“What is your relationship to West Philadelphia?” That is one of the key questions for artists applying for the West Philadelphia Creative Grants. This initiative aims to provide much-needed support for local BIPOC artists and BIPOC-led artistic programming in West Philly through support from the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, the Paul Robeson House & Museum (PRHM), and the William Penn Foundation.
By prioritizing diverse identities and promoting intersectionality, these grants aim to foster a vibrant creative community in West Philly and to empower artists in exploring and celebrating tradition, culture, and innovation.
Created alongside the grants is the West Philadelphia Art Council, a group of individuals who bring a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to supporting and nurturing the local arts community.
Chloe Reison, associate director of The Sachs Program, says the West Philadelphia Arts Council intends to work further with PRHM and The Sachs Program to promote an active dialogue about the resources needed to support arts and culture in West Philadelphia. There are also plans to develop programming in support of the West Philadelphia creative community based on community needs and desires, support the launch of an Artist-In-Residence program for West Philadelphia artists at PRHM, and coordinate programs with Penn Arts for Community Engagement (PACE).
PACE is a collaborative group at Penn made up of professionals from various campus arts institutions, such as the Arthur Ross Gallery, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Penn Libraries, Penn Live Arts, Penn Museum, the Rotunda, and WXPN.