CultureWire | April 2024

Last month, InLiquid, a Cultural Alliance member organization, kicked off their 25th anniversary with two weeks of events to celebrate contemporary art, design, and craft. Auction artwork is available through April 12, with proceeds split between the artists and InLiquid. Photo by Bob Sweeney.

Arts & Culture in the News

• Congratulations to Valerie Gay as she steps into her new role as the city's head of arts and culture! During the mayoral election, the Cultural Alliance prioritized elevating the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy to a full department and highlighted the importance of a cabinet-level appointment. Mayor Parker's early response is evidence of the effectiveness of the cultural community's ongoing, impactful advocacy.  Read more about Gay in the The Philadelphia Tribune and The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

• Traditional revenue models in our industry have been changing and the pandemic has only accelerated these trends. These challenges are shared by organizations across the spectrum, both large and small. "Major arts and culture institutions are critical to urban identities." What will it mean for them to transform themselves? The latest edition of The New Urban Order: Reinventing Arts and Culture in The Philadelphia Citizen explores this question.

• With new legislation, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia may join the Smithsonian. Read more in Philly Voice.  

Updates from the Cultural Alliance

Every five years, the Cultural Alliance participates in Arts and Economic Prosperity (AEP), an economic and social impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry, conducted by Americans for the Arts. Join us for the release on Tuesday, April 30 at 1:00 p.m. with a FREE webinar that will guide you through the latest AEP findings to better understand how the data can be leveraged to support our cultural community. Register here.  

538 arts and culture organizations participated in AEP, and customized reports are available for individual institutions. Pre-sale pricing ($150) is available through April 15. Learn more and secure pre-sale pricing.

Last month, our President and CEO Patricia Wilson Aden paid a visit to Harrisburg for Arts Advocacy Day, presented by Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, to call for increased state funding for the arts and network with peer organizations. Alongside Laurie Zierer, Executive Director of PA Humanities, they presented data to the Pennsylvania Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus that shows the economic and community impact of the arts across the state. They presented findings from the latest PA CultureCheck report. Find a highlight below in Arts and Culture by the Numbers. Read more and watch a recording here.

Students who participated in the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) between 2019-2021 are eligible for full-time paid summer internships at visual and performing arts organizations and cultural institutions in Philadelphia through the Studio Institute Arts Intern program. BAI alum who will be rising college juniors, seniors, or graduates as of fall 2024, can earn a competitive hourly rate while completing meaningful work as member of a professional team. Learn more. 

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Arts & Culture by the Numbers

Our latest PA CultureCheck survey with PA Humanities explores some of the challenges facing arts and culture organizations. See the full research report here.

Job Bank

The Cultural Alliance’s Job Bank is Greater Philadelphia's top resource for job opportunities in arts and culture. You’ll find positions at all professional levels in museums, theaters, historic sites, art galleries, dance studios, community centers, and much more. Keep reading for the most recent listings from Member organizations.

• Garden Ecology Youth Program Coordinator at Bartram's Garden (John Bartram Association) in Philadelphia, PA

• Associate Curator of Textiles at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Winterthur, DE

• Accounting Manager at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA

• Staff Producer and Promotion and Outreach Coordinator at Scribe Video Center, Inc. in Philadelphia, PA

• Trailblazer Camp Coordinator at Rutabaga Toy Library in Philadelphia, PA

• Manager of Cultivation and Stewardship at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ

• Supernumerary for the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA 

Want to connect to candidates? The Cultural Alliance’s Job Bank has 60,000+ views each month. Job listings are free for Cultural Alliance Members and start at just $95 for non-Members. Learn more.

Partner Messages

The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts is presenting two free workshops: Fundraising for Humanities Collections on April 19 and Legal Issues in Collections Care on May 16.  

The Widener University Small Business Development Center is offering a free workshop series for creative entrepreneurs. In four sessions in April, they'll cover: Creating Marketing & Value Proposition Funnels, Establishing an LLC, Budgeting Your Time Effectively, and Budgeting your Income & Paying Taxes. Learn more.  

Stay connected to the Cultural Alliance! Subscribe to CultureWire for a monthly update on the forces, factors, and faces shaping arts and culture in Greater Philadelphia.