The Village of Arts and Humanities is an anchor for a half-century of Black families who have experienced the fabric of their neighborhood unravel as a result of systematic disinvestment. We’re a safe haven for Black artists, civic practice artists, and artist-activists who dare to wrestle with the most urgent and intractable challenges of our time. We are a symbol of Staying Power in a city and world that are rapidly changing.

A leader in arts and community development, Aviva Kapust joined The Village in 2010 and earned the Executive Director position in 2013. During the last decade, she’s led the organization through challenging times, achieved stabilization, and then positioned The Village for a phenomenal resurgence. With creativity, integrity, and fearlessness, she re-established The Village as a center for social innovation and trusted community partner. Through it all, Aviva lifted up and honored the legacies, histories, and lessons of those who came before—Lily Yeh, Arthur Hall, James “Big Man” Maxton, Kwasi Burgee, El Sawyer, and so many others.

With deep gratitude and appreciation for the exponential impact Aviva has orchestrated at The Village, we announce Aviva’s intention to depart The Village to design and co-direct a new national fund that will support arts, culture, and community power-building.

As we double down on our commitment to The Village’s legacy and mission, we are also excited to announce the search for our next Executive Director, who will lead our committed team in their efforts to deepen and accelerate The Village’s important work.

“Aviva’s tireless efforts and deep commitment to excellence and justice have made The Village sing again—it’s a national model and a lighthouse of possibility where social change and ideals are being realized.” Lily Yeh, Co-founder of The Village and Director of Barefoot Artists

Commitment to Building and Learning Together

In her early days at The Village, Aviva worked with co-directors and more than 30 teaching artists to revive the organization’s youth arts and leadership program. The result was Village Industries, a pre-employment program that has since paid more than a half-million dollars to youth in creative internships. In 2011, she co-founded the award-winning CRED Philly Magazine, an arts and culture magazine showcasing Philadelphia’s young artists—the publication was written, curated, and produced entirely by creators under the age of 25. And in 2014, she co-originated The Village’s Spaces Artists In Residence Program, bringing artists together with community members to design and realize equitable creative placemaking projects. SPACES went on to produce The Village’s women and justice initiative, People’s Paper Co-op, and to help launch a new, vital community organization, Hartranft Playground Alliance.

“The Village has grown into a beacon of ingenuity and force for protective advancement. One of our members shared, ‘Aviva’s been a community advocate who has taken time to understand our neighborhood and cares enough to be a teammate with the people from our community to bring about progress.’ Aviva will be missed.” — Kathy Barnes, President, Hartranft Playground Alliance

When the pandemic hit, Aviva and her team partnered with community members to turn The Village into a site for food distribution and vaccination. She quickly established The Village’s Emergency Fund for Black Working Artists which, within 60 days, deployed $170k in unrestricted grants to more than 350 Philadelphia-based artists.

Aviva and her team have envisioned, assembled, and begun to deploy more than $10m in arts-rooted neighborhood investments that will create permanently affordable, high-quality housing for residents; support community members to design and implement alternatives to policing; provide job skills training in ceramic tile setting and production; and restore The Village’s iconic creative campus to serve generations to come.

Most importantly, Aviva has lifted up the ideas, talents, and skills of those she worked with. She’s built a team of locally and nationally recognized practitioners—artists, designers, entrepreneurs, cultural organizers, and community developers—working to ensure that Black residents of the Fairhill-Hartranft neighborhood are supported to lead, steward, and benefit from neighborhood revitalization.

“This work is a long relay race, not a sprint—and certainly not an “individual” event. It’s an honor to pass the baton at a moment of strength and possibility. The Village’s team is overflowing with talent, skill, compassion, and courage. They are fully prepared to continue The Village’s long legacy of working with and for our community and to achieve just transformation.” — Aviva Kapust

A New Chapter

We have launching a national search for The Village’s next leader. During this important process, Aviva will continue to oversee the organization in close partnership with our transition team, which includes Managing Director Jeanette Lloyd, Operations Director Precious Blake, and The Village’s Board of Directors.

Our Search Committee has worked closely with Village staff, partners, funders, elders, and community members to distill the values, qualities, and competencies that interested candidates must bring. In this moment of transition, we are filled with anticipation and belief in the brightness of The Village’s future.

We look forward to introducing our next Executive Director and welcoming them to The Village family, and to working alongside them in all the years that follow.