Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Mission: We lead, strengthen and give voice to a diverse cultural sector that is making Philadelphia a world-class region to live, work and play.

Founded in 1972, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is the region's premier leadership, advocacy, and audience development organization for arts and culture. The Alliance has a proven track record for pulling groups together, dating back to the 1970's, when we coordinated arts activities for the nation's Bicentennial Celebration, and more recently, in 2008, when we served as local host to more than 1,400 arts leaders attending the Americans for the Arts Convention in Philadelphia.

The Alliance played a key advocacy role in establishing the Philadelphia Cultural Fund; helped preserve Philadelphia's Percent for Art programs; was a catalyst in re-establishing Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE); and led the successful statewide battle to defeat the proposed “arts tax” in 2009 as well as a proposed 70% cut to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) in 2011.

Today, the Cultural Alliance leads, strengthens, and gives voice to more than 400 member organizations and the broader cultural sector in shaping regional policy decisions, increasing public engagement in arts and culture, and ensuring that culture remains a strategic competitive advantage for Philadelphia.