As a staple of the arts community in West Philadelphia since 1967, The Arts League has got deep roots. The influence of so many creative voices of West Philly are interwoven into the fabric of the organization. And this fabric is on display everywhere in our building itself. From the mural by Miriam Singer and our talented young artists that decorates the walls of the first floor, to the plaque dedicated to Mary Allegra in 2R, all the way up to third and fourth floors where the walls are covered in the art of up and coming and current creative voices- those are, of course, the voices of our students and teaching artists.
These roots are also on display in our programming and community work. In October we’re doing a retrospective of George Shinn’s work, who was one of the founders of TAL. What is West?, our Pew Funded project, goes into its third year, investigating and investing in creative voices of West Philly, and empowering West Philadelphians to take creative agency over how West Philly is portrayed. We’re nurturing partnerships, some that are years in the making, to bring you open houses, vendor markets, film screenings, and more.
This fiscal year, we honor all of these people who have had a hand in creating and sustaining The Arts League over all these years. We invite you to join us in honoring our roots, while also looking towards the future. By supporting The Arts League this fiscal year, you join us as an integral part of the fabric of our organization and community– we can’t wait to weave you in!