles/philly-high-school-students-can-visit-easternstate-free

The Tour Guide Chronicles Philly high school students can visit Eastern State for Free*!

Lauren Zalut 10/10/2013

Last week marked the official launch of a new teen program spearheaded by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance called STAMP – Students at Museums in Philly.

Students who enroll in the program receive the STAMP pass, a card that they can present to get free out-of-school-time admission to some of the city’s top museums and cultural venues – including Eastern State Penitentiary! The STAMP pass is available for free to teens age 14 to 19 who live in the city of Philadelphia.

To mark the occasion, I attended a kickoff party at the African American Museum in Philadelphia with one of our expert tour guides, Megan, and our new education intern, Tamara. We gave over 200 teens a taste of Eastern State’s fascinating history and let them know about all of the exciting activities awaiting them on a daytime visit to this historic prison. We also asked them to consider one of our favorite history mysteries: was Pep the dog really an Eastern State inmate, or was he just a pet?

After careful review of some primary sources - newspaper articles, letters to and from the warden, and photographs - we asked teens to make a choice and cast their vote.

And the results are in – with a tie! Guess this history mystery will have to remain unsolved for now…. *With a STAMP pass. What are you waiting for? Get one now!

Estudiantes entran gratis a los museos con STAMP Pass Editor 10/9/2013

Gracias al programa educativo “Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Teen Program” estudiantes de high schools de Filadelfi a tendrán acceso gratuito a 12 de los museos más importantes de la ciudad durante un año. Aquellos estudiantes que se registren en la página www.phillystamppass.org recibirán el pase STAMP, disponible gratis a estudiantes entre 14 y 19 años que vivan en Filadelfia.

Los museos incluyen: African American Museum in Philadelphia National Constitution Center Barnes Foundation National Museum of American Jewish History Eastern State Penitentiary Penn Museum Fabric Workshop and Museum Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia Museum of Art Mutter Museum Philadelphia Zoo

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2013/10/09/one-upside-philly-high-schooler/

The One Upside to Being a Philly High Schooler Free museums, baby!

Simon van Zuylen-Wood 10/9/2013

Don’t move out of the city yet, 30something gentrifiers! Looks like there’s a perk to being a high school student in Philadelphia after all!

A new pass will give high school students free admission to Philadelphia museums. Students at Museums in Philly, or STAMP, is available free to teens ages 14 to 19 who live in the city of Philadelphia.

Participating cultural institutions include: African American Museum in Philadelphia, National Constitution Center, Barnes Foundation, National Museum of American Jewish History, Eastern State Penitentiary, Penn Museum, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Institute of Contemporary Art,Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mutter Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo. Uh, that’s freaking awesome. How soon til the STAMP black market pops up? If you see me with a propeller beanie and overalls on lingering on the Parkway, you’ll know what’s up. h/t Biz Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/10/09/new-pass-gives-teens-free-entry-to.html

New pass gives teens free entry to museums Peter Van Allen 10/9/2013

A new pass will give high school students free admission to Philadelphia museums.

Students at Museums in Philly, or STAMP, is available free to teens ages 14 to 19 who live in the city of Philadelphia.

Museums participating are the African American Museum in Philadelphia, National Constitution Center, Barnes Foundation, National Museum of American Jewish History, Eastern State Penitentiary, Penn Museum, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mutter Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo. Free admission is offered only during non-school hours. Students can sign up here.

The project is being funded by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Teen Program, coordinated with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

“Our goal is to make sure that Philly teens have access to more of the city’s incredible arts and culture and for them to think of arts and culture as something fun and interesting they can do in their leisure time,” said Michael Norris, interim executive director at the Cultural Alliance.

STAMP has been more than a year in planning. In addition to underwriting by the Kimmels, it received grants from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Philadelphia Foundation’s Fund for Children.

http://www.myartsrising.org/news/entry/teens-stampede-to-phillys-museums

Teens STAMP(ede) to Philly’s Museums Marina Fradera 10/8/2013

Can I afford a trip to the museum? It’s a question many Philadelphians have asked themselves. Fortunately, Philly’s teens can now answer a resounding “YES!” thanks to the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Teen Program, STAMP. On Friday, October 4th the STAMP program was launched at Philadelphia’s African American Museum. STAMP (Students At Museums in Philly) provides a free pass to any teen (ages 14-19) living in Philadelphia, granting them access to twelve of the city’s museums and cultural sites. To support STAMP’s launch, the Independence Visitor Center Corp. is providing free rides on the PHLASH trolley Downtown Loop during the month of October to teens with STAMP Passes, allowing even easier access to the partnering museums.

Now, free of charge, Philly’s teens can visit: African American Museum in Philadelphia The Barnes Foundation Eastern State Penitentiary Fabric Workshop & Museum Institute of Contemporary Art Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia National Constitution Center National Museum of American Jewish History Penn Museum Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia Zoo The launch itself was a fantastic event. The museum was packed with people of all ages, (mainly teenagers). When we arrived, the line of visitors went out the door. The sheer volume of people was quite amazing. This was due mainly to the work of more than forty community partners that worked to get the word out. Most of the youth

present came with afterschool and mentoring programs run by these community partners, but a handful came on their own.

A festival spirit filled the building from the basement to the rafters. Downstairs a reception with snacks and performances from Girls Rock Philly was held. The first three floors of the museum were open for visitors to explore. Each of the twelve organizations partnering with STAMP had tables filled with information, live demos, and free gifts for teens.

STAMP is made possible by a combined set of grants from the Knight Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. A leadership gift from Virginia and Harvey Kimmel also provided support to STAMP. More importantly, STAMP has been in large part developed by a Teen Council brought together by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. The STAMP Teen Council played a major role in the program’s development and branding, ensuring that this is indeed a program that will effectively serve and engage youth.

To sign up for a pass and learn more, check out the STAMP web site.

http://www.generocity.org/2013/philly-stamp-pass-gives-teenagers-free-access-to-local-museums-andcultural-institutions/

Philly STAMP Pass Gives Teenagers Free Access to Local Museums and Cultural Institutions Alex Vuocolo 10/7/2013

In an effort to connect youth with more educational opportunities, the Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is giving teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 free access to 12 museums and cultural institutions for the next year.

The program, Students at Museums in Philadelphia or STAMP for short, is funded in part by a $75,000 grant from the Knight Foundation given to the city two years ago.

According to an article on Philly.com, Cultural Alliance officials are working to extend the program beyond this first year. The “ultimate goal” is to make the city’s cultural centers free to all young people.

Other sponsors include Virginia and Harvey Kimmel, The Philadelphia Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and Wells Fargo. The School District and over 40 community organizations are helping spread the word to students about the opportunity.

The participating institutions are as follows: African American Museum in Philadelphia The National Constitution Center The Barnes Foundation The National Museum of American Jewish History Eastern State Penitentiary The Penn Museum The Fabric Workshop and Museum The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Institute of Contemporary Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art The Mutter Museum The Philadelphia Zoo To enroll for the program and find more information visit phillystamppass.org.

http://jumpphilly.com/2013/09/17/the-philadelphia-cultural-fund-distributes-city-money-to-artsorganizations/

The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Distributes City Money to Arts Organizations Geo 9/17/2013

June O’Neill is the manager of The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, a not well-known organization that financially supports the arts in Philadelphia using tax dollars allocated by the city government. G.W. Miller III spoke to her about the 22-year-old organization and what they look for in applicants.

What does the Cultural Fund do?

The Cultural Fund distributes the city money that’s allocated every year to support arts and cultural organizations in the city.

How much money is set aside for the arts? $1.84 million this fiscal year, 2013-2014.

Four years ago, we had $3.2 million. They’re putting out not even $2 million and, just in tax revenue, $119 million is coming back to the city (according to a recent economic prosperity report). Even if they brought our budget up to $5 million, it’s like a pimple on the face of the city budget. Our budget should be more like $10 million. It’s a hard message to make people understand. The arts are still seen as something that is extracurricular.

Why was the Fund originally started?

Originally, the arts were funded from the city in what was called Class 500 grants. They were called that because they were a line item in the budget. In the ’80s, when the city was really in dire straights, the money that had been going into that line item completely disappeared. Leaders of the arts and culture community, particularly the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Coalition of African American Cultural

Organizations, worked with the Rendell administration and City Council to develop the Cultural Fund. The Fund is now represented by four members of City Council, four mayoral appointees and ten members of the community. The Cultural Fund is a separate entity. We’re not the city. We’re a separate 501(c)(3) but we’re a quasi-city organization in that all of our money comes from the city. We don’t raise money from anywhere else. What we do is administer that process.

What is the process?

We have a number of peer review panels, people from the arts community who sit on these panels that actually review the applications. It’s something the community actually does for itself because there are a lot of volunteers – up to 130 per year – who sit on panels, review applications and make site visits. And then we have a series of daylong panel meetings where we discuss the various organizations and every organization receives a score based on their panel review. Their grant is calculated by a formula based on the size of their budget, the score they received and how much money we have to distribute.

How many awards are given every year?

Last year, we made 270 grants.

Are there panels for different branches of the arts – painting, dance, music, etc?

There used to be. This year coming up, we’re going to a multi-year process. If you apply for a grant, you can be awarded one and for the next three years, you’ll get a grant.

Every panel is now going to be multi-disciplinary and we’ll review organizations by the size of their budgets.

Are there specific things you look for when deciding who gets grants?

These are general operating grants and not program grants. If you are a museum, you don’t apply for a specific exhibition or if you are a dance company, you do not apply for a specific performance. You apply for general operating money. Because of that, we’re looking at the entire organization holistically. We’re looking for the strength of their program, whatever that may be. We’re also looking for strength in their management and the way that they plan and evaluate what they do, and fiscal strength – the way they manage their money. We look for organizations that are sustainable and operating responsibly.

There have been a lot of music grantees, like Weathervane Music and Girls Rock Philly.

What makes them stand out?

Weathervane is a really exciting program because it’s so different from other music programs that have been applying. Traditionally, we’ve had a lot of classical-type music

organizations. I would love to have more applicants who are doing things other than classical. Girls Rock Philly is one of my favorites.

Did you grow up with an interest in the arts?

I actually was a music major my first two years at Northern Arizona University and then changed majors. I ended up getting my degree in Arts Management – before it was really popular. It was a new undergraduate program. It was the only major I could transfer to without losing all my credits that I’d done the first two years.

What was your instrument?

I sang.

Do you still sing?

I don’t. I directed a church choir for years. I started the taiko drumming group (Kyo Daiko) and … well, I don’t have much time anymore.

When are the applications due?

Sept. 30. We’ve tried to make the application process easy – it’s all online.

http://philadelphia.regionsbusiness.com/blogs/visions/cecilia-fitzgibbon-building-phillys-world-classcultural-economy/

Cecilia Fitzgibbon: Building Philly’s World Class Cultural Economy Cecilia Fitsgibbon 9/12/2013

Most futurists such as Charles Landry author of The Creative City, project that “the industries of the twenty first century will depend increasingly on the generation of knowledge through creativity and innovation.” This is precisely why a vibrant cultural economy and a thriving arts community is so important to position Philadelphia as a world class city. The good news is that we have the cultural resources to get us there.

Arts and culture is important for many reasons — it enhances education, draws communities together and adds to the vibrancy of an are. And let’s face it — makes life more fun. There are almost 4,500 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations operating in the 11 county area of Greater Philadelphia according to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. In Philadelphia alone, there are 973 arts organizations.

What do we mean by arts and culture? We are talking about the range of professional and avocational organizations (mostly nonprofit) who deliver education and instruction such as Moore College of Art & Design or Curtis Institute; community organizations, such as the Abington Arts Center; or those that focus on history such as the Elfreth’s Alley Association or Atwater Kent. Then there are media arts organizations, science and art museums and galleries, dance and theater presenters, ranging from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Philadanco to People’s Light & Theatre; music and other performing organizations such as the Kimmel Center and the Painted Bride as well as those that serve and support arts and culture such as the Jazz Bridge program or Mural Arts — 4,496 to be exact.

Artists are part of the equation. The Parkway as the museum boulevard of our City is balanced by the hip, edgy artist communities of Fishtown, South Philly and Northern Liberties. In many other cities, government support, tax abatement and receptive zoning laws have encouraged artists to inhabit failing neighborhoods as redevelopment strategies. First the artists build studios and live in those neighborhoods, then coffee shops, restaurants, and services follow. To achieve world class status, we should be incentivizing artist live/work space, through intentional means such as developing artist friendly zoning laws and exempting self-employed artists from the Commercial Activity License, steps that cost little and regenerate entire city sections.

Culture intersects with the economy when organizations generate jobs. There are 7,600 full-time equivalent jobs working directly in arts and culture in the region. These are artists, designers, performers, fundraisers, lighting technicians, marketers and financial managers, to name some. Employees of cultural organizations combined with the jobs that arts activity creates in the economy generate $169 million a year in tax revenue.

In addition, artists are small business owners and entrepreneurs. Seventy-five percent of people who graduate from art school are self-employed at some point in their career.

Arts and culture positively impacts the economy of the region in significant other ways besides generating taxes. Cultural attendees spend money beside their purchase of a ticket or membership. Arts and culture is the biggest draw for overnight visitors in this region, staying in hotels and paying for transportation to get here, adding $143 million a year to the economy. In addition, residents and day trippers spend money on restaurants, cabs, parking, babysitters and souvenirs, spending an average of $30 to $200 each time they go to an arts event.

Philadelphia is among the top 10 cities in per capita spending and total full-time employees generated by arts and culture. In an analysis of 27 other peer cities, it ranks third behind Washington, DC and San Francisco. The study omitted NYC, mostly because most New Yorkers believe that they are without peer (just kidding).

We need to state our assets proudly, to go beyond our notion of regionalism. Much like there is public investment in economic development, we should be looking at investment in cultural development. Contributions to arts and cultural through corporate, foundation and government support is not a hand out, but a reciprocal transaction. A strong cultural sector can position the City as world class and will yield dollars in return, in visitors and jobs. Philadelphia cannot be considered a world class city without a vibrant creative economy and it takes capital investment and ongoing support from all three sectors to create one.

The Mayor’s Office of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy maintains that total revenue from 2008 art sales in galleries here in the city was $184,263,000. While Philadelphia is not truly known for its robust art market, it has the highest density of art schools in the country, making it a destination to study art and to stay and set up shop.

To capitalize on this fact, Philadelphia should claim world class status as the place to study art, marketing us as a destination for the study of art in much the same way we are known as a city to study medicine and business management.

The existence of this market and the growing trend to cultivate a connection between art and business has been opportune for Moore College of Art & Design. Moore was founded by Sarah Worthington Peter in 1848, established as the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, in order to empower women to achieve financial independence by entering into the design realm of the textile industry.

Moore is the first and only women’s visual arts college in the nation and continues to focus on inspiring careers and positioning women in their desire to take their place in the creative economies. We pay each student to do an internship and give them the opportunity to do a business minor. We prepare them in public speaking and give them many opportunities to “pitch” their ideas.

As part of our strategic plan for the next five years, we will reinvigorate our commitment to developing entrepreneurs. Most recently we were one of 20 finalists in Startup PHL’s “Call for Ideas.” The Women’s Creative Entrepreneurial Launch, to be established at Moore, will redefine college by linking recent alumnae who are entrepreneurs to mentoring, networking, co-working sites, microloans and access to capital.

Arts entrepreneurs make sense — dollars and cents.

There is much potential for Philadelphia to capitalize on its role as an internationally known cultural sector and to be the incubator of entrepreneurs in the arts. It will take awareness, creative investment and a bold commitment to claim our place by strategically positioning our cultural assets as among the best in the world.

http://phillyinfocus.com/2013/09/12/join-our-school-supply-drive/

Join the GroundSwell School Supply Drive!

Editor, 9/12/2013

When families are living in poverty and there isn’t enough income for groceries or rent, it is a challenge to pay for all the clothes, shoes, books and supplies a child needs to be ready for school. Child poverty is currently at its highest level in 50 years, and with budget cuts affecting schools throughout Pennsylvania, young students need support and resources now more than ever.

Cradles to Crayons is a unique organization which collects all the essential items a child between the ages of 1-12 might need. By engaging over 1,300 volunteers each month, these items are sorted, inspected and packed into customized KidPacks—one week’s supply of essential children’s items tailored for a specific child. KidPacks are ordered online for an individual child by social service agencies, such as domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, foster homes and schools. The social worker then picks up the customer order for a child 3-5 days later.

Starting September 1st, GroundSwell is partnering with Cradles to Crayons to hold a month-long school supply drive for students living in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Here is a list of items acceptable for donation: Scissors, Colored markers, Unlined pads, Sidewalk chalk, Bead kits, Glue, Colored index paper, Origami kits, Modeling clay, Colored pencils, Pencils, Rulers Here is the list of locations where you can drop off your donation, starting September 1st. Please be sure to visit the websites of these locations to verify their hours.

The Philadelphia Building – 1315 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Queen Village Art Center – 514 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Blick Art Supply – 1330 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Painted Bride Art Center – 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Allens Lane Art Center – 601 West Allens Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119 Abington Art Center – 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046 Chester County Art Association – 100 North Bradford Avenue, West Chester, PA 19382 Community Arts Center – 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA 19086 Phoenix Village Art Center – 207 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460 If you work in the non-profit cultural sector, you can also bring your donation with you when you attend the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Annual Meeting! Visit GroundSwellPA.org for more information.