City of brotherly love beckons artists and galleries - city beat: Philadelphia

Art Business News, July, 2002 by Vanessa Silberman

From the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts--the oldest art museum and school in the nation--to the seminal Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin Museum and Barnes Collection, Philadelphia has always been a destination for art lovers. Today, the city's art scene proves to be as alluring as its veteran institutions, having become, in the last decade, an important mecca for artists and galleries.

"I have seen major growth of Philadelphia's art scene during the past 10 years, both in terms of the number of artists and in the number of sales," observed Christine Pfister, director of the Pentimenti Galleries, which represents emerging as well as established local, national and international artists. "The community here is very vibrant."

Pentimenti Galleries is located in Old City, an historic neighborhood in the heart of the city, where cobblestone streets, Colonial red brick townhouses and old warehouses now converted to artists' lofts dominate the cityscape. Currently, about 50 galleries exist within a two-block radius. "Ten years ago, there was only a handful of us," Pfister noted. "We've experienced dramatic change, and I think it's linked to the growth of the city in general."

Indeed, during the past decade or so, Philadelphia has undergone a miraculous transformation, especially in the area known as Center City. In addition to the revival of Old City, the area known as Rittenhouse Square has become an upscale destination featuring high-end galleries, top-notch restaurants, hip boutiques and trendy bars. A few blocks away on the Avenue of the Arts, theaters, the University of the Arts, the Academy of Music and the recently-opened Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts exist where dilapidated buildings once stood. And on the tree-lined Benjamin Franklin Parkway, museums like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum stand alongside new housing developments and the lot for a new 35,000-square-foot, $50-million Calder Museum to be designed by Tadao Ando.

Philadelphia's urban renewal, combined with its historic charm, reasonable rents, reputable art schools and proximity to New York and Washington, D.C., have proved irresistible for artists and gallery owners. "I think Philadelphia is a very exciting city to live in," said Pfister. "It's true, we are dose to New York, but the big difference is that here an artist has more opportunities to gain exposure, and the press and public are very supportive." Pfister estimates a couple of thousand artists currently live in the city. "It's very artist-friendly," she added.

Another factor which has tremendously affected the growth of Philadelphia's art community is the monthly event known as First Friday. Ten years strong, First Friday is organized by the Old City Arts Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in the Old City neighborhood. Held on the first Friday of each month, the "open house" event has become one of the city's most popular attractions for both the locals and tourists, who flock to the area galleries that host art receptions and openings.

Said Kevin Mullavey, ceramic artist and director of Old City Arts Association, "First Friday and the art community here really started Old City and the whole boom. Twenty years ago, everything was abandoned and scary, and that is when the artists began moving in. Gradually, it became a hip place to live, then a hip place to have a business ... Today, there are almost 50 galleries and we have from 5,000 to 10,000 people showing up to each First Friday event."

Gallery owners agree that First Friday has done wonders for their businesses, allowing people to come in and out of galleries and not feel intimidated by the environment. "It's great not only for sales but also for educating the public," said Pfister.

One downside to the success of First Friday is that rents have risen--for some, dramatically. "But," explained Mullavey, "many of the galleries in Old City are property owners, so they've managed to keep out the big chain stores. They are trying very hard to keep it neighborhood-y."

New galleries continue to pop up and are spreading to other areas like Northern Liberties, which is just north of Old City. West Philadelphia also has a growing arts community near the U-Penn and Drexel University campuses, according to Mullavey.

Further uptown, in the upscale Rittenhouse Square area, lies about 20 galleries--one of which is the Print Center. Founded in 1915 as the Print Club, the Center changed its name in 1996 to "let people know they don't have to be a member to walk in the door," according to Gallery Store Manager Ashley Peel. Exhibiting original prints, like lithographs, etchings and digital prints, as well as photography by more than 80 artists, the Print Center is the oldest gallery of its kind in the country.

While this area typically attracts older, more conservative clients, Peel said a younger crowd has been more apparent during the last few years. "People who normally wouldn't go to openings, like skateboarders, are coming and buying. They are the next generation of collectors," she said.