Why is The Philadelphia Cultural Fund crucial to Philadelphia’s reopening and recovery from the pandemic? The PCF is an independent non-profit fund created 30 years ago to combat rampant Philadelphia cronyism in arts funding. The PCF has always lived up to its mission to be a fair and unbiased manager of the city’s money for arts organizations. Pre-pandemic, the PCF served 340 organizations, including the art museums and the smallest neighborhood non-profits, using its rigorous data analysis and peer review process to assess need and distribute equitably.
In 2020, with an unbelievable two-thirds of their budget slashed by the City, the PCF’s mission was crippled, and the arts community took a direct slap to the face; at a time of great need brought on by the pandemic, the PCF could serve only 140 organizations. The 2021-22 proposed budget — unbelievably — continues to slap the face of the arts sector, with a new proposal to slash PCF’s budget by one-third, an outrageous attack on a valued sector of Philadelphia’s economy, that operates in all neighborhoods and serves marginalized communities.
Artblog is one of the small organizations that relies on PCF funding for our operations. As participants in the PCF’s grant review process, we know first-hand how rigorous, transparent, and fair the process is. Through their 30 years of service to the City, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund has proven itself to be a responsible manager of Philadelphia’s funding for non-profit arts organizations. More than that, they have come to embody the city’s welcoming embrace of the arts that serve regular citizens and not just tourists.
Fully funding the PCF is vital to Philadelphia’s recovery — financially, of course, but also on a symbolic level. Robust PCF funding signals that the City values the arts and what arts groups provide to its citizens. Without returning the PCF to full or increased funding, the City signals that it DOES NOT VALUE THE ARTS.
Defunding the Philadelphia Cultural Fund disrespects and disparages the value of the arts.
Full funding of the PCF signals belief that Philadelphia’s arts organizations will help fuel the city’s recovery from the economic downturn, a belief all of us who love the arts know to be true.
[Ed. Note: See today’s Inquirer Front Page story by Stephan Salisbury and Peter Dobrin shouting out what other cities like Chicago and San Francisco are doing to help their arts sectors recover.]
Support FULL FUNDING of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. Contact your council members today!
- Mayor Kenney
Email: (contact form)
IG: @PhillyMayor - District 1 — Mark Squilla
Email: mark.squilla@phila.gov; IG: @CMMarkSquilla
Phone: (215) 686-3458, (215) 686-3459 - District 2 – Kenyatta Johnson
Email: kenyatta.johnson@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilmemberKJ
Phone: (215) 686-3412, (215) 686-3413 - District 3 – Jamie Gauthier
Email: jamie.gauthier@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilmemberJG
Phone: (215) 686-0459, 215-686-0460 - District 4 – Curtis Jones, Jr.
Email: curtis.jones@phila.gov; IG: @FourthDist
Phone: (215) 686-3416, (215) 686-3417 - District 5 – Council President Darrell L. Clarke
Email: darrell.clarke@phila.gov; IG: @Darrell_Clarke
Phone: (215) 686-3442, (215) 686-3443 - District 6 – Bobby Henon
Email: bobby@bobbyhenon.com; IG: @Bobby.Henon
Phone: (215) 686-3444, (215) 686-3445 - District 7 – Maria D. Quiñones Sánchez
Email: maria.q.sanchez@phila.gov; IG: @MariaQSanchez
Phone: (215) 686-3448, (215) 686-3449 - District 8 – Cindy Bass
Email: cindy.bass@phila.gov; IG: @CindyBassPhilly
Phone: (215) 686-3424, (215) 686-3425 - District 9 – Cherelle L. Parker
Email: cherelle.parker@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilwomanCherelleLParker
Phone: (215) 686-3454, (215) 686-3455 - District 10 – Brian J. O’Neill
Email: Brian.Oneill@phila.gov; Twitter: @ONeill4NEPhilly
Phone: (215) 686-3422, (215) 686-3423
At-Large Members:
- Kendra Brooks
Email: kendra.brooks@phila.gov; IG: @KendraPhlCouncil
Phone: (215) 686-3438, (215) 686-3439 - Allan Domb
Email: allan.domb@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilmanDomb
Phone: (215) 686-3414, (215) 686-3415 - Katherine Gilmore-Richardson
Email: katherine.gilmore.richardson@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilmemberKGR
Phone: (215) 686-0454, (215) 686-0455 - Derek Green
Email: derek.green@phila.gov; IG: @CouncilmanDerek
Phone: (215) 686-3450, (215) 686-3451 - Helen Gym
Email: helen.gym@phila.gov; IG: @Helen.Gym
Phone: (215) 686-3420, (215) 686-3421 - David Oh
Email: david.oh@phila.gov; IG: @DavidOhPhilly
Phone: (215) 686-3452, (215) 686-3453 - Isaiah Thomas
Email: isaiah.thomas@phila.gov; IG: @IsaiahThomas4Philly
Phone: (215) 686-3446, (215) 686-3447
