To be an Artist is to be a Culture-Bearer. All communities throughout history have relied on their relationship to land, intertwined with the sacred unknown, to drive the creation & reclamation of Art as central to the development of culture. The Arts in all forms play a vital role in every aspect of community ecosystems. 

Indigenous cultures across time have known that what we do with our lives is based on the personal and collective meaning we bring to them. Yet the harms of colonial capitalism have created a world view that assumes artistic expression should produce commodities of measurable value, or at the very least be entertaining. Centering the importance of Art as a way to support self actualization & communal liberation makes a step to heal these harms. This healing results in an increased sense of belonging, recognition, and a deepened understanding for individuals & communities. In turn it supports mutual respect, value and dignity for diverse identities, amplifying shared power & intergenerational exchange. 

At PCF, we recognize, value, and create space for Artists as Cultural-Bearers, centering historically oppressed individuals and communities. Art is integrated into all aspects of our programming, from land-stewardship & communal living practices, to educational immersions. 

Simultaneously, Artistic Endeavor requires a distinct container in order to be nurtured and carried with intention. Throughout the years Philadelphia Community Farm has honored the importance of artistic connection to land in many ways. Over the past 10 years PCF has hosted numerous public and private offerings including: theatre performances & operas, festivals, musical & literary events, Hip Hop in nature cyphers, murals & musical gatherings, puppet shows & cultural/spiritual ceremonies, as well as short term artist residencies & retreats.

Through generous support from individual donors, grantors, and community partnerships, we are able to hold a sacred space to foster creative development and growth.

With funding through the PRISM Fund - PFund Foundation, we continue to offer financial support to transgender artists for residencies that provide reconnection to nature in order to create and heal. 

PRISM (Promoting Rural Interconnections for Sexual Minorities) grants support rural LGBTQ+ organizations from across PFund’s five-state service area.

Awarded a grant from Arts Midwest we have been able to increase our capacity for public art access in 2023 and beyond.

 “Arts Midwest amplifies the power of our region’s creativity. . . [We] support, inform, and celebrate arts organizations and creative communities. . . [Our] work is shaped by our guiding values: equity, integrity, and learning. We believe that creativity lives in everyone.”

Community Partnerships with Summer Cypher & Open Flame Theatre have supported multiple years of artistic access for historically oppressed communities to reconnect with their cultures & artistic disciplines in a safe space. These partnerships, and others like them, facilitate and strengthen the connection between art & land for all participants. 

Summer Cypher  “. . . creates authentic spaces where people in community can immerse themselves into a process of self-exploration and critical reflection within the raw elements of hip-hop culture.” - Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs. 

Open Flame Theatre “is an all-transgender/gender non-conforming theatre ensemble based in Minneapolis, MN and Osceola, WI. . . Through live music, dance, large scale climbable sculptures, and circus arts, Open Flame opens portals into surreal other-realms where the power of the imagination is released and reclaimed as part of the larger struggles for justice and freedom from colonization and the culture of capitalism.” 

Those that identify as Artists and Culture-Bearers in our communities hold a crucial part in the (r)evolution and redefining of how Art shapes our lives. 

We are honored to offer outdoor space, housing, and nourishment to those who wish to partner artistically and build with us, as we are able. 

If this is you, please feel free to contact our Arts Programming Leadership for more information. We’d love to be in touch!