Art and access to it are essential to the fabric of civic life. As a multidisciplinary grantmaker dedicated to fostering a vibrant and diverse cultural ecology in the Philadelphia region, the Center annually awards grants to organizations and artists, whose imaginative programs, events, and artistic work inspire audiences and make Philadelphia a thriving hub for culture.
Hear from some of the region’s creative thinkers and makers as they tell us about the vital importance of the arts in civic life and the work they’ll undertake with funding from the Center.
FringeArts
A world-premiere performance revisits the origin story of Thespis, apocryphally the world's first actor, with the protagonist portrayed as a Black woman named Helga and the audience serving as a stand-in for the Greek chorus.
Read moreMonument Lab
A public art installation reframes the history of America’s founding, centering on the story of Robert Hemings, an enslaved valet who aided Thomas Jefferson at the Philadelphia site where Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Read moreMural Arts Philadelphia
Led by ceramist and Pew Fellow Roberto Lugo in his home community of Kensington, a public art project installs monumental vessels inspired by historical ceramic forms and traditions.
Read moreScience History Institute
An exhibition examines the history of the US School Lunch Program and studies the influences of science and technology on conversations about state welfare, food quality, and childhood health.
Read moreThe Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art
A multifaceted retrospective of Mexican photographer Enrique Bostelmann (1939–2003) blends the artist’s experimental work with new interviews with his family, collaborators, and art historians to create an exhibition, bilingual documentary, and publication.
Read moreTotal grant dollars awarded
Total number of grants in the Center's history
Total number of Pew Fellowships for artists