Contributing to its high score on overall economic activity driven by the arts is a variety of sub-measurements, including program revenue, contributed revenue, total expenses, and total compensation. Notably, Philadelphia also scores in the top 1% on measurements of compensation paid to its arts and cultural workforce which may offer some insight into it becoming a popular locale for working artists.

While anecdotal accounts suggest that artists are often drawn to Philadelphia for its relative affordability when compared to NYC, LA, or DC, the city isn’t without its unique set of issues. According to the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, about 23% of Philadelphia residents live in poverty, despite seeing growth in population, jobs, and development over the last several years. Also noted is a lack of financial resources allocated specifically to Philadelphia-based artists, creating high competition for available opportunities.

Each year, artists and cultural organizations receive financial support from multiple government and private sources including the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, William Penn Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, along with a number of arts service organizations (ASOs) dedicated to various art forms and communities within the region, such as Art-Reach, Asian Arts Initiative, and CultureWorks. Their support became increasingly crucial at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 5-county Philadelphia region saw a $2.33 billion total direct and indirect economic loss from the pandemic. In fiscal year 2019-20, arts and culture accounted for 58,679 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs. In 2021, its estimated that this number was nearly cut in half, to about 29,701 FTEs.

Today, the arts and culture industry continues to be adversely affected by the pandemic. In 2022, local arts organizations reported a persistent 34% decline in revenue due to the pandemic, and the majority didn’t expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity until 2023 or later.  Like many others across the world, arts and culture organizations of Philadelphia have adapted through innovative methods of engagement; finding new ways to connect, teach, and entertain as well as help address societal inequities that were heightened during the pandemic.

For most, this looked like pivoting to strategies that optimized digital presence, but several organizations suddenly found themselves taking on new initiatives that focused more on their immediate surroundings. Beginning in March 2020, Fill the Walls with Hope was an artist-led initiative that called upon other local artists to fill the empty streets with messages of hope, critical public health information, and calls for political reform. In short time, this collaborative effort evolved into key partnerships with the Village of Arts & Humanities and others to supply artwork that highlighted public health and safety messaging, naming and thanking the frontline care workers, and “imaging the world we want to come out of this into,” for local businesses, grocery stores, and at food drives across the city.

Later that year, the country was also bearing the weight of a highly contentious 2020 presidential election. During Count Every Vote demonstrations that aimed to re-instill confidence in the democratic process, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret Company’s new Beardmobile truck outfitted for socially-distanced performances and political action became an “asset with enormous potential.” Used as a protective shield and platform during the marches, the truck helped to amplify messages throughout the city and continues to expand mutual aid opportunities for the group.

Despite the incredible amount of fast-acting collaborative work, the effects of racial and geographic segregation within the city are apparent – its challenge will be to keep the spirit of collaboration alive and resist returning to familiar silos as the community moves forward.

Thank you to Kristen Vinh of Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Caralyn Spector formerly of Philadelphia Cultural Fund for their thoughtful contributions to the making of this article.