What is West?

University City Arts League

Journalist and writer Sofiya Ballin. Photo by Emmanuel Afolabi.

Pew Fellow angel shanel edwards, untitled collage.

University City Arts League community arts program. Photo by Daniel Collier.

Recipient

Grant Year 2022

Grant Amount $212,580

Status Forthcoming

Updated June 1, 2023

Community-designed public art installations express the character and creativity of West Philadelphia, centering on the neighborhood’s cultural and racial diversity. Working in collaboration with lead artists Selina Carrera and Pew Fellow angel shanel edwards, residents engage in discussions and art-making workshops including spoken word, video, collage, and movement-based mediums. Final works are installed at public sites throughout West Philadelphia. Community-authored essays and a short documentary by journalist and filmmaker Sofiya Ballin create a historical record of the community's responses to the project.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient

University City Arts League

The University City Arts League is a non-profit organization dedicated to intergenerational education and cultural enrichment in the arts, offering classes to more than 5,000 students each year, along with exhibitions of local artists and community programming. Founded in the 1960s by West Philadelphia artists, art enthusiasts, and neighbors, UCAL’s facility now hosts studios for visual art, ceramics, and dance, as well as gallery space, a computer lab, and communal spaces.

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