Pew has encouraged a revitalization of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural scene that is helping to improve the city’s broader economic outlook. Over the last decade, Pew—either on its own or in partnership with other nonprofits or government leaders—has helped to infuse the city’s cultural landscape with tens of millions of dollars in funding, as well as assistance, advice and program development activities.

The wide scope of Pew-supported cultural projects includes the performing and visual arts, museums and libraries, historic buildings and sites, folk and traditional arts, and public art works, parks and gardens. These initiatives helped boost the global image of Philadelphia, which National Geographic Traveler magazine named “the Next Great City.”

Additionally, the local arts and culture sector is a major engine in the regional economy that provides 19,000 jobs and more than a half-billion dollars in annual income, according to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s 2008 Portfolio.

Pew takes a systematic and proactive approach to identify which arts and cultural institutions to support. In order to maximize the return on these investments, we work closely with area institutions in marketing arts and culture and on leadership development and other technical support.  We have found that this strategy helps extend the impact of our support.

A major vehicle for Pew’s Culture program is the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage (formerly the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage), which comprises seven projects—artistic endeavors focused on dance, music, theatre, visual art exhibits, local history and heritage—as well as fellowships to support individual artists and a program to nurture arts organizations. The center brought together these projects in 2005 and continues to be a major mechanism for Pew’s arts support.

Pew sponsors a number of unique arts and culture initiatives in Philadelphia.

For example, Pew pulled together a coalition of organizations who worked to keep the Thomas Eakins painting The Gross Clinic in Philadelphia. Also, we worked closely with the Annenberg and Lenfest foundations and other civic leaders to galvanize financial and other support for the Barnes’ plan to relocate to a more accessible home in central Philadelphia. And we provided a gift to the nation with a lead grant of $4 million for the international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World.  

Photo on previous page by Robert Klink. “Angel Alley” by the Village of Arts and Humanities, a community-based arts organization in Philadelphia.  Design by Lily Yeh; mosaic execution by James Maxton.