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WEST PHILADELPHIA CREATIVE GRANTS
16 Projects Awarded a Total of $40,000
The West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance/Paul Robeson House & Museum (WPCA) and The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation (Sachs) at the University of Pennsylvania are thrilled to announce the first round of West Philadelphia Creative Grants, providing $40,000 to support 16 West Philadelphia artists and creative organizations.
“We are overjoyed by the tremendous response that we received from the artist community in West Philly,” said Janice Sykes-Ross, executive director of the WPCA. “The creativity and community focus of the projects are fantastic! We are especially pleased that we were able to increase the number of grant recipients from six to 16 to support even more artists and groups.”
Each awardee receives $2,500 for projects representing a broad range of West Philadelphia’s vibrant creative community. The projects include performances in dance, theater and drumming; workshops in drawing and storytelling; poetry, filmmaking and community-greening activities, and the creation of a mural.
The West Philadelphia Creative Grants program is coordinated by the West Philadelphia Arts Council under the auspices of the WPCA. The grants provide both organizational and individual financial support, as well as funding to implement specific projects. The grants program is a collaboration between the WPCA and Sachs with lead support from the William Penn Foundation.
The next opportunity in this initiative is an artist residency in the spring. Applications will open later this fall. The residency will provide funding for a BIPOC West Philadelphia artist to work out of the newly renovated administrative space of the WPCA at 4949 Walnut St., adjacent to the museum. There will also be a second round of creative grant applications in December.
REFLECTIONS: WOMEN OF ROBESON'S LEGACY
A new exhibit highlights five women who were pivotal to Paul Robeson’s life story
The legacy of Paul Robeson stands on a foundation built by powerful women who were instrumental in putting his mark on history. Like most women, they did it while creating legacies of their own. They are a reflection of all women who made their own way, are making their own way or have a vision of how they will create their own legacies.
In June, five of those women will share the stage at the Paul Robeson House & Museum in an exciting new exhibit showcasing their contributions.
Follow the route of Eslanda Goode Robeson as she traveled through Africa with her son and embraced the concept of an African Diaspora. Meet Maria Bustill Robeson the mother who died too young. Applaud Marian Robeson Forsythe who as a widowed mother bought the house at 4951 Walnut at a time when single women did nothing of the sort. Immerse yourself in the life of Frances P. Aulston the librarian who believed that the arts could save a community. Journey with Vernoca L. Michael who grew up in a family that practiced community service.
Our multimedia exhibit on these women starts on June 22, 2024, at the house, 4951 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. It is part of the city’s Juneteenth celebration and the Wawa Welcome America Festival. Visitors can sign up for tours at bit.ly/paulrobesonhousetours.
Here’s more about the women:
Eslanda Goode Robeson, his wife and business manager, was an anthropologist, writer, actress, photographer, and civil-rights and women’s-rights activist.
Maria Bustill Robeson, his mother who descended from abolitionists, was a schoolteacher before becoming a homemaker.
Marian Robeson Forsythe, his big sister, was a special-education teacher in the Philadelphia public schools and active in community service.
Frances P. Aulston was a librarian, community activist and advocate for the arts who founded the Paul Robeson House & Museum in Marian’s home, where Robeson spent the final years of his life.
Vernoca L. Michael is a woman of many firsts, including the first licensed female African American boxing promoter in Pennsylvania, whose family was so close to Paul Robeson and Marian Forsythe that she calls them “Uncle Paul” and “Aunt Marian.”
These women are impactful in their own ways, and each of us are the same. We invite visitors to interact with the exhibit by reflecting on the contributions that they and other women have made. We encourage you to take selfies, post your own experiences and share your stories: the lessons you’ve learned, your values and beliefs, and your hopes and dreams.
For more information about the exhibit, contact WPCA Executive Director Janice Sykes-Ross at wphlcajanice@gmail.com.
