The Village is Entering A Reimagining Period

Our Team Has Created a Plan to Prioritize Reflection, Regeneration, and Restoration

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Hello Friends,

We hope you are leaning into rest and wellness with the changing seasons.

As a valued member of The Village of Arts and Humanities community, we want to share a few updates.

We’re beginning to enter a reimagining period to prepare for our organization’s next chapter.

For the past 10+ years, The Village has experienced extraordinary growth and celebrated many triumphs. We have expanded our programmatic reach to young people and artists, welcomed new team members, launched a major campus transformation (with renovations underway for several parks and buildings), and started preparing for new leadership. But these roses have not been without thorns.

We take our role as a sanctuary for artists, neighbors, activists, young people, and so many others seriously and want to ensure that we can continue to show up for this incredible community for years to come. To do so, we have created a plan for reflection, regeneration, and restoration that will allow us to sustain our work and prioritize our collective well-being into the future.

Between recovering from a global pandemic and the lasting impacts of systemic racism, violence, and poverty, these continual challenges have led us to respond to our community’s needs from a place of urgency and fear at times instead of a place of abundance and sustainability. While we are proud of our ability to meet our people where they are, this has also led to deep burnout and prevented us from taking the time to holistically evaluate our intentions and impact.

Now, through the end of the year, we are implementing a reduced schedule to provide our team with the time and space to assess and refine our programs and operations, plan strategically for our next phase, invest in professional development, and rest and re-energize.


Throughout this period, we remain firmly committed to our mission to support artists and Black community residents to imagine, design, and build a more just and equitable society.

With that in mind, here are several intentions for us this fall so we can move forward with love and trust:

  • We are providing dozens of our Village Industries interns with scholarships so they can experience working at partner organizations and continue exploring their art and creativity.
  • We are launching the Village Guardian Residency, providing our teaching artists with creative and professional development opportunities, financial support, and studio space.
  • We will host several intergenerational events for the community, including some on our Philly Earth farm and orchard, and continue sharing resources and opportunities.
  • The People’s Paper Co-op will work with past fellows and collaborators to begin documenting almost a decade of work for a new book (more details coming soon)!

You can continue to support and engage with The Village during this time by:

This next phase is an opportunity for us to embrace mindfulness, creativity, play, and reflection so we can all thrive. While you might hear from us less often in the coming months, we are still here for you (see contact information below).

With enthusiasm for the future,

The Village of Arts and Humanities
info@villagearts.org
215-225-7830

More readings about liberatory rest: