In 2017, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Pew Fellowships in the Arts. Since 1992, the Fellowships program has invested annually in the Philadelphia region’s most talented artists working in all disciplines. Direct financial support through unrestricted grants affords our Fellows valuable time and substantial resources to focus on artistic exploration and professional development. The Fellowships is one of the longest, continually running programs offering substantial direct support to artists. Today, the program is among the most highly regarded of its kind in the country, and has become a model for other artist-centered philanthropic initiatives.

To celebrate this milestone, the Center created this short film highlighting a quarter-century of steadfast belief in the value and impact of artists. In the film, poets, designers, filmmakers, theater directors, composers, and more reflect on the program’s impact on their own lives and on the region's community of artists. We also published an oral history with Center executive director Paula Marincola and Fellowships director Melissa Franklin, a digital exhibition of Fellows’ work, a roundup of Fellows' many achievements over the years, and more. 

View our Instagram anniversary feed to see the work of over 300 artists.>