The Village of Arts and Humanities

The Village of Arts and Humanities (the Village) supports the voices and aspirations of its North Philadelphia community by providing opportunities for artistic expression and personal success that engage youth and their families, revitalize physical space, and preserve black heritage. Founded in 1986, the Village is an established community asset of 15 art parks and 13 program buildings that include media labs, dance and photography studios, a sound recording booth, and a quarter-acre urban farm. In 2015, the Village received a Center grant to host two West African social practice artists, Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh and Olanrewaju Tejuoso, during residencies in which they collaborated with Philadelphia families to design and execute a public art project. In 2019, the Village received a Center Project grant to present Staying Power, a participatory art-making process and multi-site exhibition created in collaboration with residents of Philadelphia’s Fairhill-Hartranft neighborhood, public art and history studio Monument Lab, and local and visiting artists. In 2021, the Village received a Re:imagining Recovery grant to modify its main cultural building to include a new hybrid indoor-outdoor gallery that will expand space for exhibitions and arts-based community development programs.