Are you a Philadelphia-based artist? We want to hear from you on the following questions!

  • What is the future of place-based public art?
  • How can art help our communities heal, inspire, build trust and understanding?
  • How can it empower and lift up the voices of minority communities?
  • How can it tell stories that need to be told?
  • How can art connect us and create critical conversations about the meaning of our neighborhoods, cities, and our country?

PHDC and The Knight Foundation are working together to turn these questions into an opportunity for local artists.

ART IS ESSENTIAL: Philly Artists Connecting Communities is an initiative intended to put artists at the forefront of the conversation about the role of public art in communities. ART IS ESSENTIAL was conceived as an opportunity for artists to respond, react to and reclaim how communities work together to address the problems we face today.

100 selected artists will receive $1000 each for sharing their ideas. The deadline to apply is October 7 by 5 p.m. To support artists considering an application, below are some frequently asked questions:

Do I have to have a project ready to be implemented?
No. To start we just want ideas. Describe your idea in less than 500 words. Include the medium, how community members can interact with the art, and how it will amplify under-represented voices. Also submit a 500-word biography, and that’s it.

Who can apply?
Everyone and anyone with an idea can apply, as long as you live in the City of Philadelphia! We are hoping to hear from residents of all experience levels, regardless of formal background or age. We encourage applications from artists who may not consider themselves to be public artists. The opportunity is also open to current students. Groups or collectives are welcome too. Collaborators on one idea should submit one application.

Is there an ideal application or applicant?
We do not have any preconceived notions about what these ideas should be. The ideal applicant is someone who creatively expresses their idea about engagement.

What is needed to apply?
Two short statements are required to apply. First is a brief written description of the idea. The second is a short narrative biography describing the life experience that draws you to this work. If it is helpful to include more visual materials to further describe your idea, that is welcome. Sketches, images, audio, or video files to describe the idea or to highlight past work that speaks to the idea may be included.

The funding for this phase is meant to support idea sharing, not implementation. Later phases will provide additional funding to support the development of these ideas.