“Art has always been a queer-led space, and as the LGBTQ+ councilmember, I want to make sure I’m giving a voice to those artists,” said Councilmember Rue Landau about using her position to learn about and highlight Philadelphia’s art scene.
Landau’s office already doubles as a bit of a gallery — showcasing local artists in the space and on social media. She hopes her support will help artists sell their work and drum up general interest.
She’s now expanding that effort with a project called “Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia” — an opportunity that invites displaced students and faculty from the recently closed University of the Arts to display their work throughout City Hall.
“We need to do everything we can to uplift our artists,” Landau said, noting that this is just the first of various emerging exhibits that will bring more art to City Hall.
The initiative was made possible through a collaboration with Creative Philadelphia — formerly known as the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Those interested in this project can submit applications through Oct. 4 via Submittable, where other opportunities for artists are listed. One of those programs, the 2024 Illuminate the Arts Grant, is meant to bolster Philadelphia’s Black and Brown artists as well as those who lack access to traditional sources of arts funding.
“My mom is an artist and went to Philadelphia College of Art — which was actually the predecessor to University of the Arts, so she’s instilled in me a love of art and an appreciation,” Landau added. “I don’t have all of the skill that she has, but it’s made me a super fan.”
Landau explained that her mom — an oil painter who also explores other mediums — has worked as an artist, designing department store window displays and also in a wearable art boutique. But she has also always needed to rely on additional income (for her, by working as a travel agent) to pay the bills.
Landau’s admiration for her mother’s talent and recognition that the industry is a difficult one to survive in prompted her to want to learn more about the needs, experiences, and aspirations of Philadelphia’s artists. That’s why she’s also launched a citywide survey that aims to gather insights from local artists.
The survey asks respondents to consider challenges they endure — such as renting exhibition space, finding mentors and professional development, marketing and promotion, visibility, discrimination, wages and other topics relevant to navigating the scene. It also asks questions about whether or not people have access to support systems and resources that improve quality of life — like childcare, healthcare, technology, transportation, housing and other basic needs.
She said the survey will allow her to “hear directly from artists about what barriers they’re facing that we may be able to help remove in order for them to succeed as professionals.”
The survey is open to anyone who considers themself an artist, including those who earn incomes outside of the industry. Data collected will offer a comprehensive look at what it’s like to be an artist in Philadelphia.
In the first 24 hours after it went live, the survey collected more than 100 responses. In its first three weeks, responses grew to 270. So far, artists have written about the need for more grants and funding, more affordable options for studio and practice spaces, and more options for sharing their work.
Landau explained that the initial findings show 64% of respondents as people within the LGBTQ+ community.
Although she supports all local artists, Landau highlighted the need for the city to create more opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists — who are especially marginalized and often underemployed and underpaid. She noted that LGBTQ+ people are often selling art only or mostly within the queer community — a limited market that includes people who are also marginalized and may not have the means to support every artist.
The survey is open through Sept. 6. Landau hopes to glean as much information as possible from those who participate and turn that information into tangible steps in order to create new policies and programs as soon as possible. Some potential solutions have already been identified by the respondents themselves — who are sharing ideas about what might benefit the community the most.
“I really hope we can find ways to allow our artists to make a living from their crafts. This will include making sure that we buy locally and that we support our neighbors in every way that we possibly can. It’s a beautiful, sustainable Philadelphia model that we can — that we need — to adopt,” Landau said.
“Art is beautiful. Art is meaningful. But it is also important to highlight how it’s part of an economic engine for us as well,” she underlined.
To apply to participate in “Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia” or other city-sponsored artist initiatives, visit oacce.submittable.com/submit/. To complete the artist survey, visit https://bit.ly/475DEED.
