I've often looked longingly (and naively?) at Philadelphia: its seemingly united front of stakeholders and prolific artmakers that proactively and comprehensively support and grow the arts community. The Pew, the William Penn Foundation. Independence Foundation,
The Fringe. Headlong. Pig Iron. And many many others.
I've wondered how NYC can appropriate some of that brotherly love for our own, way bigger urban jungle. May we are just toooo big? Maybe I am just too naive?
BUT AND! it looks like the grass ain't so green over there. One big funder is moving west and one is increasingly working nationally (stay tuned for the NYC rollout of The Pew's Cultural Data Project!) What will happen to all the artists and arts organizations that rely so kindly and heavily on these funders?
This November 2008 Times' article spells out some of the history of Philadelphia's success.
What's your two cents?
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