Our newest grantees, staff, and Philadelphia’s cultural leaders gathered at the Science History Institute on December 9, 2024, to celebrate the region’s creative community and to recognize their imaginative and transformational work to come, with support from $10.2 million in Center grants.
Our executive director, Paula Marincola, took note of the importance of gathering in support of the arts, saying, “It's my great fortune that I get to stand here at this event and affirm the crucial role that the arts play in our lives and in our society. As we know, they are essential to the health and the vibrancy of the communities we engage and serve.
“The arts are substance and sustenance. They enable us to forge connections, to foster a sense of belonging, to empathize with difference, to find common ground, to grapple with difficult and urgent topics, to make sense of our shared past, and to imagine a more perfect collective future. They are, in the words of the painter Gerhard Richter, the highest form of hope. And I would add faith, as well.”
As part of the event program, we screened a video highlighting the voices of some of our newest grantees, offering a look into their artistic visions and inspirations and how they’re moving forward with energy and innovation.
We could not continue to do our work without The Pew Charitable Trusts’ commitment to the Center and their belief in the importance of arts and culture to the vitality of Philadelphia's communities.
The Center’s 2024 grants encompass creative project grants to cultural institutions for the presentation of public-facing works like exhibitions, public art installations, and performances; new Evolving Futures grants designed to support substantial operational and business adaptations; and direct support to artists in the form of Pew Fellowships.
The Center is gratified to support and celebrate this critical work, and we look forward to watching how it flourishes in the months ahead.
