THE CENTER FOR EMERGING VISUAL ARTISTS LTD

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) was founded in 1983 as the Creative Artist Network by Felicity R. "Bebe" Benoliel to encourage the professional development and community involvement of Philadelphia's emerging visual artists. Bebe compiled a prestigious board of artistic advisors made up of regional artists as well as curators to assist in the identification and mentorship of emerging talent, and she served as Executive Director until her untimely death in 2000. Today, CFEVA’s innovative programming serves more than 500,000 individuals annually, including an extensive network of more than 1,000 artists and growing.  We present public and private exhibitions around the region, as well as lead city-wide festivals such as the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST), the largest open studio program in the region, and the biennial Art in the Open. Additional opportunities are available for artists to interact with their communities through educational outreach programs, including the award-winning Senior Partnership Initiative, an intergenerational project serving elders and students, and Hand-in-Hand, a program connecting artists with homeless youth residents of city shelters. CFEVA combines time-tested and innovative programming to bring arts opportunities to underserved populations and professional education opportunities to those building visual art careers in Greater Philadelphia.