The Pew Charitable Trusts Awards $4.3 Million to Support Leading Regional Cultural Organizations, $2.7 Million to Strengthen Local Arts Management

Press Releases and Statements June 27, 2007 Read time:

Projects: Pew Center for Arts and Heritage

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today more than $4.3 million in grants awarded to nine nonprofit arts and culture organizations to facilitate and reward exemplary management practices. The grants, provided through Pew's Philadelphia Cultural Leadership Program (PCLP), were awarded to: Brandywine River Museum, The Center for Emerging Visual Artists, The Clay Studio, The Franklin Institute, The Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet Association, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania.

PCLP provides unrestricted general operating support to organizations in the five-county region that demonstrate excellence in operations, fiscal management and programming. The program's goal is to stimulate leadership and best practices for cultural institutions to help them provide the public with high quality arts and cultural activities on a sustained basis. Since 1997, Pew has awarded more than $52 million in operating support to over 50 arts and cultural groups in the region.

Full descriptions of the 2007 PCLP grantees follow.

This year's group of recipients encompasses the performing and visual arts and arboreta and includes both large and small organizations from around the region, with annual operating budgets ranging from approximately $560,000 to $49 million. Their impact told in pure numbers alone is strong. As a whole, this group of nine institutions reported a marked increase in attendance from 2.3 million to 2.7 million over a three-year period. Furthermore, they join a cohort of 37 PCLP-funded organizations that serve the community by presenting exceptional performances, exhibitions and events. PCLP-funded organizations were responsible for 36% of the public programs presented throughout the region, including 114 American and world premieres, and were visited by more than 4.5 million visitors annually.

Pew also announced a grant of $2.7 million to significantly increase the grants and professional development activities provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative (PCMI, www.artshelp.org) a program that helps strengthen the management effectiveness of arts institutions in the region. PCMI, which is housed along with the Trusts' six artistic initiatives at the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, provides opportunities for PCLP applicants and grantees to improve management and become more self-sufficient through a variety of services, tools and resources. The Initiative also assists the cultural community by providing professional development seminars and workshops on such topics as finance, human resources management and program evaluation, and by offering lectures and networking opportunities. Since its inception in 2001, the Initiative has awarded nearly $1.75 million in grants to support professional and organizational development.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. We partner with a diverse range of donors, public and private organizations and concerned citizens who share our commitment to fact-based solutions and goal-driven investments to improve society.

Grantee	Award	Purpose
Arts & Business Council	$45,000	Builds partnerships among business executives, arts managers and boards of directors of arts organizations in order to strengthen the local cultural community. Volunteer services include developing long-range plans, redefining organizational structure, formulating marketing initiatives and public relations strategies, building board membership, designing capital campaigns and providing systems analysis.
Brandywine River Museum & Conservancy	$276,000	Collects, exhibits and preserves art and historic objects from 19^th and 20^th Century America, principally from the Brandywine region. Includes a significant collection of paintings and archives related to the Wyeth family.
The Center for Emerging Visual Artists	$45,000	Provides career guidance and professional development opportunities for early career artists. Core program is a competitive, fully subsidized, two-year fellowship awarded annually to up to 24 artists, who are invited to participate in intensive vocational coaching and mentoring, and in a series of professionally mounted and publicized exhibitions.
The Clay Studio	$144,000	Presents exhibitions of both nationally and internationally known ceramics artists. Provides residency opportunities that include studio space and access to supplies and the Studio's kilns. Offers classes and workshops to students at all levels of proficiency, ranging from basic courses for beginners to seminars for professional artists.
The Franklin Institute	$720,000	A science/technology museum which this year will serve at least two million participants through exhibits, a Web site and educational outreach programs. Facilities include the Fels Planetarium, Mandell Center, Musser Choices Forum and the Tuttleman Omniverse Theater.
Morris Arboretum	$252,000	Uses its public gardens and collections for teaching, research, outreach and horticultural display. Promotes an understanding of the relationship between plants, people and place through programs that integrate science, art and the humanities. Teaches environmental awareness and problem solving. Collaborates in efforts to restore and conserve the open space of the region.
The Pennsylvania Ballet	$300,000	Presents classic and contemporary work each season at the Academy of Music and the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. Offers six productions annually, serving a total audience of approximately 100,000 including a subscriber base of nearly 7,000. Introduces 15,000 area children annually to the art of dance through school programs and performances.
Philadelphia Museum of Art	$1,920,000	The fifth largest museum in the U.S. is recognized internationally for its extensive collections of Asian, European and American art, including a growing selection of contemporary works by virtually all of this and the last century's major artists, and for its special exhibitions. Offers outreach and educational opportunities to students, teachers and parents in the Philadelphia area.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Association	$640,000	One of the leading orchestras in the world, presenting concerts at the Kimmel Center, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and other area venues, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and on international tours. Brings music to children and families in the Philadelphia area through education and community partnership programs, and reaches a worldwide audience through its performances, publications, recordings and broadcasts.